National Mental Health Reform 2011-12
Addressing service gaps in state and territory systems
- Foreword
- Highlights
The Challenges- Severe and debilitating mental illness
- Better targeted and more efficient primary mental health services
- Early intervention and prevention, and mental health services for children and young people
- Economic and social participation for people with mental illness
- Addressing service gaps in state and territory systems
- Quality, transparency and accountability in mental health
- A new approach – A ten year roadmap for mental health reform
Priorities and new Initiatives
The Australian Government has identified significant service shortfalls, which impact on the ability of Australians with mental illness to receive assistance and recover in the community. An analysis of state data suggests that, nationally, only approximately a quarter of the demand for supported accommodation services is met. Such services are linked to clinical support and help reduce the number of people having to go to
hospital emergency departments, particularly for avoidable reasons.
There is also a shortage of clinical specialist mental health services in the community to help people manage their illness and recover in the community. There is only 62 per cent of the estimated number of workers required to deliver services, and inadequate capacity in specialised child and adolescent services and crisis response services, both run through the states and territories.
This shortfall is producing a crisis-driven mental health system in which people are turned away from services until they are unwell enough to warrant hospital admission. The acute system is not well equipped to meet both the health and nonhealth needs of an individual.