“There is so much we can do for people who have mental ill health.”
“There is so much we can do for people who have mental ill health” were the words straight from Productivity Commissioner Dr Stephen King to close our video webinar on Wednesday, and in my mind it signified the passing of the ball to us, the mental health ecosystem, to advocate with and for the findings from the Productivity Commission Report into Mental Health.
Advocacy that will take time, and a unified approach, just like the diligence we’ve seen go into this once in a generation report.
For the last two years Stephen, Julie Abramson, Harvey Whiteford and the team at the Productivity Commission have been pulling together the biggest report in the 22 year history of the independent authority.
To know that this mental health inquiry undertook wider consultation and received the huge number of submissions they did, is a testament to the passion and precision with which this task has been performed, but is also an acknowledgment of the scope, scale and complexity of the brief.
And it was never going to be brief.
While some of us may have hoped for sweeping reform and overnight solutions, we also knew, and still know, that it’s not that straightforward.
There is no simple fix but this report helps to steer us in the right direction and ultimately does so by outlining the priorities that need to be addressed, priorities that they advise will save governments money, but also improve people’s access to the right care at the right time, and improve their experience of care.
For me the narrative throughout the report is the continual emphasis on consumer and carer engagement and co-design, and this has to be the lens through which we start to synthesise and act on the priorities and reform that must follow.
We welcome the recommendation that Mental Health Australia take a leadership role in supporting the development of consumer and carer peaks who will be best placed to drive engagement at all levels, from national governance to an individual building a positive partnership with their service providers so that they are supported to meet their own personal goals.
And we look forward to working with our members, stakeholders and the sector to maximise the potential of this report, and seeing recommendations turned into lasting actions and reform to improve the mental health of all Australians.
Click here for our first brief analysis of the Productivity Commission Report into Mental Health or see attached, and after what has been a busy week of reading for many of us I’m sure, have a good weekend.
Leanne Beagley
CEO
Reminder: Mental Health Australia Annual General Meeting
Reminder that the Annual General Meeting of Mental Health Australia Ltd will be held on Thursday 10 December 2020 at 2.30pm (AEDST). Due to extraordinary circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the continued safety of everyone in our community, this meeting will be held virtually using Redback webinar. A link to the virtual AGM will be sent to all registered members prior to the meeting.
Invitation to the 2020 Grace Groom Memorial Oration with Dr Brendan Murphy - via video webinar
Mental Health Australia is pleased to invite you to the 2020 Grace Groom Memorial Oration to be delivered by Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health and former Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government.
The oration will take place at 3:00pm AEDT on Thursday 10 December, preceded by the Mental Health Australia Annual General Meeting at 2:30pm AEDT. To register for either or both events, please email governance@mhaustralia.org.
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On Monday I will be meeting with the Mental Health and Wellness team at Zurich.
On Tuesday I will be touching base with Professor Michael Kidd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
Wednesday brings roundtable workshops supporting Vision 2030 and on Thursday a meeting with Nicki Bath from the National LGBTI Health Alliance, and later with leaders at the Parent‐Infant Research Institute.
On Friday we have the Continuity of Care webinar and then a Taskforce meeting for the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy.
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