Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

KEW (—) (): It does not matter who you are: making the choice to speak about your mental health challenges takes courage, as does seeking support. Since early 2020, we have endured multiple lockdowns and huge disruption to our daily lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some were even locked inside their homes or hotels, cut off from family, friends and co-workers, for months. Much has been said about the negative effects of lockdowns and the impact of the pandemic on mental health, but today I'm going to highlight one of the silver linings of the situation.

The very disruption I mentioned has increased awareness of the importance of good mental health at home, in the community and in the workplace. A national discussion about improving mental health, particularly in the workplace, has positioned Tasmania at the forefront due to several exciting mental health initiatives within my home state. Last year, in October 2022, the Tasmanian Liberal government launched a multimedia campaign to promote awareness of mental health support in collaboration with Lifeline Tasmania and the Mental Health Council of Tasmania. The campaign will direct people who need help to the right support, and is informed by people with lived experience of mental ill-health.

And that is only the beginning. Earlier last year, the Tasmanian government also signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tasmania to deliver a plan for the Centre for Mental Health Service Innovation. The centre will facilitate engagement and collaboration between the health department, statewide mental health services and UTAS across workforce development; training and education; research and development; and policy and advocacy. It builds on the work of the Head to Health facility in Launceston, which provides walk-in mental health services without a referral. Head to Health was an initiative of the coalition, and was delivered by the Morrison Liberal government to help expand access to mental health services to all states and territories. The Launceston Head to Health facility opened in January last year, offering free walk-in mental health support to adults who needed immediate help. It also provides wraparound services to access allied organisations, and offers information and advice to family and friends of people experiencing mental ill-health. I am pleased to note that 12 months later, in January 2023—just weeks ago—Head to Health's new permanent home in Canning Street was opened.

Mental illness can affect anyone at any time, often without warning and without reason. While such an illness is often the result of complex trauma, that is not always the case. Much work has already been done to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, but this work is not yet done. Like many other industries, the mental health sector is facing a workforce and skills shortage, with the ability to attract enough people proving difficult. It is becoming a familiar story, and one that needs rectifying. Modelling from the Mental Health Council of Tasmania estimates that the workforce is about 900 full-time-equivalent roles short of what is needed across professional and peer roles, and that shortage continues to grow. With many of those roles likely to be filled by part-time workers, the number of people actually required is likely to be double that number.

Rather than sit on its laurels, the Mental Health Council of Tasmania is working on some groundbreaking collaborations with education providers like UTAS and TasTAFE to fill that gap, along with targeting other initiatives, such as skilled migration. They're also working on education campaigns to shift the common perception among the public that you need a referral to access mental health support. This campaign commences shortly, and has no equal anywhere in Australia. It's another way that Tasmania is leading in the area of mental health. Educating the public will take pressure off the state's stretched GP services and emergency departments, and will provide another outlet for people to seek help. Collaborative partnerships such as the one cultivated at UTAS are already delivering dividends, with the news that UTAS has expanded its successful psychology clinic model from Hobart into Launceston. This clinic offers another option for mental health services for the community and also provides real-world training for students. Those in training who work at the clinic are partnered with a qualified psychologist to help them complete the practical components of their education. It's an innovative solution that not only meets clients demands but also prepares and strengthens the workforce. Ingenuity and collaboration such as this is setting Tasmania up to address the growing need for mental health professionals and services. I'm certain that, if successful, these initiatives will flow from our small island state to the rest of the country.