Mental as anything (or fun facts for federal elections)

Down here at the arse end of the world (an affectionate term from the mouth of an ex-prime minister, really truly) we're suffering through  in the midst of a federal election campaign.

I thought it might be interesting to compare mental health policies from the three main parties. (Quick summary: Labor is in power here, Liberals are currently in Opposition, the Greens are far smaller but look set to possibly hold the balance of power in the Senate which is our Parliament's house of review.)

In fact their plans all look very similar. The general idea seems to be to provide more early intervention and more support for people within the community. It all looks very good on paper. I'm looking forward to watching Insight tomorrow night (SBS) where they're focussing on how the parties are planning to tackle mental health if they win office at the end of next month.

What would really help J in terms of his depression would be subsidising what I guess you could call complementary therapies: a gym membership, massage, weekly counselling sessions (as opposed to monthly ones, covered to a point, for six months and then subject to review), Chinese medicine (which J has had much better success with than with anti-depressants).

I'm very glad that funding is going to acute mental health services. But I wish there was something out there for the stuff we live with every day. J manages to get by. He still has a roof over his head. He takes care of himself as much as is required to get by in society. He can go on like this until he dies (early) without qualifying for any help at all.

I'd be keen to know of any initiatives that look interesting to you. Or if you're not in Oz, what kinds of programs are offered in your country which you find particularly useful (or otherwise)?

Flo


PS - Here are some quotes lifted directly from the ALP, Liberal and Green Party websites.

Labor:
•the Government will provide $57 million over four years for more flexible individual care packages, supporting clinical and non-clinical care, for up to 25,000 people with severe mental illness living in the community;

•the Government will also invest new funding of $13 million for more mental health nurses to provide services in the community and support clinical care for people with severe mental illness;


•$617.5 million currently being provided for successful community-based services for people with severe mental illness and their families such as Personal Helpers and Mentors services, Support for Day to Day Living, and Mental Health Respite and Community Based projects, will be linked and coordinated with the primary health care organisations being established as part of the National Health and Hospitals Network.
 
The Government will invest new funding totalling $78 million over four years in up to 30 new youth-friendly mental health centres, extra funding for the existing 30 headspace sites, and improvements to telephone and web¬based services for young people.


This investment will support an additional 20,000 young people a year once the new sites are up and running.


A total of $25 million over four years will expand the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) model– a holistic service aimed at addressing the clinical and social support needs of people aged 15-24 with emerging psychotic disorders currently operating only in Victoria.


The Commonwealth will partner with interested states and territories to expand the model to new locations. With state and territory contributions, this will benefit up to 3500 young people through improved detection, earlier treatment and support for early psychosis.


The Government’s new $1.6 billion investment over four years in sub-acute beds will include support for more people with severe, episodic mental illness to access the care that they need.


Liberal:
For the first time, the Coalition’s Real Action Plan for Better Mental Health will provide a nationwide network of staged care to assist Australians access quality mental health services and pursue productive and fulfilling lives. This will include:

20 Early Psychosis Intervention Centres;
800 mental health beds; and
60 additional youth headspace sites. The headspace sites were established by the former Coalition Government in 2006. They provide one-stop-shops for young people aged 12 to 25 years with information and services relating to general health and wellbeing, mental health and alcohol and drug services.


The headspace sites will be supported by the Early Psychosis Intervention Centres.
 
Greens:
37. increase funding to mental health services in collaboration with states and territories, particularly to prevention models, and hospital and community-based support, assessment and suicide prevention services.
38.establish properly resourced, strategically located 24 hour community mental health services, staffed by the full range of mental health professionals.
39.expand community-based support services and agencies to enable people with chronic mental and/or physical illnesses, and their carers, to live in and participate more fully in their communities.
 
$100 million for funding of community prevention and recovery centres
• $145 million for early intervention programs
• $100 million incentive payments to provide services for the most vulnerable in our community.

"Under our proposal existing Medicare mental health schedule fees would be supplemented by incentive payments for GPs; consulting psychiatrists and psychologists working together to provide additional access and services for the most needy, vulnerable and long-term clientele working within community and NGO sector.


"Every hospital-based mental health service should be linked with a multi-disciplinary community-based sub-acute service that supports ‘stepped' prevention and recovery care. $100 million would pay for 60 community-based services with 8-12 beds per centre.


"We need a national network of one-stop shop community mental health centres accessible by public transport and centrally location, 24 hour on-duty and on-call mobile crisis teams working as part of primary health care organisations. There needs to be additional training for GPs and nurses to triage mental health appropriately, and there should be a mental health professional on 24hr call within every emergency department.

"We have already called on the government to fund early intervention mental health programs including: Communities of Youth services, early psychosis prevention and intervention services, Lifeline suicide hospital discharge and treatment plan and a new Lifeline freecall number," Senator Siewert said.