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our health in our hands social & emotional wellbeing introduction sewb counsellor reference documents regional centre mental health services < link-up death & dying mental health services The Commonwealth Government has committed $1.8 billion to improve mental health services in the community across Australia. The Government’s package of initiatives comprehensively addresses the areas for which the Commonwealth is responsible, such as increasing access to primary health care, increasing the mental health workforce, more respite places and funding for people with mental health and drug or alcohol problems. The package includes: increased access to psychiatrists and psychologists under Medicare to improve the detection, treatment and management of mental illness funding for mental health nurses to work with psychiatrists and GPs to better coordinate care and treatment improved services for people with mental health problems linked to drug use funding for care coordinators to help people with mental illness to better manage their daily activities improved mental health services in rural and remote areas more telephone counselling and web based services to improve and increase the availability of support and information funding for new respite care places, particularly for elderly parents who live with and care for children (including adult children) who have a severe mental illness or intellectual disability. New Medicare items are a major step towards building a better mental health system. The items, part of the Government’s Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative, will cost $538 million over five years. For more information, click on the link below: Better access to mental health services (The Hon Christopher Pyne MP) Back to Top Page last updated on 16 April 2007. http://www.pangula.org.au/sewb5.html