CEO Update: Lived experience leadership in psychosocial reform
We’re on the precipice of significant reform in psychosocial services.
Australian, State and Territory Governments are finalising the Analysis of the Unmet Need for Psychosocial Support Outside the NDIS, and have agreed to jointly design and fund Foundational Supports outside the NDIS.
The Australian Government is simultaneously considering recommendations from the NDIS Review, including a new approach to psychosocial services (Recommendation 7).
These significant opportunities to influence the future of psychosocial supports, means that it is more important than ever for governments to be led by those with lived experience and family, carers and supporters in designing psychosocial reforms.
Last week the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum’s National Psychosocial Disability Roundtable: Lived Experience Leading the Way brought together leaders with lived experience, government representatives, service providers, peak bodies, national organisations and researchers to discuss how to embed co-production in the design, delivery and continuous improvement of psychosocial supports.
It was valuable to hear directly from people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health, psychosocial disability, and family, carers and supporters, to guide the next era of reform of psychosocial supports in Australia.
The roundtable coincided with the release of the report from the Senate Inquiry reviewing the NDIS Bill.
Mental Health Australia’s submission to the NDIS Amendment Bill highlighted the need for genuine engagement with relevant stakeholders in the development of future legislative instruments enabled by this Bill, and offered detailed recommendations to provide greater clarity, support and transparency for participants and families and carers.
The committee recommended the Bill is passed subject to three changes, which, together with amendments the government has already made to the Bill, seek to respond to some of the concerns raised by Mental Health Australia and other stakeholders. The Coalition and Greens have since delayed the Senate’s vote on the Bill until at least August, to give the committee more time for review, amidst some ongoing concerns from disability advocates.
Along with other advocates, Mental Health Australia particularly called for the views of significant stakeholder organisations to be tabled alongside future legislative instruments, reflecting the importance of community and sector input. The committee recommended a statement on consultations undertaken is tabled alongside the future legislative instrument, which is a step in the right direction.
This recognition from the Senate Inquiry, and the strong engagement engagement at the Forum’s roundtable last week, both demonstrate how listening to the leadership and expertise of people with lived experience, family, carers and supporters, is essential for creating a psychosocial support system that responds to the needs of the community, and can be continually improved over time.
Carolyn Nikoloski
CEO, Mental Health Australia | 
Media release
