Mental Health Community Coalition ACT Home

Increased funding needed to ensure the mental health and wellbeing of the Canberra community are met

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Media release

The Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT (MHCC ACT) welcomes the announcement from the ACT Government regarding extended funding for community sector programs to ensure continuation of service. MHCC ACT calls for further significant increases in funding in the ACT Budget to meet current needs, and address determinants of mental health and wellbeing.

Bec Cody, MHCC ACT CEO, states “What we have heard from our member organisations is that more investment is needed to meet the demand for psychosocial services in the ACT. Further to this, contract terms need to allow for greater flexibility and longer terms to ensure better forward planning for organisations.”

“It is important that we not only meet current needs, but also seek to address the socioeconomic determinants of mental health and wellbeing, such as homelessness and housing, and engage early intervention and prevention programs.”

The key issues that MHCC ACT has focused on for the upcoming ACT Budget, are:

  1. The need for significant increased investment in the ACT not-for-profit (NFP) community mental health sector to meet the psychosocial supports needs of the Canberra community.
  2. Fund the development and implementation of a mental health workforce strategy, with a focus on the specialist psychosocial support workforce employed by the NFP community sector and a wellbeing framework for all ACT workers.
  3. Address the socioeconomic determinants of mental health and wellbeing, especially housing and homelessness.
  4. Funding to establish a permanent mental health Recovery College for the ACT

Bec Cody says “We were sorry to see the end of the Recovery College Trial this week and will continue to advocate for it to become a permanent fixture in the ACT community-managed mental health sector.”

“We look forward to continue working with the ACT Government around adequate investment in community mental health to best support our most vulnerable Canberrans.”

Media Contact: Bec Cody, Chief Executive Officer

(02) 5104 7716, Bec.Cody@mhccact.org.au

Communications Officer: Alison Hall, (02) 5104 7711

Alison.Hall@mhccact.org.au

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.

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