AMANDA RISHWORTH, MEMBER FOR KINGSTON: It's really wonderful to welcome Emma McBride, our Assistant Minister for Mental Health, to a very exciting announcement that will booster mental health services in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. It is also wonderful to be here at headspace Onkaparinga that does a wonderful job providing mental health support but, importantly, broader community support to young people in this local area.
But today's announcement that will further add to our mental health support of a new mental health walk-in- Medicare walk-in clinic, and also a perinatal Medicare clinic, will be a really important addition to the southern suburbs and adds to the significant investment that the Commonwealth has made. A point to headspace here, but also really importantly our Urgent Care Clinic. Our Urgent Care Clinic at Morphett Vale has been such an important addition to the local area, seeing 44,000 walk-in patients. Of course, funding was extended because it was such a popular local clinic.
So, very much as the local member, I'm really hopeful and excited about the option not just to have walk-in for those injuries or other urgent care, but being able to have a dedicated walk-in mental health clinic will be so critical to the local community.
So, thanks, Emma. Thanks for coming. Thanks for the announcement.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Thank you so much, Minister Rishworth, for the invitation to be here today in the community. And thank you for your advocacy over such a long time for your community here in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.
Until now, people living in the suburbs and regions of Australia have had to wait too long and pay too much for mental health care and support. We're changing that. The Albanese Labor Government made a historic $1.1 billion investment in the mental health and well-being of all Australians and today, we’re delivering on that in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.
A new Medicare Mental Health Centre, free walk-in support and care for every Australian, and a specialist perinatal service for new or expectant parents. We know that in Australia today, about one in five adults experience mental health challenges in any year. For new or expectant parents, that's one in five new or expectant mothers and one in 10 new or expectant fathers, which is why we're introducing these new free walk-in services right here in the southern suburbs of Adelaide - perinatal mental health service run by the Gidget Foundation, experts in perinatal mental health and care, and a new free walk-in Medicare mental health service. To make sure all Australians, whatever their post code, whatever their bank balance, can get free support and care provided by expert clinicians in partnership with people with their own lived experience.
And we know that in South Australia, this is already making a difference. The Medicare Mental Health Centres that we’ve introduced have already seen more than 20,000 occasions of care - free and backed by Medicare. And for perinatal mental health services, one that we've opened in in Elizabeth in the Northern Suburbs and ones that were opening as part of 20 across the country, are seeing about 800 families a year, making sure that people in that vital time of a family's life to be able to get that early intervention and support and care. And this is part of a Albanese-Labor Government investment in boosting the mental health support and care for all Australians wherever they live and whatever their stage of life.
JOURNALIST: So why the Onkaparinga area specifically? Is there a reason you've chosen this area?
MCBRIDE: There is. These decisions are very carefully made about locations and communities with the state and territory governments, with the Primary Health Network. And we know that in Onkaparinga, there is a larger proportion of people seeking mental health support through their GP. We also know that there's a large number of families that need support sooner. So, this is why Onkaparinga has been chosen as a location in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. And the process will be through co-design, mapping local services, understanding where gaps are, and making sure that the service, when it's introduced, is very well integrated into existing services so there's a seamless continuity of care, so people aren't having to retell their stories and can get the support that they need sooner and, importantly, free and backed by Medicare.
We know that, for too long, people particularly living in the outer suburbs or the regions have been told you have to wait, being told you have to travel, or being told that you have to pay. And what these new free services are doing, and particularly with the Medicare Mental Health Services, no appointment, no referral, no diagnosis, and all free and backed by Medicare.
JOURNALIST: How much are we expecting the individual cost to be for each of the two centres?
MCBRIDE: So, the perinatal mental health services are part of a nearly $40 million investment from the Commonwealth Government to introduce them. And as I mentioned, there's one that we opened with Matt Burnell, and recently in Elizabeth, and this one that'll be up and running in about 12 months’ time. So, an investment of close to $40 million in the perinatal services.
And at the last election we made a commitment, as I said, of $1.1 billion to boost the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians. And of that, $267.3 million to introduce new Medicare Mental Health services or upgrade existing services.
JOURNALIST: Can we expect anything further for maybe regions that are a bit further out than Onkaparinga in the future? Is that something that’s being talked about?
MCBRIDE: Yes, we can, and there will be more services. There’s a perinatal service that’ll be in Murray Bridge, and there’ll be other Medicare Mental Health services, including two others that will be happening in South Australia. Wanting to make sure that wherever someone lives that they’ve got access to mental health services closer to home, and importantly free, removing any of those barriers to care which have existed for too long for too many people.
JOURNALIST: Do you have a timeline for when those ones will come online?
MCBRIDE: Yes. So all of these services we’ve committed to opening by 2030, understanding the urgency in communities, the growing demand and the necessity to get them up and running quickly. At the same time, making sure that we do the appropriate co-design with communities to work closely with existing services and communities to make sure that what we’re introducing will meet the needs of those local communities, and that we’ll be able to recruit the right workforce to be able to provide the specialist care that people deserve.
JOURNALIST: And will these walk-in clinics be fit for purpose for any kind of crisis situations?
MCBRIDE: They’re designed if someone is walking in and wanting information or advice, someone who is in distress and needs support right now in a safe and welcoming place. I worked in mental health inpatient units for nearly 10 years at a local regional hospital, and we know that supporting the community in safe and welcoming places that people trust is the best kind of care, and that's what Medicare Mental Health Centres are designed to provide.
JOURNALIST: Did you do any sort of consultation with First Nations groups or anyone else that maybe is more disproportionately represented in certain systems?
MCBRIDE: That is an absolute central part to any of the mental health or more broadly healthcare services that we're introducing, to make sure that there is strong engagement with local Aboriginal medical services and community-led organisations to make sure that any service that we introduce is culturally safe and responsive and better meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
JOURNALIST: Do you have a message for anyone that maybe feels like they need care where they are out in the regions, maybe Onkaparinga is still too far for them?
MCBRIDE: Yes. We're also at the same time acknowledging that Australia is a vast country with people living in very remote and more regional communities. We're also introducing our free digital service. For the first time, all Australians aged over 16 will have access to Medicare Mental Health Check In, Australia's first free national mental health service. In partnership with St Vincent’s Health Australia, one of not just Australia’s but the world's leading providers of digital mental health services, provided by experienced clinicians, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and free and available on their phone. So anyone listening today or watching today can call 1800-595-212 and have a brief conversation over the phone and to be guided to what is the most appropriate service for them, whether it's a walk-in service or whether it's a digital or telehealth service, to be able to create the reach to be able to meet more Australians sooner and for free.
JOURNALIST: Is there, like, a duty of care to- since it’s 16 and above, you know, 16 to 18 is when people tend to still be in care of their parents. Is there anything that might come up during those conversations that would have to be reported elsewhere?
MCBRIDE: This has been very carefully thought out and designed with experts like St Vincent's Health Australia. It's also gone through approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to make sure that it is safe. And of course there is a duty of care, and particularly to younger people. In thinking about the age that people could access it, we know that young people are seeking that information online or from friends. And we wanted to make sure that from 16 and above they had that evidence-based information that is current and up to date and tailored to them, available for them and easily accessed.
JOURNALIST: I’m all good.