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Queensland Mental Health Commission
The Queensland Government has announced the establishment of an independent Queensland Mental Health Commission from 1 July 2012. This critical reform will drive improved performance, coordination and transparency in the delivery of mental health services in Queensland. It is a cornerstone of the Government's ongoing commitment to provide a recovery-oriented, high quality and consistent mental health system for all Queenslanders.
To find out more about the Commission, or to get involved in consultation on its establishment, please go to www.health.qld.gov.au/mentalhealth/commission.asp.
The Supporting Recovery: Mental Health Community Services Plan 2011-2017
Mental health and wellbeing affects every aspect of individual, family and community life. Almost one in two Queenslanders aged between 16 and 85 years experience mental ill health at some point in their lives.
The Queensland Government is committed to supporting the mental health of all Queenslanders. The Supporting Recovery: Mental Health Community Services Plan 2011–2017 (Supporting Recovery) is the next step in reforming Queensland’s mental health system.
Supporting Recovery delivers on a commitment under Priority 3 of the Queensland Plan for Mental Health 2007–2017 (QPMH). It also contributes to other QPMH priorities. It should be read in conjunction with the QPMH Four Year Report October 2011.
Supporting Recovery aims to ensure that the mental health community sector is able to take an expanded role in delivering comprehensive and integrated support services that minimise the effects of mental illness on individuals, their families and friends, and the Queensland community. The plan also supports a greater role for the mental health community sector in mental health promotion, illness prevention and early intervention. These services complement clinical interventions and assist people who experience mental illness to recover and lead fulfilling and productive lives in the community.
Supporting Recovery will focus initially on providing additional community based services to support the mental health and well-being of Queensland individuals, families and communities affected by the devastating natural disasters of 2010–2011. The Queensland Government will also work with the Australian Government over the life of the plan to continue building the capacity of the mental health community sector, with the long-term aim of achieving the optimal levels of non-clinical service provision that experts recommend for a comprehensive, recovery-oriented mental health system.
Supporting Recovery includes establishment of a new independent Mental Health Commission, to deliver better outcomes for people with mental illness and their families. The commission will drive improved performance, accountability, coordination and transparency in the funding and delivery of Queensland’s mental health services.
Supporting Recovery has been developed with extensive input from mental health service consumers, carers of people with mental illness, non-government mental health community organisations, and relevant government agencies.
The Supporting Recovery: Mental Health Community Services Plan 2011–2017
About the Community Mental Health Branch
In September 2007, Machinery of Government changes resulted in the former Disability Services Queensland assuming primary responsibility for funding, developing and implementing, and monitoring of all existing and new mental health programs delivered through non-government service providers.
In response to this, the former Disability Services Queensland established a Community Mental Health Branch, initially within the HACC and NGO Contracting Business area. The branch is now within the Disability and Community Care Services portfolio of the Department of Communities.
Queensland Plan for Mental Health 2007-2017
The Queensland Plan for Mental Health 2007-2017 outlines priorities for the reform and development of mental health care, improving mental health service delivery in Queensland. The non-government and community sectors have a key role in providing non-clinical, personal care and other flexible supports to people living with mental illness, their families and carers.
Queensland Plan for Mental Health 2007-2017
4th National Mental Health Plan
Mental health recovery
The dominant practice framework underpinning all community mental health programs is recovery. Recovery is the journey toward a new and valued sense of identity, role and purpose outside the parameters of mental illness; and living well despite any limitations resulting from the illness, its treatment, and personal and environmental conditions. (Queensland Government Position Paper 2005)
Sharing Responsibility for Recovery creating and sustaining recovery oriented systems of are for mental health.
Guiding Principles for Consumer Participation – A resource document for psychiatric disability support services and consumers.
Guidelines for Consumer Participation Booklet
Mental health community organisations sector development
Community Mental Health has, as part of this major investment into mental health services, developed a number of initiatives targeted at sector development primarily focusing at three areas:
- workforce development
- leadership and governance development
- infrastructure development.
Work on sector development includes a strong partnership with the Queensland Alliance and other key stakeholders in the government and non-government sectors.
An important component of the sector development work is to identify and link non-government mental health organisations with existing commonwealth and state sector development funding and initiatives. It also aims to identify gaps in existing sector development activities and explore options for addressing them.
Funding
The Queensland Government 2007-08 State Budget committed $58.09 million to Community Mental Health to develop and implement a range of new community mental health programs. Of this, $35.64 million has been allocated over four years to purchase a range of accommodation and recovery-focused lifestyle support services from the non-government sector. In addition to this, $22.45 million over four years has been allocated for non-clinical support for people entering social housing.
Service Agreements – from July 1 2010
Organisations that commence an agreement from 1 July 2010, to deliver services, will need to enter into a Small Grants Agreement or a Service Agreement. The Service Agreement Package can be viewed at Service Agreements – from July 1 2010.
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