The Queensland Alliance for Mental Health has finalised its submission in response to the Productivity Commission into Mental Health’s Draft Report.  The Draft Report focused on the mental health and wellbeing of Australia’s population, the prevention and early detection of mental illness, and treatment for people who access mental health services. The Report is a key document that will shape our sector, with recommendations that will influence the reform agenda going forward.

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health has been working on the submission in conjunction with our members to reflect the views and needs of our sector. Views were canvassed through a survey which was circulated to our members as well as a broader roundtable discussion.

Some of the highlights of our submission include – 

  • Building the case for the community mental health sector – including our work and benefits, capacity, and ability to work towards filling the needs of the missing middle.
  • Building workforce –  including a focus on capacity and enhancement of a community based workforce, the strength of peer work, and addressing the gaps for regional, remote and very remote communities.
  • Addressing the funding proposals of the Productivity Commission, noting that in order to rebuild or renovate the funding structures there must be a clear understanding of what needs to be funded to deliver services in a truly human-centred way.
  • Identifying and addressing current gaps in data and monitoring frameworks, including a proposal for a multi-disciplined approach to research and evaluation that spans all parts of the system.

Click here to view the submission.

QAMH would like to thank all who completed the survey that was circulated late last year and to those who attended our round table event. Your input has been invaluable and we look forward to continuing this engagement for future submissions.