The government announced $624m in new mental health funding over the next five years, taking the total expenditure on mental health services to $2.2 billion. An additional $209m over the next five years is for more mental-health focused sub-acute beds as well as mental health infrastructure (through the Health and Hospitals Fund).

While the VPA welcomes the significant increase in funding, it is disappointed that much of the funding is not directed to the publicly funded mental health services. This is surprising since a major focus of the budget is on increasing services to people with severe mental illness. New initiatives, as announced, include:

-Medicare Locals to receive funds for dedicated care facilitators

- Better Access program to be reduced and refocused to provide psychological services to patients with mild to moderate severity

- Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program significantly expanded to provide psychological treatment for vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups (namely suicidal people, children and families, and Indigenous and rural patients). This funding is redirected from the Better Access program.

- Increased funding (to be matched by the states) to establish a total of 16 EPPIC centres (early psychosis)

- Additional 30 headspace centres (taking total to approx 90)

- Expansion of KidsMatter to 1,700 more primary schools, and pilot in up to 110 preschools and long-day care centres

- National Mental Health Commissions to be established (out of Prime Minister’s office – focus on suicide prevention and improving data reporting)

For further details, see Budget Paper Outcome 11

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/Content/2011-12_Health_PBS_sup2/$File/2011-12_Health_PBS_17_Outcome11.pdf