Community mental health services receive a funding boost

Everymind welcomes the funding announcement by the Federal government today for Australia’s 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs), which coordinate the health services needed to respond to the specific needs of communities, such as child and youth mental health, Indigenous services and community-based suicide prevention.

This new funding, now to be provided in three year contracts, will support mental health services in local communities across the country, allowing for greater certainty in the provision of support services, and supporting long-term planning in patient care, staff retention and service delivery.

Everymind works closely with PHNs across Australia through their suicide prevention programs, such as Mindframe and Life in Mind.

Everymind Acting Director Marc Bryant said the funding was important to support Australian communities having access to health services, and the mental health and suicide prevention sector.

“We welcome this significant funding investment for the PHNs, including the $77 million for suicide prevention, including Indigenous suicide.

“PHNs play a key role in our communities for coordinating mental health and suicide prevention service delivery, along with other key state and national services.

“As individual and community needs differ dramatically between metropolitan, remote and regional areas, the PHNs assist in providing appropriate support and services that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the local population,” he said.

Department of Health data shows that in the last two years, about 200,000 Australians used more than 900,000 services through local PHN-commissioned mental health providers.

Find out more about PHNs and their role in suicide prevention at Life in Mind.