Mental Health Commission of NSW: Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Mental Health Coordinating Council has provided a submission to the Mental Health Commission of NSW on the development of the NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The new Strategy will guide and support whole-of-government efforts over the next ten years. It will focus on strengthening the mental health service system, alongside the broader aim of improving mental health and wellbeing for everyone in the community. This will involve a comprehensive, coordinated approach across all areas of government to prevent suicide.

NSW Law Reform Commission: Review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW)

Mental Health Coordinating Council has provided a submission to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) review. Amendments to the NSW Anti-Discrimination legislation will significantly impact the lives of people with mental health and psychosocial disability as well as other marginalised communities across NSW. The submission proposes amendments to the law to enhance opportunities for people with lived experience to equity and access to health and human services, in regulatory, workplace and social contexts, and in engaging with the law on equal terms with others in the community.

Read the submission in brief

Productivity Commission: National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement Review, Interim Report

Mental Health Coordinating Council’s submission acknowledges the alignment of the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report findings with longstanding sector concerns, particularly the systemic issues identified in previous analyses. Our response expresses grave concern about the lack of progress to address unmet need for psychosocial support – a still as-yet undelivered joint commitment from the original agreement, and stated that we categorically do not support a delay without immediate government action towards addressing this gap.

Read the submission in brief

Joint Letter to Health and Mental Health Ministers: Investment to address unmet need for psychosocial support outside the NDIS

Mental Health Coordinating Council, Mental Health Australia and all state and territory mental health peak bodies have written an open joint letter to all Health and Mental Health Ministers encouraging decisive action on investment in psychosocial support to meet need at their upcoming June meeting. All peak bodies have collectively recommended to National Cabinet that it agree a funding envelope for a 50:50 cost share arrangement to increase investment in psychosocial supports over a five-year period to meet need; and commit to a public consultation process to design future psychosocial support arrangements.

Fair Work Commission: Gender-based undervaluation of priority awards and the SCHADS award

Mental Health Coordinating Council supports the Skilled, Respected, Equal campaign to ensure the SCHADS (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award) reflects the complexity of community sector work and provides fairer pay and career pathways. We welcome efforts to address historical undervaluation. However, we are concerned that the Fair Work Commission’s proposed changes are based on the aged care sector, whose rigid classification structure doesn’t align with the diversity of community services roles. Proposed pay rates, based on aged care, are generally lower and may not deliver real increases for SCHADS-covered workers.

Orygen: National Review of the Youth Mental Health Model of Care

Mental Health Coordinating Council has provided a response to Orygen’s national review for urgent reform to youth mental health models of care. Our submission advocates for seven key reforms to fix a system not equipped to support young people. We’re calling for: expanded services beyond headspace, localised youth hubs, peer-led programs and system navigators, culturally safe supports, genuine youth co-design, “no wrong door” service pathways, and secure, long-term funding models. These are practical, evidence-backed changes that would create a responsive, inclusive and sustainable mental health system for young people.

Department of Health and Aged Care: A national registration scheme to support personal care workers employed in aged care

Mental Health Coordinating Council views the implementation of a national registration scheme to professionalise age care workers in Australia, is an important initiative that would not only benefit the people using age care services, ensuring a better-quality service, but provide workers with opportunities to work more broadly across mental health, and psychosocial disability service areas.

Department of Communities and Justice: Restrictive practices legislative framework

In its submission, Mental Health Coordinating Council welcomes stronger safeguarding and monitoring of the use of restrictive practices, highlighting the need for greater focus on deterring the use of these practices and greater promotion of positive behaviour supports, but most importantly working towards elimination of restrictive practices as the aspirational objective of the legislation underpinning the framework as a whole. What we advocate is a model that upholds rights for people with disability, rationalises processes for providers reporting to multiple regulators and keeps regulatory burden to a minimum.

Department of Health and Aged Care: Review of Primary Health Network Business Model & Mental Health Flexible Funding Model

Mental Health Coordinating Council has provided a detailed submission on community-managed mental health organisations’ experience of Primary Health Networks. We have provided recommendations to assist the Department of Health and Aged Care in formulating an improved Business Model and Mental Health Flexible Funding Model that represents best practice; and offers ways in which mental health and suicide prevention can advance driven by evolving societal needs, technological innovations, and a deeper understanding of mental health.

Department of Customer Services: Community Services Sector (Portable Long Service Leave) Regulation 2024

In its second submission to the Department of Customer Services regarding Portable Long Service Leave, Mental Health Coordinating Council has provided feedback in relation to the development of the regulations that underpin the new legislation. The submission asks for clarity on a number of issues in particular about penalties and pro-rata payments.

Department of Social Services: General Foundational Supports

In completing its submission to the Department of Social Services, Mental Health Coordinating Council has scoped the most contemporary evidence-based research informed by the numerous gap analyses and reviews conducted at both state and Commonwealth levels. These analyses highlight not only the lack of services available and the poor equity across regions and marginalised groups, but that existing information and advice supports are insufficient in effectively connecting people with psychosocial disability services. Whist there remain many unknowns as to what the Government may or may not fund, MHCC has provided some concrete recommendations about what actions should be taken.

Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding: Funding Models and the way that NSW Health Funds Health Services in NSW

Mental Health Coordinating Council’s submission to the Special Commission addresses seven issues that will later be discussed in hearings focusing on the Terms of Reference A & C. The submission centres on issues as they particularly relate to the community-managed mental health service sector, and how community-managed organisations are best placed to keep people well in the community and provide a more efficient and cost effective model of care that better meets the aspirations of people that use services.