Making mental health

more available and equitable

The Federal Government, along with all state and territory governments, have developed and endorsed a plan to build Australia’s mental health workforce.

11 October 2023

 

THE 10-year National Mental Health Workforce Strategy will guide coordinated action over the next decade to ensure Australians can get the mental health care they need where and when they need it.

 

With demand for mental health services outstripping supply and a workforce unevenly distributed across the country, the Strategy sets out a clear plan to attract, train, maximise, support, and retain a diverse workforce that can meet the current and future needs of all Australians.

 

This includes opportunities to grow the rural and remote workforce and increase the representation of First Nations people and other priority populations within the mental health workforce.

 

The Federal Government has funded some priority initiatives under the Strategy as part of the $586.9 million investment in mental health and suicide prevention in the 2023-24 Budget.

 

This includes $91.3 million to address acute bottlenecks in the psychology training pipeline, including:

 

• creating 500 new postgraduate psychology places

 

• funding 500 one-year internships for provisional psychologists

 

• providing 2,000 fully subsidised supervisor training places, including 1,000 refresher places.

 

• redesigning psychology higher education pathways to support longer term reform.

 

$17.8 million is also being invested to upskill the broader health workforce in mental health, including undergraduate nurses, midwives and allied health students, as well as develop national standards for counsellors and psychotherapists.

 

This builds on other mental health workforce investments, including:

 

• $18.3 million for the National Mental Health Pathways to Practice Program Pilot

 

• $32 million for the continuation of National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health

 

Comprehensive mental health reform is contingent on having an available workforce.

 

Minister for Health Mark Butler said “The quality of the mental health system relies on its workforce. Australians deserve a mental health care system where people can get compassionate help from highly skilled professionals.

 

“This Strategy and investments cement the Albanese Government’s commitment to delivering a more equitable and sustainable mental health and suicide prevention system – one where no-one is left behind.

 

“The Strategy is a first step in the Government’s long-term goal to ensure our mental health care system has the workforce in place to care for Australians needing mental health support.”

 

The independent review of the Better Access program that provides Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions found that supply constraints in the workforce are impacting the equitable distribution of mental health services, with low-income households and people in rural and regional Australia missing out.

 

Improving the availability of the workforce will help build equity and availability of mental health services, while laying the foundations for longer-term reform.

 

Assistant Minister Emma McBride said that the backbone of our mental health care system is the dedicated professionals who work in it, but recent challenges have stretched our systems of care, and the mental health workforce.

 

"The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy outlines how we will get the right mix of professionals in the right place to support the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians no matter where they live," she said.

 

“The Strategy is critical as we improve care to make mental health support affordable and more accessible.”

 

The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 is available online.

 

On the Central Coast mental health support is on the way for Wyong men this Mental Health Month with The Men’s Table launching a local support group.

 

Central Coast Council have partnered with local Primary Health Network to establish a Men’s Table in the Wyong area.

 

The Men’s Table will host a community engagement pop up event at Bunnings Tuggerah on Saturday, 21 October from 10am to 4pm.

 

Council Unit Manager of Community and Culture Glenn Cannard said The Men’s Table program is a safe place for local men to come together to share and be heard in a confidential and non-judgemental environment, creating a sense of belonging, camaraderie, and connection.

 

“The Men’s Table’s first community engagement event aims to engage local men in the program and attract volunteers to assist with the on-going running of the program, ,” Mr Cannard said.

 

“According to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, over two in five Australians aged 16-85 years had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life.

 

“Beyond Blue statistics state that men make up an average of seven out of every nine suicides every day in Australia and Central Coast Health District has reported the highest number of deaths by suicide in Australia since 2016.”

 

Council Administrator Rik Hart said Council was committed to creating new opportunities for connection, inclusion and community activities that strengthen our collective sense of self.

 

“Programs like Men’s Table allow us to work together to solve pressing social issues, to support those in need and enhance community safety,” Mr Hart said.

 

Council has a range of resources and information on men’s health referrals to download or collect from any Central Coast Council library or Wyong customer service centre including business cards, coasters and posters.

 

For more information about Men’s Table pop up and resources go to ‘Men’s Table’.