Mental health programs and services that were funded by the Territory’s COVID-19 Mental Health Support Package are to be extended to help Canberrans still feeling the effects of the pandemic on their mental health and wellbeing.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said more funding would also be provided to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) to continue operating the Adolescent Mobile Outreach Service.
“Young people are at a heightened risk of declining mental health due to the impacts of the pandemic on education, employment, and social connection,” Mr Barr said.
“In a recent ACT Government survey, more than half of young Canberrans participating in the survey described their mental health as either ‘fair’ or ‘poor’,” he said.
Mr Barr said $655,000 had also been allocated to increase mental health support for young Canberrans with highly complex needs who were at risk of mental illness.
The Minister said the funding included scoping for a multidisciplinary service to support young people with complex needs who experienced mental health challenges alongside trauma and/or drug and alcohol abuse as well as scoping for an intensive trauma service for adolescents to support recovery for 13 to 17-year-olds who’d experienced childhood trauma.
Minister for Mental Health, Emma Davidson said the pandemic had seen an increase in demand for mental health services across the ACT.
“Providing early support for young people to build resilience, coping strategies and mental health literacy can help prevent mental health issues later in life,” Ms Davidson said.
“The package provides a roadmap for investment for vulnerable young Canberrans and aims to address key gaps identified by the sector and experts,” she said.
The Territory’s 37-page Response to the Standing Committee’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
