Publications and submissions
Publications
Building Capacity in the ACT Community Mental Health Sector (June 2008)
Building Capacity in the ACT Community Mental Health Sector (June 2007)
Recovery in our community: 2020 Vision and Action Requirements (October 2008)
Workforce Development 2009 Survey Report (April 2009)
A Real Career – A Workforce Development Strategy for the Community Mental Health Sector of the ACT (August 2012)
Submissions
Productivity Commission Inquiry: MHCC ACT Submission (April 2019)
MHCC ACT 2020-21 ACT budget priorities
ACT Preventive Health Action Plan 2023-2025
NDIS Review 2023
ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022–26
Public Exposure Draft of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2022
Publications
Publications
Building Capacity in the ACT Community Mental Health Sector (June 2007)
In 2006 MHCC ACT, in partnership with the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), embarked on a sector development project which produced this report
Recovery in our community: 2020 Vision and Action Requirements (October 2008)
In the recovery-focussed community of 2020, “Recovery” is not just a policy word but the very foundation of a mental health system focused on supporting people on their own recovery journey, and providing the necessary resources and support to the community to promote mental health and wellbeing.
Workforce Development 2009 Survey Report (April 2009)
This survey was designed to identify the training and development needs and key characteristics of the mental health community sector workforce in the ACT. Its purpose was to provide the ACT Mental Health Community Coalition (MHCC ACT) and its member agencies with information to guide future workforce development planning and the delivery of training.
A Real Career – A Workforce Development Strategy for the Community Mental Health Sector of the ACT (August 2012)
MHCC ACT received funding from ACT Health to support workforce development initiatives including the creation of this workforce development strategy.
Submissions
MHCC ACT 2020-21 ACT budget priorities
Canberra’s population is growing and so is the call on mental health and wellbeing services. In the 2019/20 ACT budget significant investment was made in the range of government acute clinical mental health services. In the 2020/21 ACT budget this needs to be matched by a substantial investment in the community managed mental health sector.
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
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
ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022–26
The MHCC ACT supports the principle of harm minimisation and commends the ACT Government for its demonstrated commitment to approaching drug use as primarily a health issue, adopting evidence-based policies and minimising the involvement of the justice system as much as possible.
Public Exposure Draft of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2022
MHCC ACT welcomes the ACT Government’s aspiration to make “renting a secure and sustainable option for those who rely on it”, and particularly welcomes the abolition of “no cause” evictions. However, we recommend the government limit the grounds for eviction rather than introducing new grounds.
Inquiry into the Legislative, Workplace Governance and Clinical Frameworks of DHULWA
The MHCC ACT understands the serious safety concerns of staff that led to this Inquiry being initiated and acknowledges the importance of a safe and respectful environment for staff, consumers and carers within the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit.
August 2023
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”.
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. Any prevention plan must necessarily address structural causes, and so the determinants of health are also a critical, yet overlooked, consideration.
This submission reflects the voices of MHCC ACT members, their experiences and expertise in delivering community-based mental health services in the ACT. Whilst it focuses on mental health elements in the Action Plan, it also discusses aspects of the plan that are inter-related with mental health, such as climate change. This submission focusses on the importance of integration and collaboration with the community sector in achieving preventive health outcomes in the ACT.
October 2022
ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022–26
The MHCC ACT supports the principle of harm minimisation and commends the ACT Government for its demonstrated commitment to approaching drug use as primarily a health issue, adopting evidence-based policies and minimising the involvement of the justice system as much as possible.
We also commend the government for its associated commitments to eliminating stigma and discrimination against people who interact with Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs services and to recognise the invaluable contribution of lived experience and the peer workforce to this sector. The recognition in the Action Plan of the importance of the non-governmental sector and of the effective collaboration and integration supporting the provision of AOD services in the ACT is noted and reiterated.
This submission is focused on those elements of the Action Plan that relate to the interaction between the AOD sector and the wider community-managed mental health sector.
September 2022
Public Exposure Draft of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2022
MHCC ACT welcomes the ACT Government’s aspiration to make “renting a secure and sustainable option for those who rely on it”, and particularly welcomes the abolition of “no cause” evictions. However, we recommend the government limit the grounds for eviction rather than introducing new grounds. This includes removing the ‘behavioural grounds’ for eviction from the Bill.
We recommend that the ACT Government introduce a standalone ‘reasonable and proportionate’ test that requires the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal to consider whether an eviction order would be reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances of each case.
August 2022
Inquiry into the Legislative, Workplace Governance and Clinical Frameworks of DHULWA
The MHCC ACT understands the serious safety concerns of staff that led to this Inquiry being initiated and acknowledges the importance of a safe and respectful environment for staff, consumers and carers within the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit.
We believe there needs to be dedicated and supported consultation with consumers and carers to ensure that their input is considered alongside the vital input from Dhulwa staff.
