By Rowan Forster
My Place and the Pakenham Health Centre will reap the benefits of a record $1.45 billion mental health federal funding cash splash – in a funding model shake-up set to offer local organisations and patients greater long term certainty.
Health Minister Greg Hunt joined Latrobe MP Jason Wood at Main Street’s My Place hub on 16 January, spruiking the benefits for Pakenham, Beaconsfield and Berwick.
It is believed the investment could facilitate the development of a second storey at the council-operated youth facility.
The organisations will also be spared the uncertainty of re-tendering for contracts ever year, providing greater security for staff and those experiencing mental health conditions.
“Community mental health is about delivering people outcomes in their own communities, and My Place is an example of this,” Mr Hunt said.
“It is helping to run the Bounce Back program and the South East Melbourne Public Health Network (PHN) and Cardinia Shire are cooperating.
“They are delivering outcomes to these magnificent young people and giving them hope, support and a pathway to a really bright future.”
My Place is reportedly bursting at the seams, with both counsellor rooms frequently booked out.
The funding will encompass an estimated $617 million for youth mental health, $399 million for psychological therapies, $177 million for mental health nurses, $77 million for suicide prevention, $74 million for mental health in aged care and $89 million for indigenous mental health.
“This amazing group of young Australians here in Pakenham are dealing with the day to day challenges that people face, and they’re able to access this support because of the PHN funding,” Mr Hunt added.
PHNs has tirelessly been pushing for long term contracts to replace the annual re-tendering process, amid concerns for the disruption to critical patient services.
“It’s great to be able to launch the service here at a local facility,” Kiera Mansfield, general manager of South East Melbourne PHN, said.
“When we started this journey with the young people in this region two years ago, we asked a young girl named Lucy what her experience had been to date.
“She said ‘I’m either too unwell or I’m not unwell enough to get the help and services I need’ and we took her as our champion and built the service with her in mind.”
In 2017–18, about 200,000 Australians used more than 900,000 services through local PHN-commissioned mental health providers, Department of Health data shows.
Latrobe MP Jason Wood said the funding was vital for the electorate, which has seen heart-wrenching rates of suicide over recent years.
“This announcement is going to do great things not only for young people in Pakenham, but also in Berwick and Beaconsfield,” Mr Wood said.
“The sad reality is some people think they’re escaping something and helping people out by taking their own lives.
“In actual fact, they’re just leaving a trail of misery and unanswered questions.
“Over the years we’ve had some really bad news in Latrobe, and we even had to put up suicide prevention barriers along the train line, so I’m stoked to be putting money into mental health.”
