National Mental Health Reform 2011-12
Quality, transparency and accountability in mental health
- 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
Public confidence in the mental health system has been diminished as a result of the system’s inability to reach and look after everyone who needs care, when they need it. People living with mental illness, their families and carers need to have confidence that the Government’s reforms are being delivered, and that mental health services they receive are consistent with best practice.
Mental health experts, consumers and carers want to see more independent, transparent and ‘user-friendly’ reporting on mental health reform, and have called for a greater role by the Australian Government in this area. In particular, concerns have been raised that current reports focus on activity level data and expenditure associated with health programs only, and do not include consumer outcomes and experiences.