Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mr Goddard’s latest report on mental health services contains factual inaccuracies.
I’m concerned that calculations around beds rely on the incorrect claim that beds were lost at the Peacock Centre when it burnt down.
In fact, the Peacock Centre provided community mental health support, it was not an inpatient facility, meaning Mr Goddard is using incorrect numbers to support his calculations.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has a $216 million plan to continue our transformation of Tasmania’s mental health system, alcohol and drug treatment system and improve the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians.
This is the largest ever boost for mental health.
We are taking a best-practice approach to building a contemporary, integrated model of mental health care so people can get more holistic support in the right place and at the right time.
We are already delivering new services such as the 12 bed Mental Health Hospital in the Home service in the South and the Mental Health Short Stay Unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital, and we are building 27 new short term recovery beds at the Peacock Centre and St John’s Park.
It is vital mental health care is delivered in a holistic way, with preventative, community care and of course acute care, which is why we are investing $26 million in new funding, announced during the election to deliver a number of important mental health initiatives, including:
- A Mental Health Hospital in the Home pilot in the North-West;
- Commence the roll-out of Rethink 2020, Tasmania’s new overarching mental health plan
- Emergency Mental Health Co-Response Team pilot in the South;
- A Peer Workforce Coordinator and Youth Peer Worker model;
- Boost community mental health services to meet increasing demand, including Rural Alive & Well (RAW), Baptcare and the Butterfly Foundation;
- Continue and expand innovative new services put in place during the pandemic, including A Tasmanian Lifeline, Check In, RAW outreach to rural and remote areas, and regional coordinators and community engagers to target mental health literacy initiatives in local communities;
- A framework to support the introduction of therapeutic farming as a hospital avoidance initiative;
- A new Mental Health Precinct to be delivered by 2027 as part of the Launceston General Hospital redevelopment;
- The first stage of a new Mental Health Precinct to be completed in 2025, adjacent to the North West Regional Hospital, to replace the ageing Spencer Clinic; and
- Locally-based mental health specialist for the Circular Head region, providing mental health counselling and outreach, as well as suicide awareness and prevention, with a focus on young people.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is firmly focused on continuing to roll out our clear plan to transform and improve Tasmania’s mental health system.
