Coordinated Mental Health Care
This years' Budget is redirecting funding to provide packages of care for up to 25,000 people diagnosed with severe mental illness.
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Previous MinistersPDF printable version Coordinated Mental Health Care (PDF 15 KB)
17 May 2010
Right now the Government provides one-off support for a range of mental health services through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
The mental health sector has given the Government feedback that this funding could be better spent.
Consistent with this advice, in this Budget the Government redirected funding to providing packages of care for up to 25,000 people diagnosed with severe mental illness. This is not a savings measure – in fact, the Government will spend more overall on these programs.
This means that people who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness will receive more coordinated care through a team of health professionals - including social workers and occupational therapists - to comprehensively look after their ongoing care needs.
This will deliver coordinated mental health care to those most in need in our community, rather than treatment on an ad-hoc basis.
The services social workers provide to the community are valued. This measure is about using and funding those services in a different way.
The Government understands that social workers are concerned by this new arrangement and will tomorrow meet with their Association to further discuss the issue.
The Government is particularly keen to further discuss the 1 July implementation of the measure and how we can ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements for both patients and social workers.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220
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