Mental health meeting ‘first test’ for Anthony Albanese

A major mental health meeting of state and Commonwealth ministers is being branded as the re-elected Labor government’s test on mental health.

The absence of appropriate mental health funding and policies was raised in the months leading up to the election.

A major mental health meeting of state and Commonwealth ministers is being branded as the re-elected Albanese government’s “first test” on mental health and its ability to address the needs of people not eligible for NDIS but with mental illnesses too complex for primary care.

The absence of appropriate mental health funding and policies was raised in the months leading up to the election, with advocates warning more needed to be done to address the ongoing crisis, particularly for Australia’s youth.

Following the Albanese government’s landslide win, Mental Health Australia wrote to Commonwealth and state leaders warning the sector was “still waiting on a plan” to close the gap in services that saw nearly half a million people miss out on the psychosocial support they needed in 2022-23.

“This ongoing gap in psychosocial supports outside the NDIS not only has an enormous impact on individual and family health and wellbeing, but it also perpetuates system pressures on more costly interventions like hospitalisation,” the letter, seen by The Australian, said.

“Governments committed through the current National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement … to develop future arrangements for psychosocial supports after the analysis was completed. We are still waiting to see decisive government action to

progress these arrangements, and the current agreement is due to expire by 30 June 2026. Action must be taken urgently to meet this outstanding commitment.”

MHA urged for the next meeting of Commonwealth and state health ministers, scheduled next month, to consider a 50/50 funding deal to scale up investment in psychosocial supports over the next five years.

“A truly national response to unmet psychosocial support needs will require commitment from everyone – the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments must all come to the table in good faith to negotiate an outcome for the Australian community,” MHA chief executive Carolyn Nikoloski said.

“It is critical that all governments step up together at June’s ministerial meeting to improve access to psychosocial supports. This will deliver immediate benefits to the community, it will also have flow on benefits across the health system, by alleviating pressures related to workforce shortages, emergency and ambulatory care, and unnecessary hospitalisation.”

While Labor’s $1bn investment to boost mental health treatment and counselling last month was welcomed by many in the sector, concerns were raised that very little of the funding would be rolled out in the next financial year.

Questions over how the government will address significant unmet psychosocial needs come as Labor also faces scrutiny on the development of a new system of services that will cater to people with milder disabilities no longer eligible for the NDIS.

While this system of “foundational supports” was expected to be rolled out from the middle of the year, Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler sought to distance himself from that time frame earlier this week.