Yesterday we posted the first in our series on election cheat sheets and paid parental leave was hotly debated – today we look at the policies regarding mental health
As you read these policies, you will find there are two services that are pivotal to youth mental health issues in Australia – the EPPIC model and headspace. You can read more about these programs below. I have also added a couple of links to other interest groups so that you can get a complete picture of mental health issues in Australia, rather than just the policies of the political parties.
COALITION POLICY
Called the “Real Action Plan for Better Mental Health.” (Cue: Coalition buzzword. I’ll leave it to you to guess what it is).
$1.5billion funding for “frontline services”
$440million for 20 new Early Psychosis Intervention Centres for youth based on the EPPIC model (read explanation about Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry’s EPPIC model below). These centres have running costs of $15.5million per year.
60 additional youth headspace sites, which is an increase from 30 current sites to 90 in 2014.(See below for more on what headspace is).
800 acute and sub acute early intervention beds linked to the Early Psychosis Intervention Centres designed to take pressure off public hospitals and emergency departments and provide better care to the patient in the community
The Early Psychosis Intervention Centres and headspace sites will be located in metropolitan and regional areas across Australia and mobile services will be provided in every state and territory.
Funding for the centres and headspace sites will be made available in the first year of a Coalition Government
*This information from the Liberal Party website. More here
ALP POLICY:
Additional funding of $276.9 million over four years has been pledged to help Australians at risk of suicide, with a strong focus on providing services for men. The money will go towards the following programs and services:
$113.9m to provide more services to those at greatest risk of suicide including psychology ($22.9m), psychiatry ($22.0m), non-clinical support that assists people with severe mental illness and their carers with their day-to-day needs ($60m), and $9m allocated to local reporting on the performance of mental health services.
$74.3m allocated to direct suicide prevention and crisis intervention, including boosting the capacity of counselling services such as Lifeline ($18.1m) as well as mental “first aid” training for front line community workers, such as financial, legal and relationship counselors, and healthcare workers, to better identify and respond to the needs of people at risk of suicide or who have attempted suicide ($6.1m). Funding will be allocated to improve safety at suicide ‘hotspots’ ($9m) as well as $18.7m allocated to a nationwide network of mental health promotion officers, to provide outreach services from local headspace sites or local psychology services, to work with school-based mental health workers and provide counseling and other support to school communities. Finally $22.4m will be allocated to provide funding to support community-led suicide prevention activities targeted at groups and communities which are at high risk of suicide.
$22.8m to provide more services and support to men including expanding the National Workplace Program delivered by Beyondblue ($11.0m), increasing the capacity of helplines for men ($2.8m), and targeted campaigns for men’ s mental health ($9.0m)
$65.9 million in providing more services for children with mental health problems, as well as in promoting resilience and good mental health in young people. The money goes towards the Kidsmatter program expansion ($19.6m) where around 1700 additional primary schools will be provided with funding to promote good mental health and improve children’s resilience; services for children with mental health and developmental issues ($24.0m) as well as expanding online mental health and counselling services ($22.3m)
In the current 2010-11 Federal Budget, $175.8m has already been allocated towards mental health including:
$78.8 million to deliver up to 30 new headspace sites (see section below on headspace), provide extra funding for the existing 30 sites, and improve telephone and web-based support services for young people
$25.5m for early prevention and intervention centres for youth based on the EPPIC model (read explanation about Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry’s EPPIC model below). These centres have running costs of $15.5million per year.
$13m to employ 136 extra mental health nurses under the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program.
$58.5m for coordinated care packages, to support up to 25,000 people with severe mental illness.
*This information is from the ALP website. More here
GREENS POLICY:
$100m for community prevention and recovery centres. Establish properly resourced, strategically located 24 hour community mental health services, staffed by the full range of mental health professionals.
$150m for early intervention programs. 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
$100m for chronic mental illness programs. 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.
A Minister for Mental Health
*This information is from the Greens website. More here and here.
PATRICK MCGORRY & THE EPPIC MODEL
Patrick McGorry
Both mental health policies have funding allocated towards what is called the EPPIC model designed by Australian of the Year and Director of Orygen Youth Health, (Australia’s largest youth-focused mental health organization) Patrick McGorry. The EPPIC model was designed in 1991 and stands for Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centres focusing on people aged 15-24. There is only one of these centres in Australia (Melbourne) but the model has been adopted in the UK & the USA. According to the website:
EPPIC aims to facilitate early identification and treatment of psychosis and therefore reduce the disruption to the young person’s functioning and psychosocial development. Without early intervention, there is often an extended period of delay (2-3 years on average) when problems intensify. Delayed assessment may be damaging to a young person’s development, often in the crucial period of adolescence. Maturation is sometimes put on hold, social and family relationships are strained or sometimes severed and vocational prospects are derailed.
Secondary problems such as substance abuse, unemployment and behavioural problems may develop or intensify and the illness itself may become more deeply entrenched.
Some mental health experts are critical of the majority of funding going towards the EPPIC model and argue that there’s limited evidence early intervention improves results in the long-term. McGorry disagrees with this notion and champions early intervention. While he agrees that there are other needs for mental health patients, he stresses that young people should be the main focus as 75% of mental health problems surface before the age of 25. It is widely accepted that the EPPIC model is the best “bang for your buck” when it comes to mental health services. There’s a great article in the health section of the Australian on the importance of the EPPIC model here.
headspace SITES
headspacesites are local youth centres that offer support and information for young people aged 12-25 who have general health, mental health, alcohol and other drug worries. headspacewas established in 2006 as the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. The Howard-led Coalition Government allocated $1.9billion in funding into headspace. This is the single biggest investment in mental health by any government in Australian history.
Top Comments
Hi Mia - there wasn't much response to the mental health cheat sheet - but I hope maybe you'll have a post this week, responding to 4 corners and the mental health vigils around the place. Maybe about those who have to care for family members who are suffering? A very hard road to walk.
Can't imagine how you stay on top of everything and still have a life! Much admiration.
The funding promises from all the major parties might look good if you have had no dealings with the Mental Health System. Sadly, if you have dealt with the system recently, it is clear that none of them are promising enough - the system is extremely "broken" and needs a very serious overhaul and major, major money thrown at it.
Patrick McGorry said so himself at a Mental Health Rally in Melbourne last night.
The funding promises directed at Youth are a really good idea, but more needs to be done for people whose lives have already been blighted by growing up without these initiatives, and at a time when the system has been sadly neglected by recent governments on either side of politics.
I would like to see lots more funding and a whole system overhaul. Funding for housing, for assisted living and for rehabilitation programs would be money well spent too.