1 August 2023

ACT Preventive Health Action Plan 2023-2025

The ACT Government is to be congratulated for prioritising prevention in the ‘Healthy Canberra’ Plan and the Action Plans. MHCC ACT also acknowledges the community consultation undertaken by the ACT Government to refine this Action Plan. This Action Plan moves forward and refines a number of the actions identified in the previous Action Plan. MHCC ACT acknowledges the value of moving the previous Action Plans’ ‘actions and responsibilities’ into a ‘program logic’ structure of ‘objectives, actions, responsibilities, outcomes, and indicators’.

However, there also are significant gaps in the Action Plan, which lacks detail as a plan to implement the ‘Healthy Canberra’ plan. These gaps include actions for the stated priorities of priority populations, mental health, climate change, and equitable access. It is also missing actions on other priority issues, such as loneliness and isolation, lived experience, stigma and discrimination.

NDIS Review 2023

We make with this submission a clarion call for the need for increased focus on
prevention, on early support and on holistic approaches which recognise and respond to the underlying social determinants of mental health. All of these responses and alternative types of support/system improvements must be adequately funded. It is also imperative that there be adequate investment in mainstream and disability supports, services and systems outside the NDIS (Tier 2) such that the NDIS does not remain an “oasis in the desert”.

Happy holidays!

We will be closed from 4pm on 20 December 2024 and will reopen on 6 January 2025.

We wish you a relaxing and joyful holiday season.