Fed: More mental health initiatives needed: Mendoza

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2006
Fed: More mental health initiatives needed: Mendoza

CANBERRA, April 5 AAP - The Mental Health Council of Australia has welcomed the federal
government's mental health package but says more needs to be done to combat the crisis.

Prime Minister John Howard today announced a major funding boost to mental health services,
promising $1.8 billion over the next five years.

Council chief executive John Mendoza said the government package was a desperately
needed first step to help tackle Australia's mental health dilemma.

But he argued more initiatives were needed to help Australians with mental illnesses.

In particular, he said semi-residential institutions were needed to help relieve pressure
on hospitals currently caring for patients whose condition was not life threatening.

"We welcome the leadership of John Howard in responding to the crisis," Mr Mendoza said.

"(But we) need to build a whole suite of accommodation that does not exist at the moment,
accommodation that will relieve pressure on our acute care hospital beds.

"It has been the missing link in the systems and services that we have had available
since de-institutionalisation."

"We have data that indicates up to 30 per cent of all acute care beds around the nation
in the psychiatric ward of our hospitals are occupied by people who are not acute."

Mr Mendoza also called on the state governments to step up and release details of their
own mental health packages.

"The next critical step is for state and territory governments to come froward with
their own ideas and money," he said.

AAP ms/so/cjh/br

KEYWORD: MENTAL MENDOZA

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.