Unmet Needs Report

In reply to the Hon. C. BONAROS ().12 November 2025).

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State): The Minister for Health and Wellbeing has advised:

The Unmet Needs Report was commissioned by the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist on behalf of the former government, and released under this government in July 2023.

South Australia is actively addressing psychosocial unmet need as part of a coordinated, national effort.

In line with the agreement between state, territory and commonwealth health ministers to at least maintain psychosocial funding while negotiations are on foot for a new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, South Australia is investing in more psychosocial supports.

Between 2018-19 and 2020-21 the former government slashed non-government mental health services by 19.2 per cent. In contrast, our government has increased psychosocial funding by 41 per cent when compared with the last year of the former government (2021-22). In three years this government has spent nearly $130 million on psychosocial supports, equating to an additional $25.6 million compared with the previous government. This year alone, this is more than $14 million extra.

Our investment has spanned a range of initiatives including:

Investing $6 million over four years, increasing to an extra $2 million a year, for more psychosocial mental health packages delivered by non-government services

Opening Medicare Mental Health Centres across the state in partnership with the federal government. In addition to the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre, centres are open in Mount Gambier, Mount Barker, Elizabeth and Port Pirie

Building a new 16-bed crisis stabilisation centre which will be co-located with the Elizabeth Medicare Mental Health Centre

Opened Safe Haven—a first of its kind drop-in mental health service in northern Adelaide which offers a calm and inviting community space

Provided $250,000 to Lifeline to support free mental health drop-in connect centres in Clare and Port Pirie

Opened the Mental Health Alternative Care Service in Port Pirie offering a safe, caring and low-stimulus environment for people experiencing mental health crisis

Partnering with the federal government to open an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre in the CBD

Expanded the Mental Health Co-Responder Unit across metropolitan Adelaide

Investing $5 million for a mental health package for drought-affected communities

Investing $3 million for public community mental health teams across four country local health networks to improve mental health services for older people

Introduced mental health training for pharmacists to identify and respond to early warning signs of mental ill health

Funded an additional 22 new mental health community beds to keep more South Australians out of hospital and aid rehabilitation

Opened the Regency Green non-government run service for people with psychosocial conditions who would otherwise be in hospital

Building a 16-independent unit site in Clearview—the first long-term mental health accommodation of its kind in South Australia, providing 24/7 support for people living with a psychosocial disability

Introduced one of the first paediatric virtual mental health services in the nation, expanding the Child and Adolescent Virtual Care Service (CAVUCS) at the Women's and Children's Hospital to cover mental health concerns.

This is on top of our investment to open more than 130 more mental health beds across the state. More than 100 of these beds are either open, or will be open by early next year. Of the 72 new mental health rehabilitation beds committed, 48 are now open at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Noarlunga Hospital. These new beds will enable many more South Australians a year access to safe and therapeutic mental health care and support.