Cuts to the ACT's community mental health budget, triggered by the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, are putting unprecedented stress on Canberra's emergency departments and acute mental health unit, providers say.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Woden Community Services - a key provider of community mental health services - said it had been hit hard by the transition and is now seeing the flow-on effects for clients after cuts to key programs.
The service's mental health recovery manager, Paul Russell, said the loss of services had seen clients' conditions deteriorate, meaning they ended up in emergency departments or the adult mental health ward at Canberra Hospital.
He said while it was only one factor, he had no doubt it was contributing to unprecedented demand for acute mental health services in Canberra.
"We see people that could have got that specialised community mental health support ending up in hospital - that's not a good outcome for anyone," Mr Russell said.
Canberra Hospital's adult mental health unit has come under increased pressure over recent years, running at or above capacity since at least 2017.
Meanwhile, government data has shown 60 per cent of mental health patients presenting to Canberra's emergency departments do not get treatment within a clinically recommended timeframe.
Since the transition to the NDIS, community providers have lost millions in direct funding, both federally and locally, with funding transitioned to individuals.
Mr Russell said the NDIS had been devastating for people with serious mental health issues who were not eligible, and occasionally for those who were.
"The funding and policy settings for the NDIS do not support an experienced and qualified community-based mental health sector," Mr Russell said.
"It would be hard to estimate the impact this transition has had on what was a comparatively well-resourced and qualified sector before the NDIS transition.
"Back then, the ‘upstream’, more preventative, outreach services ACT had, included both ACT and Federal government funded programs.
"Unless we address the shortfall in programs that support people ‘upstream’ and prevent hospitalisation, no amount of ‘downstream’ (more expensive) acute beds, at the Adult Mental Health Unit for instance, will be enough.
"Quite apart from the disruption to the sector, government or non-government organisations - can we imagine the disruption to people’s lives who are not supported when they need it most and end up in the distressing predicament of now needing to be hospitalised in order to get help?
"This is not the outcome we should be aiming for."
A recent case study of Woden Community Services showed a number of federally funded services had fallen by the wayside since the transition to the NDIS.
The study, authored by board member Sebastian Rosenberg, who is also a lecturer at Australian National University, said the NDIS was geared towards services that perpetuated client maintenance and dependence rather than recovery and independence.
"Current NDIS policy and funding settings have narrowed, not broadened, the support options open to people with severe mental illness in the ACT," the report said.
An NDIS spokeswoman said the NDIS would deliver a significant increase in funding for people with serious mental illness in the ACT.
"NDIS Participants are receiving between $20,000 and $100,000 in funding for supports, compared to an average of $6,500 per annum per client under existing programs," she said.
"The NDIS does not, and was never intended to, replace other government support systems, such as the mental health system or community-based supports or treatment for people living with mental health conditions.
"The mainstream mental health system continues to be responsible for the broader group of people who require psychosocial supports outside the NDIS."
An ACT Health spokeswoman said it would be inaccurate to conclude the loss of community mental health programs had led to an increase in the use of clinical mental health services.
"The transition of services to the NDIS has had its challenges and this is not unique to the ACT as it is affecting other jurisdictions as well," she said.
"It’s important to note that the most recent [Report on Government Services] data release shows that in 2016-17 the ACT government provided the second highest proportion of funding to community services.
"The ACT government recognises the importance of a multi-sectoral approach to improving the mental health of our community. This is well demonstrated by the establishment and work of the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
"The ACT Government remains committed to ensuring that people who require mental health and psychosocial community supports have appropriate access to services at the right time and the right place."
Do you have something to add? Get in touch by emailing daniella.white@canberratimes.com.au
