On behalf of the Greens, I’m proud to announce our plan to invest $2.75 million annually to expand the Mental Health Emergency Response service to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across the state.
Since I was elected to Parliament last year, one of the issues I’ve been contacted about most often is lack of access to mental health services. This is an area that clearly has to be a higher priority for government – from prevention and early intervention right through to crisis responses and inpatient services.
The Mental Health Emergency Response service is underpinned by the idea of sending a specialist response to mental health emergencies when they occur in the community. When in the past a regular ambulance would have been dispatched, and the patient taken to hospital, this model of care combines the expertise of a paramedic with that of a mental health clinician. It allows people to get better help at home, and often prevents them having to go to hospital.
In a health system that has mostly gotten worse over the past decade, the introduction of Mental Health Emergency Response teams has been a rare bright spot. Now we should be making the most of this approach.
This service has been warmly welcomed by staff and patients alike, and shown to be successful. But right now it only has limited operating hours, with crews knocking off before midnight, meaning patients in need through the rest of the night miss out.
In our conversations with healthcare staff and the health union, it’s been obvious to us that making the Mental Health Emergency Response teams 24/7 is a common sense step to build on the success they’ve had so far, and to continue to improve the care available to the community.
$2.75 million each year is a such a small investment when you consider the benefits to people in need, and to the wider health system. We hope the major parties will match this commitment
With a new government and the Greens in balance of power, we will fight to stop the stadium and to invest in health instead – including in critical mental health services like this one.
