Productivity Commission’s Mental Health Inquiry Report:
Looking from the ATSICCHO Sector lens The Productivity Commission (the Commission) has released a landmark mental health inquiry report on its findings of how to address the wideranging issues and gaps in Australia’s current mental health system.1 The Report, which is over 1600 pages, has documented longstanding problems within the system, including: dysfunctional approaches to the funding of services; a lack of clarity between governments about their roles leading to "persistent wasteful overlaps and yawning gaps in service provision"; under-investment in prevention and early intervention, tackling stigma and eliminating discrimination; and a disproportionate focus on clinical services.
3 Improve people’s experience with services beyond
The Commission’s recommendations extend beyond just the health system and into sectors that are important for an individual’s social and emotional wellbeing and recovery, for example schools, workplaces, housing, employment and justice (pages 63–83).
4 Increase people’s participation in further education
The Report presents a long-term plan to improve the mental health system in Australia. The reform agenda seeks to shape a person-centred, but flexible, mental health system by making changes under the following five areas:
1 Prevention and early help for people: Supporting
people to improve mental health outcomes and reduce the need for future clinical intervention, by tackling early mental health problems and suicide risks. Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to prevent suicide attempts, provide follow up care for people after suicide attempts, and develop a national stigma reduction strategy.
2 Improve people’s experiences with mental healthcare:
Ensuring the care received is person-centred, timely, consistent with treatment needs and does not impose undue burden on consumers or carers.
the health system: Recognising numerous gateways through which people enter the mental health system
and a range of services beyond healthcare (specific to psychosocial services, housing and justice), that are important for an individual’s social and emotional wellbeing and recovery. This includes a commitment to not discharge from care into homelessness and to better support people with mental illness to recover and live well in the community. and work: Supporting people to remain engaged in education and employment; reforms are designed to support and enable people to reach their potential, to have purpose and meaning, and to contribute to the lives of others.
5 Instil incentives and accountability for improved outcomes: Reforming the behind-the-scenes
arrangements and incentives to ensure services areas seamless, connected, and timely as possible.
6 The report has quoted QAIHC, NACCHO and
other affiliate and ATSICCHO responses; and has incorporated actions that are specific to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health outcomes. These include:²
Designating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations (ATSICCOs) as preferred providers of mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (action 23.6).
1. Australian Government, Productivity Commission (2020). Mental Health Inquiry Report. pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/mental-health/report/mental-health.pdf 2. Australian Government, Productivity Commission (2020). Mental Health Inquiry Report. Mental Health Factsheet: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. pc.gov.au/ inquiries/completed/mental-health/report/factsheets/mental-health-factsheet-atsi.pdf
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Sector Leader M AG A Z I N E
| April/May 2021
