Page 2830 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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What this means in real terms for 2018-19 is that our investment in mental health services for the Canberra community has grown to $157 million, a five per cent funding increase this financial year.
One of the key initiatives I would like to highlight as part of this significant investment is the $22.8 million in funding over four years that has been committed to provide more supported accommodation for people with complex mental health needs to recover and live in the community.
Complexities around mental illness are such that people have different levels and intensity of mental health issues and need different levels and types of treatment and support. As our city grows we are seeing more and more demand for mental health services, from early intervention and prevention measures through to emergency and intensive support. We know that our acute services simply cannot provide care for everyone with a mental health issue and that often an acute setting is not the best clinical option for many people.
With that in mind, significant work has been underway within ACT Health to develop community-based alternatives to inpatient mental health care. These alternatives are an important part of the stepped care model that is critical to the delivery of a safe, effective and integrated mental health service system.
The supported accommodation package featured in this budget is an important element of our community-based services and will include: establishing three new supported accommodation properties for up to 15 individuals experiencing mental illness who require long-term 24-hour support; building a south side community step up, step down short-term facility to help people stay out of hospital; and refurbishing the 10-bed extended care unit at Brian Hennessy Rehabilitation Centre to provide an upgraded secure facility where mental health patients can gradually transition into supported accommodation or back into the community.
The investment sees $12.2 million in funding allocated for infrastructure costs and a further $10.7 million to manage and run the facilities. That will significantly boost the front-line care that Canberrans can access when they or their loved ones are in need of support. The investment also complements the mental health rehabilitation services that have recently opened at the new University of Canberra Hospital, which are fit for purpose and include both an inpatient ward and an expanded day service for mental health consumers.
In addition to the investments we are making in providing appropriate supported accommodation, this year’s budget also invests in more specialist community-based mental health services. These mental health services are not just about reactive treatment but proactive treatment through innovative services that help in the journey towards recovery.
We know that different groups in our community will need targeted and specific mental health supports. While we often speak about the impact of mental health on young people—and I will come back to this in a moment—I am pleased that this
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