We welcome the pre-budget submission by Mental Health Australia, which aligns with what our petition is calling on the Federal and Victorian government to pilot, in the Ballarat and Melbourne Bayside regions of Victoria.

"People with complex mental health care needs continue to be stranded in the gaping ‘missing middle’ between the supports primary care services can provide, and emergency hospital support. Previous governments have continually failed to address this chasm in Australia’s mental health system. Urgent collaboration across governments is needed to increase access to community-based, multidisciplinary mental health care.

Mental Health Australia looks forward to the Australian Government’s full response to this Evaluation in the 2024-25 Budget, and recommends the government leverages existing infrastructure to deliver more intensive, multidisciplinary supports for people with complex care needs.

Wrap-around support is required for people with complex challenges, including trauma.

Mental Health Australia is calling on the Australian Government to develop and fund implementation of a multi-year mental health reform roadmap, which is co-designed with the sector and people with lived experience and their family, carers and supporters; and is backed by outcomes data and strong accountability mechanisms.

For reform to be successful, it must be underpinned by the insights and expertise of people with lived experience, and their family, carers and supporters. However, these groups have traditionally had limited input to reform design and implementation. Mental Health Australia continues to advocate for lived experience leadership to be embedded across the system.

Further, there is limited accountability for governments in the delivery of mental health services and system reform. The National Mental Health Commission should be refocused on mental health system monitoring and reporting to address this gap, with a focus on the mental health outcomes and experiences of people accessing services, and importantly, identifying who is missing out on support."
Mental Health Australia 2024-25 Pre-Budget Submission January 2024

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We are stronger together, which includes supporting and amplifying the advocacy of key international, national and state bodies and organisations.

Please continue to share our Petition, thank you!

https://www.change.org/p/the-hon-mary-anne-thomas-mp-services-supports-for-survivors-communities-impacted-by-systemic-child-sexual-abuse