Australians with severe mental health illness will now receive more support services in their communities with a $160 million funding boost following a Turnbull Government agreement with states and territories.
The Turnbull Government will provide $80 million over four years, with every state and territory government dollar matching this funding commitment, which will be allocated to each jurisdiction on a population basis.
The new national psychosocial support measure will provide funding for people with severe mental illness who are not more appropriately supported through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
It will help people for whom the NDIS was not designed, but who will benefit from specialised but less intense psychosocial services, such as individual and group assistance and rehabilitation, ensuring these people don’t miss out on crucial support.
Psychosocial support services could include a range of non-clinical supports which might be provided at an individual or a group level, including vocational and social skills training, finding and maintaining a home and drug and alcohol addiction support.
I welcome the commitment of states and territories to match our funding for mental health services outside the NDIS.
This psychosocial support is helping those most in need get the support in their own community. It delivers vital services to people where they need it and when they need it.
This is about saving lives and protecting lives.
This new program complements current programs and does not duplicate support available from existing programs.
The Commonwealth commitment will be delivered through the Primary Health Networks, and is on top of an additional $109.8 million announced for community mental health programs, which are not eligible for the NDIS.
Bilateral agreements between the Australian Government and all eight jurisdictions—South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and the ACT— on the new national psychosocial support measure have been finalised.
The Turnbull Government has made mental health a priority and it is a key pillar of our National Long Term Health Plan and this year we are investing a record $4.3 billion in mental health.