AMELIA BERNASCONI, ABC: We’ve had a fair bit thrown at old regional New South Wales, regional Australia in the last- even five years, further than that. But day to day, you might find some struggles in your life as well, and I wonder if you’ve tried, in some scenarios, to try and get some support for that. Has it been a struggle? I mean, putting our mental wellbeing, these conversations forward, that’s certainly been a shift. We can talk about that pretty openly these days. But getting the help – it might’ve been a challenge in regional parts of our state, like the Upper Hunter.
But today, there’s going to be a very exciting announcement in Muswellbrook, looking at a new mental health facility. The Assistant Minister for Regional and Rural Health, the Assistant Minister for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, Emma McBride, is our guest this morning. Thanks for coming in.
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER: So good to be with you, Amelia.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Tell me how important this has been. This site in Muswellbrook is one of about 60-odd around the country. What's this- yeah, tell us about this program.
EMMA MCBRIDE: We know that it has been hard for people in distress and sometimes in crisis, to be able to get the support and care that they need close to home and affordably. So in responding to that distress and the growing need, our government is rolling out 61 Medicare Mental Health Centres across the country, with 22 in New South Wales and two in the Hunter. The one in Muswellbrook that we're officially opening today had a soft opening back in April, and we know it's already providing support and wraparound care to local people.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: The big thing here that it's free, of course, but it's also a walk in service. How have they been going with the demand when there is- I mean, I love the idea of a walk in service, but I imagine they've been quite overrun as well.
EMMA MCBRIDE: What we know is that there have been so many barriers to people being able to access, support and care, whether it was waiting for a GP appointment to get a mental health treatment plan, or being able to get into a psychologist or a psychiatrist, which in some communities can take months, and also the cost of care. So we wanted to get- break down all of those barriers to care. So yes, a walk in service free of charge, without needing to wait for a referral or an appointment. And we know that the demand is growing, but the start- the centres are well staffed, including with people with their own lived experience. So you might walk in and be greeted by someone who has walked in your shoes, which is often the best kind of support and care you need.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Yeah. You mentioned there the psychologists, psychiatrist, and in a place like the Upper Hunter, it can be very difficult to find those specialists. Will they be on site? Or will it be a referral type situation? Or …
EMMA MCBRIDE: So in the recent Budget, we increased funding to the Medicare Mental Health Centres by just under $30 million to make sure that every centre had access to a psychologist and a psychiatrist on call. We do have a shortage of specialist mental health workers, and in order to be able to make sure that people living in regional Australia, those 7 million Australians that live outside of our capital cities, get timely and affordable access, we're making sure that every one of the centres has access to psychologists and psychiatrists on call.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Of 61 these around the country, how did you land on Muswellbrook hosting one of these centres?
EMMA MCBRIDE: We know just how important it is for communities in the Upper Hunter and towns like Muswellbrook. And this service will also have outreach to both Scone and Singleton- the centre in Muswellbrook, but- those services to those other regional centres which we know need support and care. We know how much distress, you know, people are feeling – younger people, drought, COVID, financial pressures. And we know just how important it is to be able to have centres close to home. It makes such a big difference to people being able to access support and care.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: You mentioned young people there. How young will this service take clients from? I mean, you know, teenage years, they're a challenging time as well. But yeah, no – mental health can pop up at any age.
EMMA MCBRIDE: It can. And often we see it emerge for people often as teenagers. So these services will be open to people as young as 18 to be able to walk in and get the support and care that they need. And just so important in communities like Muswellbrook and in the Upper Hunter as a region that that's available closer to home. I know as a former mental health worker that worked in a regional hospital myself the difference that it can make to have that earlier intervention and the right wraparound support and care, so people in distress don't end up in crisis and then presenting to the emergency department and having lengthy stays in our hospital system. It's so much better for them, for their families, and reduces pressure on our really stretched hospital systems.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Well, with your background, I mean, can you describe the sorts of things we should be looking out for? When you say early intervention, sometimes people might need the support of a friend or family member to say: why don't you go into this clinic, have a talk to someone. What should we be looking out for within ourselves and others?
EMMA MCBRIDE: It's a really important question. And as you mentioned in your opening remarks, I think as a society we've come a really long way in reducing the stigma and the discrimination that has long been associated with mental health, particularly major mental health conditions. And I know that people are much more open to having these conversations. But if you notice that someone is withdrawing, if you notice that somebody isn't enjoying the things that they'd normally like to participate in, if you notice those things in a friend or family member, I'd encourage you to have an open conversation. Sometimes people are still concerned about having those type of conversations, but those conversations are so important. And some- and you'll be surprised. And we're supporting lots of programs through sports clubs and community organisations – Mental Health First Aid, R U OK? Day, Mates in Construction – all of those type of local um services to make sure that people can have that conversation when they need it, and often with a friend.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: You mentioned the significant increase in funding that was just announced in the last Budget. Is there a timeline? Is this only funded for 12 months? Six months? You know, is it something that our community will hold on to regardless of the next election? Or what's the funding arrangement?
EMMA MCBRIDE: There is now a National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement and bilateral agreements that exist with every state and territory, including New South Wales. And this centre is jointly funded by the New South Wales Government, and I acknowledge the contribution of Minister Ryan Park and the Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson in co-funding this Mental Health Centre. The funding is for four years, and it will be ongoing because we know that these services need to be established, and they need to have the time to be able to- for a community to develop their trust and confidence in them, and to be ongoing so people know that they’ll always be there when they or someone close to them needs them.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Emma McBride, thank you so much for coming in this morning. And good luck- yeah, catching up with the team up there today, but thank you for your time today.
EMMA MCBRIDE: Pleasure, Amelia.
AMELIA BERNASCONI: Thank you. Emma McBride is the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health. She’ll be part of the dignitaries opening the new Medicare Mental Health Centre in Muswellbrook later today.