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Monitoring mental health and suicide prevention reform: Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Pre

Priority Area 1: Achieving integrated regional planning and service delivery

The Fifth Plan states the following will be different for consumers and carers:

  • • Consumers and carers will be included in shaping the way in which services are planned and delivered.
  • • Services will work with consumers and carers in a coordinated way to understand and holistically meet their needs and achieve outcomes that are important to them.

 

The intended benefits of improving integrated regional planning and service delivery have not yet been realised for a significant proportion of consumers and carers.

Almost all respondents (96%) indicated that they, or the person they care for, used more than one mental health service in the past 12 months. Of these people, 32% ‘usually’ or ‘always’ felt that the services accessed worked together to address their needs or the needs of the person they care for, and 35% ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ felt that way (compared to 30% and 37% respectively in 2019; Figure PA1).

Compared to consumer respondents, carers felt that the person they care for experienced the intended benefits of service integration less often. In 2020:

  • • 40% of consumers and 20% of carers reported that services ‘usually’ or ‘always’ worked together to address the consumers’ needs.
  • • 55% of consumers and 39% of carers reported that they, or the person they care for ‘usually’ or ‘always’ had a say in how their treatment was planned.
  • • 51% of consumers and 39% of carers reported that they, or the person they care for ‘usually’ or ‘always’ had a say in how their treatment was delivered.
  • • 50% of consumers and 25% of carers reported that they, or the person they care for ‘usually’ or ‘always’ felt as though care providers understood the consumers’ needs.
  • • 53% of consumers and 42% of carers reported that they, or the person they care for ‘usually’ or ‘always’ felt as though care providers worked with the consumer to meet their needs.

Comparison data for 2019 are not available.

Figure PA1: Frequency of consumer and carer experience of services working together in the past 12 months, 2019 and 2020

Bar chart showing the proportion of consumers and carers who ‘never’, ‘rarely’, ‘sometimes’, usually’ or ‘always’ experienced their services working together in the past 12 months, in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, 12% of consumers and carers responded ‘never’, 25% ‘rarely’, 33% ‘sometimes’, 22% ‘usually’, and 8% ‘always’. In 2020, 11% responded ‘never’, 24% ‘always’, 33% ‘sometimes’, 25% ‘usually’, 7% ‘always’

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Acknowledgement of Country

The Commission acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands throughout Australia.
We pay our respects to their clans, and to the elders, past present and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community.

Diversity

The Commission is committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. The Commission welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Lived Experience

We acknowledge the individual and collective contributions of those with a lived and living experience of mental ill-health and suicide, and those who love, have loved and care for them. Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to mental health suicide prevention systems reform.