Inquiry into Commonwealth Funding and Administration of Mental Health Services. Australian Senate, Community Affairs References Committee.

Inquiry into Better Access and other federal Mental Health Funding.

Report Issued - November 2011.

Download:: Full Report available here as .pdf file (NB:: 162 pages)

Press Release from Mental Health Council of Australia
Allan Fels appointed Mental Health Commissioner 16 October 2011 

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) warmly welcomes the appointment of Professor Allan Fels, AO as Chairman of the Mental Health Commission.
Allan Fels is a Patron of the Mental Health Council of Australia and a long standing advocate for mental health carers and consumers. Professor Fels was Dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) and also Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from 1995 until 30 June 2003.  Prior to that he was Chairman of the Trade Practices Commission from 1991 to 1995 and Chairman of the Prices Surveillance Authority from 1989 to 1992.

“Allan Fels has championed mental health reform and governance issues for many years and his work with the MHCA and other organisations makes him an ideal person to lead the new Mental Health Commission,” said Frank Quinlan, the CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

“Professor Fels will bring his years of experience on administration, leadership, and advocacy to this position and his appointment is warmly welcomed by the mental health sector.

“The establishment of a Mental Health Commission is a key part of the Government’s mental health reform agenda, which includes delivering a Ten Year Roadmap to reform.  The MHCA looks forward to working with Professor Fels in achieving this milestones in mental health, ’ Mr Quinlan said.

The use of health services by those with mental disorders
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing covers people aged 16 to 85 years. During the 12 months before the 2007 survey, among all people aged 16–64 years with mental disorders, people with severe or profound disability were more likely than those without disability to:

• access health services (including hospital admissions) for mental health (59% versus 24%)
• consult health professionals (including GPs) for mental health (56% versus 24%)
• consult health professionals (including GPs) 5 or more times for mental health (31% versus 12%)
• consult mental health professionals (41% versus 15%)
• consult GPs for mental health (32% versus 15%).

Of all people aged 16–64 years who had comorbidity of mental disorders and any physical conditions, people with severe or profound disability were more likely than those without disability to:

• access health services (including hospital admissions) for mental health (59% versus 21%)
• consult health professionals (including GPs) for mental health (56% versus 21%)
• consult mental health professionals for mental health (42% versus 12%)

Download: Full Report - The use of health services among Australians with disability

A SENIOR South Australian clergymen has resigned his appointment as chair of the Gillard government's new Mental Health Commission amid allegations he failed to appropriately deal with rape allegations against a fellow priest. David Cappo announced the move in a statement tonight, while rejecting suggestions he mishandled rape allegations by now-Archbishop John Hepworth against Monsignor Ian Dempsey.

Monsignor Cappo, the vicar-general of the Adelaide Archdiocese, said he would not take up the post in the interests of the commission.

"We have worked so hard to put mental health on the national agenda and I do not want, in any way, to have this progress jeopardised,'' he said.

Monsignor Cappo also announced his resignation as deputy chair of the Australian Social Inclusion Board. From The Australian read more...

Background Note from Austrlaian Parliamentery Library
Introduction
This Background Note provides two concordances. One concordance lists the proportion of people in each Local Government Area (LGA) that fall within each Commonwealth electoral division while the other concordance lists the proportion of people in each Statistical Local Area (SLA) that fall within each Commonwealth electoral division. The concordances are based on the 2010 edition of the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (ASGC) as published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).[1] The concordances incorporate the current electoral boundaries, i.e. those in force at the federal election of August 2010.

The concordances were generated by processing the 2006 Census population figures for Census Collection Districts (CCDs). Each CCD was allocated to the relevant SLA, LGA and electoral division of best fit.
Download::
Table 1a - Local Government Area by electoral division 

Table 1b - Electoral division by Local Government Area
Table 2a - Statistical Local Area by electoral division
Table 2b - Electoral division by Statistical Local Area

For the first time, Australia has a National Carer Strategy – the second element of the Australian Government’s National Carer Recognition Framework.  Along with the Carer Recognition Act 2010, the National Carer Strategy strengthens our commitment to recognise and respond to the needs of carers so that they have rights, choices, opportunities and capabilities to participate in economic, social and community life.

The National Carer Strategy contains a vision, an aim and six important priority areas for action – recognition and respect, information and access, economic security, services for carers, education and training and health and wellbeing.  Collectively, these priority areas outline how the contribution of Australia’s carers will be better valued, supported and shared.

The National Carer Strategy builds on what the Australian Government already provides for carers and complements reforms to improve supports provided through the aged care, disability, mental health, primary health care, hospital and community care systems.

The Strategy was developed in consultation with carers, state and territory governments, service providers and peak organisations.

Download: National Carer Strategy PDF [1MB]

Disability Care and Support Inquiry report This inquiry report was released on 10 August 2011.

• More about the Disability Care and Support inquiry Download summaries of the report

Download::

• Overview booklet - Disability Care and Support (PDF - 1057 Kb) | The overview booklet contains the key points, an extensive summary of the Commission's analysis and recommendations.
• Executive Summary of the proposed scheme (PDF - 348 Kb) |
• The Plain English version (PDF - 128 Kb) | 

Full report

• Volume 1 - Disability Care and Support (PDF - 4133 Kb) |
• Volume 2 - Disability Care and Support (PDF - 2218 Kb) |

Carer Recognition Act 2010 
The Carer Recognition Act 2010 came into effect on 18 November 2010.

The Act establishes who is a carer, contains a Statement for Australia’s Carers and sets up reporting and consultation arrangements for certain public service agencies.

The Statement of Australia’s Carers sets out ten principles to guide how public service agencies and their funding providers should treat and consider carers in policy development and program and service delivery.

Download::
Carer Recognition Act 2010: text of the Act from ComLaw
For more information on the implementation of the Carer Recognition Act 2010:Carer Recognition Act 2010 Guidelines