ROdown Blog
Minister of Mental Health has great discussion with young people
On the 10th of August, ReachOut.com hosted a forum with young people, to allow them to talk to Minister of Mental Health Mark Butler through an online and offline discussion. The overall goal of the evening was to openly and freely discuss what ideas and questions many of the participants from Mind Matters, ReachOut.com and Beyond Blue had in relation to the changes in the Commonwealth Budget. With many topics still fresh in the minds of many who attended the first young people forum in December 2010; the questions being raised now regarded what was to happen with these new changes of funding for the Mental Health system in Australia.
To help further open discussion with those who wanted to be heard, the ReachOut.com staff used the ReachOut.com forums to bring online participants into the room, even if they weren’t there. This was facilitated by Youth Ambassador Doug from ReachOut.com who would highlight any important questions or comments that were being raised within the forums to be actually brought up in the conversation offline.
Adding to this was also the integration of the live Twitter feed hashtag #ROYMHForum (which became the 2nd most tweeted topic in Sydney and 5th most tweeted topic in Australia!) - which was also facilitated by the ReachOut.com staff. This allowed proper discussions to take place from all parts of Australia in relation to what steps need to be taken to find better ways of helping those with mental health issues access such services as discussed through the 3 main topics debated throughout the night.
Many of the topics that were brought up not only online but also by the offline participants themselves ranged over a vast amount of subjects all relating to the changes to the Commonwealth Budget and the mental health system. One significant topic that was discussed throughout the night was the access to Mental Health services for young people living in rural and regional areas and what unique needs and challenges these presented.
Many online and offline participants also discussed the various ways of possibly solving this problem with use of online services and also other possible initiatives which could better the strain on system.
The forum also brought a lot of interesting questions and comments in relation to the funding cuts to the Better Access Program (Medicare Rebate Program for Psychologist Appointments). These funding cuts became a very significant topic of discussion as it also raised the question of how we can prevent issues that would cause young people to need a psychologist in the future – with one very significant answer being Counsellors in schools.
A possible solution that was discussed as a way to solve the shortage of school counsellors was the school chaplaincy program; which became the hot topic of the night. For most in the forum and online; this was said to be a conflict of interest. Many participants believed that they not only excluded those with other religions, but were also unqualified to support those with a variety of issues, especially within the LBGTI community. As an effect of the newly implemented budget, another topic of interest that was raised from Headspace’s Outreach program was the possible ways of teaching how to access help in schools.
Many of the forum participants agreed that it was important to help students learn how to get help if they need it, more so younger males. As a way to possibly solve this the forum also discussed some possible ways of getting males to open up about their problems ranging from having more male mentors working in the mental health system to even promoting male role models such as celebrities and sports stars.
As a response to many of the questions being raised throughout the night, M.P. Mark Butler presented how the discussions of the previous forum in December influenced the 2011 budget - prompting a new $2.2 Billion package for mental health that largely targeted young children as well as the young adults of Australia. With this spending, Mark Butler stated that the budget will account for at least 90 Headspace Facilities around Australia, allowing them to conduct outreach after school hours (as most issues aren’t just 9-5 problems).
Mark Butler also responded to the criticism surrounding the cuts of the Better Access Program stating that the program was originally set to cost $500 million over a 4 year period with it now costs over $1 billion dollars a year to run; which has become an issue for the Commonwealth. Mark Butler also stated that such changes to the program were needed as not only was the Commonwealth pressuring the change but it was also found over 80% of users of the program needed 10 rebated sessions or less.
The forum not only provided some new, fresh initiatives in regards to bettering the mental health system but it also allowed M.P Mark Butler to properly get an idea of what needs to be fixed. The Minister later commented that the forum was “A great discussion with a lot more of a robust conversation than the last time. The school counsellor’s topic stuck out for me. I’d like to come back. It was incredibly valuable, incredibly professional and a high impact discussion. It was really good and I got a lot out of it”
What did the forum achieve?
As a whole, the online and offline forums provided not only a clear but a very in depth look at what still needs to be fixed within the system. By hearing from young people from groups that dedicate themselves to helping those with mental health issues, as well as other young people who live with mental health problems, the forum allowed a very open and direct way of fixing these issues promptly. The immediate impact of the forum was that it allowed a clear line of communication between the government and its people and as a whole allowing members of the public working within and outside the mental health system to properly have their own say and share their experiences directly with the Minister of Mental Health. All forum members online and in person enjoyed the experience with an overall positive response:
“It’s great to discuss the fundamental issues based on mental health with a great group of people” - Steph
“Having discussions to motivate further action and being able to talk to the minister first hand” – Gemma
“Knowing there are like-minded people who share the same views and opinions as me and being able to discuss those ideas” – Dayne
The outcomes of this very effective forum will be later compiled in a report containing a summary of the main themes and comments raised, with some recommendations which will be all sent to Minister of Mental Health Mark Butler.
For more information and the full discussion from the forum visit the ReachOut.com forum thread from the night.
Article by Matt Karstunen, ReachOut Reporter
Photo by Jacob Carrick, ReachOut Reporter
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