Along with greater inclusivity in decision-making, more transparency around policies, processes and procedures should assist in promoting constructive relationships between all stakeholders.
June 2021
ACT Budget Submission – June 2021
The MHCC ACT welcomes this draft mental health workforce strategy and sees it as a significant initial step in addressing the misalignment and shortages in the mental health workforce. However, if the draft Strategy does not include the community mental health sector, it will hamper any attempt to improve the mental health workforce in Australia.
September 2021
Feedback to the draft National Mental Health Workforce paper
The MHCC ACT welcomes this draft mental health workforce strategy and sees it as a significant initial step in addressing the misalignment and shortages in the mental health workforce. However, if the draft Strategy does not include the community mental health sector, it will hamper any attempt to improve the mental health workforce in Australia.
September 2020
National preventative health strategy
The MHCC strongly endorses the need for a national preventative health strategy with attached funding to achieve the changes needed. This will improve outcomes for Australian’s quality of life and government budget bottom lines.
Unfortunately, the importance of mental health is missing from the current strategy. We recommend a goal be added to the strategy to make it a whole-of-government responsibility: “All government policies and decision making will account for the impact on peoples’ health and wellbeing”.
We also recommend an additional enabler: “Systems enable equitable access”, and ask for deeper engagement and broader consultation in the development and implementation of this strategy.
August 2020
National preventative health strategy
MHCC ACT’s submission focuses on why and how people with psychosocial disabilities should be included when discussing housing accessibility. The submission also addresses the benefits of well-designed and -constructed housing on the wellbeing and mental health of the general population.
October 2020
Position paper on the National Disability Strategy
The MHCC ACT welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the consultation paper on new the National Disability Strategy (NDS). As a peak body for mental health service providers, we approach the consultation paper with a lens on the inclusion of people with psychosocial disabilities and mental health issues in the Australian community. For that reason, MHCC ACT wants to encourage DSS to incorporate the relevant findings of the report of the Productivity Commission on mental health (once released) into the new NDS. The report addresses accessibility and inclusion of people with psychosocial disabilities in various domains of their lives.
September 2020
NDIS support coordination discussion paper
The MHCC ACT welcomes the discussion paper on support coordination and hopes it will lead to a better understanding and recognition of support coordination and what it can mean for participants. As a peak body for mental health service providers, we approach the discussion paper with an aim of support coordination meeting the needs of people with psychosocial disability within the NDIS framework.
June 2020
Inquiry into NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
The MHCC ACT would like to thank the Standing Committee for the opportunity to make a submission on the performance of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This submission is based on feedback from our members regarding their dealings with the Commission. We will be limiting this submission to points from the terms of reference in relation to the input received from our member organisations. We also note that our member organisations primarily provide services to people with psychosocial disability (PSD) and consequently our comments are from that perspective.
November 2019
MHCC ACT 2020-21 ACT budget priorities
Canberra’s population is growing and so is the call on mental health and wellbeing services. In the 2019/20 ACT budget significant investment was made in the range of government acute clinical mental health services. In the 2020/21 ACT budget this needs to be matched by a substantial investment in the community managed mental health sector.
Investment to ensure a strong vibrant community mental health sector offering best practice services by a highly qualified workforce is consistent with ACT government policy. It would facilitate more people being supported in their community and contributing actively to society. The range of services offered by this sector – recovery, early intervention, prevention, health promotion and community support – also reduces the likelihood of people with mental health challenges reaching crisis point, which in turn reduces pressure on the more expensive acute government mental health services, the justice system and housing.
April 2019
Productivity Commission inquiry into the social and economic benefits of improving mental health – MHCC ACT submission
MHCC ACT would like to thank the Productivity Commission for the opportunity to contribute to this important inquiry. As well as comments and suggestions in response to the Commissions Issues Paper, MHCC ACT has included a number of ‘resource suggestions’ in our submission. These are people, websites and articles which may further inform the Commission in its work, and are placed according to the relevant subject matter.
We also support the recommendations in the submission of Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA), of which we are a member.
March 2019
Moving Canberra Integrated Transport Draft Strategy Submission
MHCC ACT’s submission will focus on the needs of people living with mental illness and their carers, referred to as ‘lived experience’ who use public transport. People with lived experience of mental health issues are often socially isolated. Access to safe public transport is one method of reducing such isolation yet the evidence shows that as a cohort they travel less. Various factors contribute to this such as anxiety, experiences of trauma, lack of confidence,
crowding in public transport, inadequate and inaccessible information about times and destinations/routes, and the costs of travel.
Reducing barriers to public transport for people with lived experience of mental health issues is also useful in increasing community cohesion and increases people’s potential for economic activity.
Have Your Say
We are committed to two-way, open communication that involves listening to our stakeholders, keeping them informed and being clear about how their contributions are being used.