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COAG National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011

COAG National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011 (PDF, 566 KB) aims to improve mental health and facilitate recovery from illness through a greater focus on promotion, prevention and early intervention, improved access to mental health services, including in Indigenous and rural communities, more stable accommodation and support, and meaningful participation in recreational, social, employment and other activities in the community. Improving the care system will involve a focus on better coordinated care and building workforce capacity.

The Commonwealth Government has committed funding of $1.9 billion over five years as part of the COAG package. These funds were included in the Commonwealth Budget for 2006-07 and complement existing Commonwealth funding and measures previously announced. In addition, the Queensland Government has committed $895 million over the same period of time. For an outline of Queensland’s Government commitment to mental health (PDF, 1 MB).

Further to the above funding, more than $250 million has been provided to address wages growth over the next three years to attract and retain skilled mental health staff.

The COAG National Action Plan is directed at achieving four outcomes:

1. reducing the prevalence and severity of mental illness in Australia.
2. reducing the prevalence of risk factors that contribute to the onset of mental illness and prevent longer term recovery.
3. increasing the proportion of people with an emerging or established mental illness who are able to access the right health care and other relevant community services at the right time, with a particular focus on early intervention.
4. increasing the ability of people with a mental illness to participate in the community, employment, education and training, including through an increase in access to stable accommodation.