Acute-response teams for suicidal kids in $1.6bn mental-health plan

Acute-response teams to treat children and adolescents experiencing mental-health issues and the risk of suicide are part of the Queensland government’s $1.6bn mental-health plan.

Mental-health beds for new mums and acute-response teams to support suicidal children will be rolled out in Queensland as part of the government’s response to distressing revelations in the state’s system.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has unveiled the government’s five-year, $1.6bn mental-health plan Better Care Together, which followed a parliamentary inquiry into the mental-health system in June.

The inquiry was called off the back of The Courier-Mail’s Through The Cracks campaign, which exposed devastating holes in Queensland’s mental health care and highlighted the state’s lack of spending on mental health.

The funding injection will be bankrolled by a new levy on big business, announced by Treasurer Cameron Dick in the most recent state budget.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

The plan outlines “priority 1 actions”, which included the recognition that both the number of hospital and community mental-health beds need a boost.

Actions included new public mother and baby beds to increase access to statewide specialist inpatient treatment for severe peri-natal mental-health disorders, including eight new publicly funded mother-baby statewide beds.

New acute-response teams focused on treating children and adolescents experiencing mental health crisis and the risk of suicide would also be rolled out, while the Hospital in the Home model would be expanded to include mental-health care for older people, including potentially in aged-care homes.

Queensland’s Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said the new plan was part of the state’s wide-reaching approach to mental health and wellbeing.

“The Queensland Mental Health Commission is proud to play a part in guiding and enhancing support services for Queenslanders dealing with mental health, alcohol or drug issues,” he said.

Queensland’s Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“These plans are the culmination of widespread consultation with experts in the field and those with lived experience, along with government and non-government agencies and the community.

Mr Frkovic said “we owe it to our children and grandchildren, and to those affected by alcohol and other drugs, to have the most effective responses possible”.

The state’s alcohol and other drug treatment program was also a focus of the plan.

A 45-bed residential treatment at Ipswich will include withdrawal management beds, while a 28-bed residential treatment in Bundaberg would include eight withdrawal beds.

Cairns will be boosted with a 10-bed residential rehabilitation service for young people, including a focus on delivering culturally safe and tailored programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

New acute-response teams focused on treating children and adolescents experiencing mental health crisis and suicidality will be rolled out.

Ms D’Ath said the plan was developed based on consultation with more than 500 stakeholders across the health services, peak bodies and non-government organisations.

“Better Care Together also has a strong focus on addressing the health inequities experienced by First Nations peoples and communities through the development and delivery of culturally safe and capable treatment, care and support,” she said.

WHAT IS PLANNED

*Eight new mother-baby statewide beds for severe peri-natal mental-health disorders

*New acute-response teams to care for children and adolescents experiencing mental-health crisis, and their families

*Expanding Hospital in the Home models

*Ipswich: 45-bed alcohol and other drugs residential treatment service for adults

*Bundaberg: 28-bed residential treatment service for adults

*Cairns: 10-bed residential rehabilitation service for young people