Exhausted, over-stretched and under-staffed: increased support needed for pandemic’s frontliners
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Media release
The Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT (MHCC ACT) highlights the impact of the recent Omicron outbreak on mental health and wellbeing, not just for our wider community but the service providers and frontline workers who support us.
Bec Cody, MHCC ACT CEO, states “It comes as no surprise to anyone that COVID-19 is continuing to have enormous impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of our community.
“The recent Omicron outbreak has caused significant strain on mental health service providers and frontline workers.
“They have continued to provide critical services to the community amidst unprecedented demand and are simply not receiving adequate support. We too often forget that the individuals behind these services are human and are feeling the effects of the pandemic from all angles.
“Within the community mental health sector, we are hearing widespread reports of over-stretched capacity, burn-out and staff shortages. Continued lack of planning for this pandemic by the Commonwealth has caused the inaccessibility of Rapid Antigen Tests and delayed returns of PCR test results, which has exacerbated gaps in staffing, leaving organisations even more unable to meet increasingly high demand for their services.
“As we continue to live with COVID-19, the impending long-term impacts on mental health and wellbeing are yet to be addressed. It is crucial that measures are taken to prepare for this, not just for our key workers but for the wider communities they support.
“MHCC ACT will continue to advocate for increased support for the mental health and wellbeing of those bearing the brunt of the pandemic, not just now but well into the future.”
Media Contact: Bec Cody, Chief Executive Officer
(02) 5104 7716, Bec.Cody@mhccact.org.au
Communications Officer: Kate Brien, (02) 5104 7713
MHCC ACT is the peak body for community-managed mental health services in the ACT. Find out more about MHCC ACT at www.mhccact.org.au.