Speaking frankly...                                       

New psychosocial gateway must smooth the road for
psychosocial support in the NDIS

When Every Australian Counts Executive Director, Kirsten Deane spoke on the ABC 730 Report this week about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), she echoed the thoughts of many.

“Everyone, absolutely everyone, wants the NDIS to work… And while I don't think anyone thought this was going to be easy, the really big question is, has the road to the NDIS been rockier than it needed to be?’ said Ms Deane.

For those in need of psychosocial support it has been an especially rocky road. A road closed to many, , and a road that’s thrown up too many road blocks, detours and delays for countless others.

This week, the Productivity Commission’s Costs report into the NDIS has been delivered, and has made key recommendations to start fixing that road.

Most importantly, Recommendation 4.4, calling for a specialist psychosocial gateway provides a clear direction for mental health and the NDIS. It has been a long time coming, but now we must get on and make it work.

RECOMMENDATION 4.4
The National Disability Insurance Agency should implement a psychosocial gateway. The gateway should be the primary pathway that people with psychosocial disability enter the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The gateway should:
· use specialised staff
· operate on a face-to-face basis to the greatest extent possible
· consider models of outreach to engage people with psychosocial disability who are unlikely to approach the scheme
· provide linkages to both clinical and non-clinical services and supports outside the scheme · collect data on both entrants into the scheme and people linked to services and supports outside the scheme.

Having foreseen and highlighted this need, Mental Health Australia has welcomed the intent, applauds the acknowledgment, but most importantly is looking forward to working with Governments, the NDIA, the sector, stakeholders and consumers and carers to ensure this gateway is a success.

But if this is going to work, there is a lot to do. The new gateway will not succeed if it is merely another lane on a highway that is too congested. The new gateway must bravely take a new direction. It must start with the lived experience of those living with psychosocial disability, and must follow whatever new pathway and processes that experience determines.

Kirsten is right, implementing such generational reform as the NDIS was never going to be easy. The teething problems have affected real people, undermined the Scheme, and reduced public confidence. This report is our chance to fix those issues, before the cracks become far too big to repair.

For the thousands of people struggling to navigate the NDIS on daily basis, this week’s announcement may not have registered directly, and probably won’t have helped with their ongoing daily frustration and confusion… in the immediate sense that is.

But after years of trials and false dawns this is our chance, and we must all commit to doing everything we can to make it work.

Warm regards,

Frank Quinlan
Chief Executive Officer

Media Release 
Psychosocial gateway for NDIS welcomed by Mental Health Australia

3^rd Lived Experience Showcase in Canberra

On Tuesday, members of the Consumer and Carer Team attended the 3^rd Live Experience Showcase in Canberra. Organised by Synergy Nursing & Midwifery Research Centre as part of the ACT Mental Health Week program, the Showcase highlighted exciting innovation in the ACT sector, including consumer and carer leadership in research, service provision, advocacy, and education. Speakers came from a range of organisations, including Wellways, Private Mental Health Consumer Carer Network, ACT Mental Health Consumer Network, Richmond Fellowship, Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League, Synergy, and ACACIA: The ACT Consumer and Carer Mental Health Research Unit. 

Minister Hunt to deliver the Grace Groom Memorial Oration 
Save the Dates - 28-29 November

A reminder to save the date for the following Mental Health Australia events in Canberra this November. Minister for Health The Hon Greg Hunt MP will deliver the 2017 Mental Health Australia Grace Groom Oration at a breakfast in Canberra on Wednesday 29 November, while our AGM and Members Dinner will be held the night before at the National Portrait Gallery. Invitations and event details will be distributed to Members and guests next week.

Tuesday 28 November – Mental Health Australia AGM, National Portrait Gallery
Tuesday 28 November – Members and Friends Dinner, National Portrait Gallery

Wednesday 29 November – Grace Groom Memorial Oration Breakfast, Old Parliament House
Wednesday 29 November – Members Policy Forum, Old Parliament House

Member News

Call for Board Nominations 2017

Voting Members of Mental Health Australia Ltd are invited to nominate for a Director's position on the Board. All nominations and supporting material must be received by COB Tuesday 31 October 2017.
Nominations submitted late or missing information will not be accepted.

If you have any queries about the nomination process, or to check a Voting Member organisation's eligibility to nominate, please contact Returning Officer Melanie Cantwell on (02) 6285 3100 or email melanie.cantwell@mhaustralia.org

 

Parliamentary News

Turnbull government committed to NDIS rollout schedule

The Turnbull Government welcomed the Productivity Commission’s final report into costs of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, said the Productivity Commission, while identifying known issues and risks, had confirmed that the NDIS costs are on track and that the NDIS is providing life-changing assistance to people with disability.

Mental health leaders take #MindTheFacts to Parliament House

The CEOs of Australia’s leading youth mental health organisations provided an unprecedented show of support for marriage equality on Wednesday 18 October bringing their #mindthefacts campaign to Canberra. At a special drop-in session in Parliament House, the CEOs of Black Dog Institute, headspace, ReachOut, Brain and Mind Centre at University of Sydney and Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health urged Australia’s political leaders to take note of the overwhelming body of evidence showing the negative effects of discrimination on young LGBTIQ people’s mental health.

I was delighted to join the group to show our support for such an important initiative. It was very encouraging to hear the support from both sides of the parliament.

My health record empowers carers and their loved ones

To celebrate the launch of National Carers Week 2017, the Australian Digital Heath Agency (the Agency) is partnering with Carers Australia to raise awareness of the practical tools that My Health Record offers to support carers and the broader community. The Agency has launched a video to inform carers of these tools, featuring case studies that demonstrate the benefit of My Health Record in the lives of real-life carers. Almost 2.7 million Australians care for someone with a disability, a medical condition, mental illness or someone who is frail due to age. This contribution equates to 1.9 billion hours of unpaid care per year.

Reminders