I welcome the release of the Queensland Government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan - demonstrating a commitment and investment into better housing outcomes for Queenslanders, including supportive housing.
The plan will provide an additional $3 billion over the next 5 years and aims to deliver one million more homes by 2046 – including 53,500 new social housing homes.
We know that people with mental ill health and problematic alcohol and other drug use are more likely to experience homelessness, and that homelessness exacerbates these issues. Homes for Queenslanders will see a 20 per cent increase in funding for the next 18 months for specialist homelessness services in the state plus an independent review to look at opportunities for improvement across the sector.
The Commission is working with stakeholders and sector experts to determine how the Homes for Queenslanders plan can address the supportive housing needs for people experiencing mental ill-health and problematic alcohol and other drug use. This follows on from our submission to the Queensland Parliament's 'Inquiry into the provision and regulation of supported accommodation in Queensland'. We know that supportive housing improves outcomes for people, and that access to appropriate, safe, affordable housing is critical to wellbeing.
Trauma strategy
The Commission is leading the development and implementation of a whole-of-government trauma strategy to reduce the impact of trauma and adversity on Queenslanders.
In March and April, we will be engaging with people with lived experience of mental ill-health, problematic alcohol and other drug use and suicidality, and their families and carers, a broad range of stakeholders and the Queensland community. There will be multiple opportunities to provide input, including via written submissions.
We are leading work to reduce stigma and discrimination around mental ill-health, alcohol and other drugs, and suicidality and the Queensland Government has provided $10 million under Better Care Together to progress a campaign and a range of other activities to reduce stigma.
You’ll see a story in this eNews below about how stigma can significantly impact the health and wellbeing of people with lived experience, which underlines why this campaign is important and needed.
Work is underway and there will be opportunities to contribute over the coming months, so stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, reach out to the team at shiftingminds@qmhc.qld.gov.au to share any stigma reduction work already taking place in your area. Read more about the stigma project.
Mental health and wellbeing strategy
I'm pleased that consultations to develop a mental health and wellbeing strategy for Queensland are also about to commence. This is a joint project between Health & Wellbeing Queensland and the Commission. Join us to have your say.
Being Equally Well: critical health outcomes study
A world-first study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research has found that stigma, lack of social support and unemployment play significant roles in premature mortality in people with schizophrenia. The study highlighted the need for person-centred care alongside social support from family, carers and the community to improve health outcomes.
The Queensland Government has announced $68 million to boost specialist child youth acute response teams, with new teams established in the Darling Downs, Metro North, and Townsville Hospital and Health Services; and services boosted in the Cairns and Hinterland, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, West Moreton and Wide Bay Hospital and Health Services.
The new Head to Health service operated by Open Minds opened this month in Kingaroy, providing a safe place for adults to get help, advice and support for their mental health needs, free of charge. New Head to Health centres are funded under the $260m joint Commonwealth-State Bilateral Agreement on mental health and suicide prevention.
MATES has a new digital hub designed to support fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) workers. The hub has tools and resources, including psychosocial safety workplace tools and free online training, for all roles in the FIFO DIDO community, including family and friends, managers and supervisors and mental health service providers.
The Queensland Government will provide an extra $12.5 million in grants over 5 years to improve social connection and address social isolation and loneliness for older Queenslanders. Funding will be used to increase seniors’ social isolation services statewide and to establish a peak body to support those services. Addressing social isolation and loneliness is a priority of Shifting minds.
As part of the Homes for Queenslanders plan, eight new youth foyers will be built across the state to help young Queenslanders at-risk of homelessness. The foyers will give young people aged from 16 to 25 a safe place to stay and the wraparound support they need while they complete their education and work. The first three foyers will be built in Cairns, Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay.
The Productivity Commission has found governments have largely not fulfilled their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and has made four recommendations to drive progress. “To date, most government actions and plans to implement the agreement relabel business-as-usual, or simply tweak existing ways of working,” said Commissioner Natalie Siegel-Brown. The Commission will be looking at these recommendations in more detail at the Advisory Council meeting in April.
The Queensland Government has released the Roadmap for Residential Care in Queensland which aims to halve the number of children and young people living in residential care, see more cared for by kin and foster carers, improve culturally-led and early intervention support, and reduce the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in care.
A survey by the Australian Patients Association and Healthengine shows the cost of living is impacting Australians’ healthcare decisions, with 27% of respondents delaying mental health support for financial reasons. Just 15% of respondents were on a Mental Health Treatment Plan, with 39% of these on a wait list, and 24% not using the plan because of cost. 78% were satisfied with the support received.
The National Health and Medical Research Council has invested $7.8 million in 3 mental health and suicide prevention research projects. The projects include the development of an online program targeting disordered eating among young people, the development of new treatments for young people in the early stages of psychotic illness, and the development of a new real-time suicide and self-harm cluster monitoring system.
Eating Disorders Families Australia and The Embrace Collective successfully campaigned for changes to the Australian Curriculum to prevent the development and relapse of eating disorders. Teachers are now advised to avoid activities that could do more harm than good for students, such as recording and comparing body weight and body measurements; and recording food diaries.
Mental Health Australia and the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum have developed advice to governments on evidence-informed and good practice psychosocial services. The paper outlines a diverse cross-section of psychosocial services shown to be effective and valued by people with lived experience of mental ill-health, family, carers and supporters. The advice outlines principles to underpin design of future psychosocial services.
Mental Health Australia and the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum have developed advice to governments on evidence-informed and good practice psychosocial services. The paper outlines a diverse cross-section of psychosocial services shown to be effective and valued by people with lived experience of mental ill-health, family, carers and supporters. The advice outlines principles to underpin design of future psychosocial services.
Applications are now open for the Safe and Diverse Communities Grants Program. The program aims to fund projects and initiatives to support women’s safety and violence prevention in Queensland’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Applications close at 5:00 pm, Friday 15 March 2024. Apply here.
Dovetail and Insight has launched its first half training calendar. The training focuses on strengthening skills for Queensland practitioners who work in a direct, one-on-one capacity with young people across housing, AOD use, and residential care services. Workshops are in-person and no-cost. Register here.
Queensland employers are invited to take part in the Queensland Workforce Insights Survey. The survey is open to all Queensland employers and seeks your views and experiences in areas including recruitment, staff retention, skills development, workforce planning and workforce development support. Take the survey.
Mark your calendars! This year’s Winter School will take place on 21-23 August at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Find out more.
QuIHN is facilitating 'Putting Together the Puzzle’ training– Stigma Discrimination and Injecting Drug Use' workshop aimed at health and community workers on Wednesday 27 March. Places are limited. Register now.
Sponsorships
We offer sponsorships up to $10,000 for sector events. Next round closes 31 May 2024.
