Legislative Council Tuesday 24 August,2021

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

Regarding the $300,000 funding promised by the State Government for mental health services in Circular Head:

• Has this funding been provided?
• If so, which organisation or programs have these funds been allocated to?
• How will outcomes from this funding be measured?

Answers:

In the lead up to this year’s state election, a commitment was made to the Circular Head region to provide mental health counselling and outreach, as well as suicide awareness and prevention, with a focus on young people.
In line with our First 100 Days Implementation Plan, we committed to ‘begin the recruitment of a locally-based mental health specialist for the Circular Head region’, and this commitment has been delivered.

Staff from the Department of Health have met with local stakeholders including the Circular Head Council, local community sector organisations, and Statewide Mental Health Services, to discuss the new service and the needs of the region, especially for young people.

Department of Health staff also attended the recent Burnie youth mental health forum to discuss mental health needs in the North West.
The Department of Health is working to finalise the service model, including the scope of service and referral pathways, and accommodation options, to ensure easy access to services for young people.
We are negotiating with a provider for the service, and details in relation to the provider and the service will be made public once negotiations are finalised.

Outcomes of this funding will be measured against key performance indicators established during the finalisation of the funding agreement with the provider.