NICOLE DYER, HOST: Right now, though, a first of its kind for the Gold Coast, a new Medicare Mental Health Centre. It's about to open its doors in Pimpama. It'll provide free mental health support, making it easier for those to get help close to home, which is great news. With you, Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride. Assistant Minister, good morning.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Good to be with you, Nicole.
DYER: Firstly, what traditional barriers around accessing mental health does this service provide?
MCBRIDE: I'm a mental health clinician myself and I worked in a regional hospital, I saw people in distress escalate to crisis simply because there wasn't the right kind of support in the community, and the barriers they face were of cost, of having to see a GP and get a referral, and being stuck on wait lists. So, these Medicare Mental Health Centres are designed to remove any of those barriers so that people can walk in without an appointment, get tailored mental health support from trained mental health clinicians and peer workers to meet their individual needs.
DYER: So who will- what service providers will be stationed there?
MCBRIDE: The Medicare Mental Health Centres are staffed, in this case, by a team of 24 mental health clinicians, social workers, psychologists, counsellors, working in a multidisciplinary team with peer workers, people bringing their own lived experience of mental health challenges to support others in navigating care and getting the care that is tailored to their needs in the community and when they need it.
DYER: You don't need a referral. So how does it work? Someone can just walk in and say, I need help, what can you do for me?
MCBRIDE: That's right, someone can walk into the centre today and be greeted by a staff member who's probably had their own lived experience, and that first step can often be the hardest step, which is why we wanted to remove those barriers of needing to seek a referral, having a diagnosis, making an appointment. They'll be greeted by someone in a safe and welcoming place because we know that stigma does persist and we want to make sure that people can take that step and get the wraparound care that they need.
DYER: Has this model been used anywhere before?
MCBRIDE: This model we've introduced in Australia, it's really the first of its kind bringing together free walk-in support provided by trained mental health clinicians in partnership with people with their own lived experience. And our chief psychiatrist, Dr Sophie Davison, has visited more than 30 of these centres and has done an initial clinical review and is really pleased with the results that we're seeing – people accessing care who previously would not have accessed care, older Australians, men, people in more regional and remote communities. It's really become a new front door to mental health support and care across the country.
DYER: And how interconnected is it with services outside of this centre? Because that's one of the biggest criticisms for mental health, is it's a very fractured system, with health authorities not talking to one another so people get lost. How does this centre address that?
MCBRIDE: It is also by design, and the Primary Health Network have done a lot of consultation with the health and hospital services, with existing mental health providers, to make sure that it is integrated so that someone doesn't have to retell their story, so that someone doesn't fall through the cracks and that they can get that wraparound support that they need. So someone may get the support from the Medicare Mental Health Centre, or if there is a particular type of service that would better meet their needs, they'll be warmly handed over and connected with that service. So one of the design features is integration to make sure that there is better, stronger collaboration and a more robust system of care.
DYER: How have these centres in other parts of Australia coped with demand?
MCBRIDE: As you would expect, I mean, in Australia today- and this is across the world, but in Australia today, one in five adults experience mental health challenges in any 12 months that require extra support, and that doubles for young people. So one of the benefits of these services is that you can see someone immediately. And it might be for information and advice, and it can also be for a family or a caregiver. So being able to see someone straight away has really helped to be able to manage the rising prevalence and the increased demand in communities and also having the right kind of team. So being able to see a counsellor or a social worker or a mental health nurse, so someone with the right expertise and skills to provide you with the care that you need. We're managing demand well, but as you’ve mentioned, we’ve had the 500,000 visits to Medicare Mental Health Centres across the 57 that are now open across the country.
DYER: Is there a waiting time at these centres? I mean, because the way we're painting this- I mean, it sounds great and anything free- and as you mentioned it yourself, that whole network, just to get a referral can cost hundreds of dollars. And if you need a psychiatrist, I mean that's- let’s not even go there. The waiting list can be six to 12 months at least. So when this is set up and going, people will no doubt hopefully make use of it, but what should they expect by way of waiting times?
MCBRIDE: What we’ve seen across the country is that people will always be warmly welcomed. They'll be able to have an initial assessment. It may be that they get the information and support that they need on the day. It may be that then a follow-up appointment is arranged for them with one of the psychologists or we do also have psychiatrists as part of either face-to-face or telehealth support. By design, they're meeting people where they're at and providing support sooner.
DYER: All right. You need a Medicare card, I'm assuming, or can you go in there without a Medicare card?
MCBRIDE: While it is recommended, in respecting people's confidentiality, someone doesn’t need to come in with a Medicare card, the centres are free and backed by Medicare. So for any of your listeners to know with confidence that they can walk in, they’ll get compassionate care by trained mental health professionals and without cost.
DYER: All right. And when do doors open?
MCBRIDE: So they've quietly opened, but we'll be officially opening today with Senator Murray Watt today. And I also want to recognise the Queensland Government as co-funders of this service so that we've got the right level of investment, nearly $6 million to be able to stand up this service so that it can be properly resourced.
DYER: Why Pimpama?
MCBRIDE: It’s one of the fastest growing regions in this northern corridor of the Gold Coast. There is growing demand from this community, and we wanted to make sure that when the locations are decided, and they're decided through a strong consultation process, as I mentioned, with the hospital and health services, with existing mental health providers, to make sure that they're accessible, that they're centrally located, and meet the growing demands of this rapidly growing community.
DYER: Okay. So doors are open. You can just walk in. If you don't have a Medicare card, it's not the end of the world. You don't have to pay. And it's to try and get to people before they reach crisis point because they feel they have no options. Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, thank you very much.
MCBRIDE: Thanks for having me.