ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Thank you. This is the 38th Medicare Mental Health Centre that's open in Australia, and we've got nine operating in Queensland, including the official opening here on the Sunny Coast today, and intention to expand the network to about 90 across the country, including 24 here in Queensland.
I'm proud to be joined by the State Representative here today, Kendall Morton, because this is co-funded. And what we know that it has been It's really hard for people to find care in the community, whether they're in distress or in crisis. And what Medicare Mental Health Centres are designed to do, and as you can see from this welcoming safe space that we're all in today, they're designed to remove barriers to access to care. You don't need a referral from a GP, you don't need an appointment, and it's free to access. And Medicare Mental Health Centres are importantly staffed by multi-disciplinary teams, because we know that the right kind of care is wraparound care. When you walk in here to the Medicare Mental Health Centre, you're likely to be greeted by a peer worker, someone with their own lived experience, and often that is the best start to your journey of seeking support and care.
And there'll also be clinicians if you need them to help you in your support and care. Right here on site, there's a psychologist, there's a social worker, and right across the country what we're doing is we're developing a virtual network of more specialist clinicians, so that if somebody walks into a Medicare Mental Health Centre in Bundaberg where I was yesterday, or in Rockhampton or in Gladstone, and needs a specialist psychologist or psychiatrist, they'll be able to be connected with them through telehealth onsite here, supported by one of the staff here. So I'm so proud to be here today as part of the official opening with Kendall of this new Medicare Mental Health Centre for your community. It opened at a temporary site last July, officially here in March, and we've already seen more than 3000 service contacts, which shows the demand in the community, but also that this model of care is meeting the needs of people on the Sunshine Coast and right across Queensland.
I might hand over to Kendall, and then I can take any questions.
KENDALL MORTON, MEMBER FOR CALOUNDRA: Thank you. Kendall Morton, State Member for Caloundra. It's very exciting to be here today, and I'd like to thank the Minister and welcome her to the Sunshine Coast, and also thank the State Minister for Health, Tim Nicholls. It's an honour to be here to represent him today. So the thing about this service here is that we are seeing a growing demand in our communities here on the Sunshine Coast of mental health services, and this integrated care model fits in really well with that because as we know, mental health can be a challenging space and it's not a one-size-fits-all model. So to have things that are innovative and approaching things differently that for people feel safe and able to access these services is a really, really critical part of what's missing in our community. So to be here today and be involved in the opening of such a space is a much needed thing for our community. And what's particularly exciting is that this space is also offering support for families, which is often the missing link because mental health does affect our entire community, and this space is certainly something to celebrate. So thank you Minister, and thank you to everyone who's behind projects like this because it certainly has an impact for everybody who lives here on the Sunshine Coast.
JOURNALIST: Emma, you spoke on it a little bit before, but are you able to touch on what makes a place like this more comforting for someone to come to seek help as compared to a hospital setting?
MCBRIDE: I worked in hospitals and I worked in acute mental health inpatient services and this is intentionally co-designed, people with their own lived experience, so it is a safe and welcoming place. When you walk in, there's not a reception desk, there's not a Perspex screen, and the lights are dim, the soft furnishings are all designed to be more like a home, more like a living room than a waiting room. And I think that's what people notice when they walk into these centres and it's what's making these centres such- a place where people are very comfortable and confident to come in support- to seek support and care.
JOURNALIST: And I guess how far has treatment been- come in the last 10 years or so?
MCBRIDE: I know that when I've been able to speak on behalf of Australia at international forums that we are looked to for our leadership and our innovation in mental health and suicide prevention. I first started working in mental health in the early 2000s as a young pharmacist on the other side of the world, and to think today we would have centres like this that are co-designed with people with their own lived experience, that are free, that people can walk into, we have made so much progress. I know there is much more to do, which is why we committed in the election another billion dollars broadly into the mental health and suicide prevention space, but more than $225 million into the expansion and strengthening of Medicare and mental health centres. Including, as I mentioned, 24 in Queensland and this is the ninth that's officially open here in Sunshine Coast today.
JOURNALIST: I guess how do you make it sort of publicly aware that this service is available? How do you encourage those people to be brave enough to come in and seek that help?
MCBRIDE: Well, what we have seen in Australia is conversations really shifting around mental health and suicide prevention. And I know Kendall has made some comments on that, particularly around families as well. So it's spreading the word. It's people coming in and seeing that it is a safe and welcoming space and receiving good support and care. That's the best recommendation we can have of these services and the best way that can spread the word. But I would encourage any local people to visit the Medicare Mental Health Centre here in the Sunshine Coast, whether they're seeking support themselves or to better understand what the service might be able to provide to others.
JOURNALIST: I guess if there is tremendous success here will there be options to expand and perhaps have another centre, say, you know, a bit further north, Noosa and other areas of the Sunshine Coast?
MCBRIDE: These centres are funded nationally through the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. This centre here is co-funded, the Commonwealth has contributed $6 million to this service alongside funding from the State Government. So as I said, we did make a commitment of more than $225 million nationally to expand the network. This is the ninth opening in Queensland, we do have ones in Logan, we have them in Rockhampton, we have them in Gladstone. So we are looking to expand the network across Queensland. But also we will have a virtual network that's linked to the actual physical centres. In the coming months, as I mentioned, there'll be a virtual network of psychiatrists and psychologists, so that if someone walks into a centre in Rockhampton and needs a specialist psychologist that's available on the Sunshine Coast they'll be able to have a safe and confidential telehealth appointment with them, alongside a peer worker or peer navigator.
JOURNALIST: I guess some of those peer workers or peer navigators, they've also had lived experiences, come through some things themselves. I guess, how beneficial is that for someone who's coming through the door and is a bit unsure about what help they need?
MCBRIDE: I think this is what is having a real impact, as part of this multidisciplinary model of care, is someone with their own lived experience who has walked in your shoes being able to help you to navigate the system, find the right support and care. And I am so grateful and I want to recognise the peer workers, those with their lived experience, in both the co-design of this model nationally, the implementation in local centres, and the work they do individually with people and families seeking support and care. Thank you.