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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-21 Daily Xml
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Psychosocial Services

Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What action is the government taking to deliver new resources for psychosocial services? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms PRATT: In the NDIS review handed down by federal Minister Shorten in December 2023, the panel published that:

The NDIS does not operate effectively with the broader mental health system and there are major gaps in psychosocial supports outside the NDIS.

Action 1.11 states:

National Cabinet should agree to jointly invest in psychosocial supports outside the NDIS to assist people with severe and persistent mental illness currently unable to access supports.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:31): I thank the member for Frome for her question. We absolutely agree that providing appropriate mental health support, including psychosocial support, across the community is absolutely important. That's why we have already taken action as a government to increase the funding for psychosocial services in South Australia. That comes after that funding and those programs were cut by the previous Marshall Liberal government. Over their time in office, we saw the funding going into those programs cut by 19 per cent. The funding was cut by 19 per cent for psychosocial services between 2018-19 and 2020-23.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The exchange across the chamber will cease. Minister.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: Thank you, sir. We saw that 19 per cent cut. The member for Morialta asks what has happened since the election.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: The good news is that in just our first year we saw that increase by over 11 per cent, going into those programs. In fact, the Treasurer has put in the Mid-Year Budget Review additional funding as well. In addition to that, we are also going through a process of recontracting those services, the combination of which will see more people being able to be supported in the community.

In addition to that the Premier, through national cabinet, also working of course with the Minister for Human Services through the disability ministers council, is working through a process of additional foundational supports for people outside the NDIS, of which psychosocial services is one element.

This is a government that recognises the need in terms of mental health, has already taken action in terms of improving the funding that was cut by the previous Liberal government, and is also working on the national level in terms of unmet needs for disabilities, including psychosocial services, across the nation.

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