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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-06-18 Daily Xml
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Mental Health Services

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding mental health issues.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Last week, Geoff Harris of the Mental Health Coalition South Australia appeared before a select committee of this council to discuss funding arrangements for mental health services and their relationship with the NDIS. Will the minister update the council on transition arrangements for South Australians?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for his question. Despite Labor claims to the contrary, there has been no reduction in funding of psychosocial services in South Australia in relation to the transition to the NDIS. A total of $6.8 million in funding will be transferred to the National Disability Insurance Scheme in 2019-20 in relation to services for those clients who are transferring to the NDIS.

The Marshall Liberal government is committed to providing support for South Australians with a mental illness as we transition nationally to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We are also committed to funding psychosocial services for those with mental illness who are not eligible for the NDIS. Those clients who are not eligible will continue to receive ongoing psychosocial services through state government funded NGO programs such as individual rehabilitation support, supported housing, mutual self-help, and the carer respite and support programs.

The government has made this commitment explicit to service providers on a number of occasions. On 23 May 2019, the Chief Psychiatrist wrote to members of the South Australian NDIS psychosocial disability transition task force and to South Australian NGO providers about this transition. In that letter, it was made clear that this was a transfer of funds, not a cut. The letter states:

It has been estimated that 25 per cent of clients of eligible SA Health programs would transfer to the NDIS. On this basis, $6.8 million of current SA Health funding will transfer to the NDIS from 2019-20.

It went on to state:

The SA government has made a commitment that no existing mental health clients should be disadvantaged as a result of the NDIS transition arrangements. Current SA Health funded psychosocial clients who are not eligible for the NDIS will continue to receive ongoing psychosocial services via state government funded NGO programs.

This was reiterated in a letter from the chief executive of SA Health to the Mental Health Coalition, dated 12 June.

I highlight that the Mental Health Coalition is receiving $95,000 from SA Health and $109,000 from the NDIA in order to assist with transition to the NDIS. The transfer of funding to the NDIS has nothing to do with the state budget decision. It has everything to do with an NDIS agreement that the former Labor government signed. The funds will continue to be available to support South Australians, simply provided by another level of government.

This is not a matter of semantics. South Australians are not losing funding through this transfer. I was pleased in this respect to hear Mr Harris from the Mental Health Coalition confirm last week to the committee that there was no cut. It was disappointing that the coalition has chosen to stand alongside Labor as they spread irresponsible and reckless fearmongering amongst South Australians with mental illness and their family carers.

South Australians expect such hypocrisy from Labor. They know that Labor tried to cut more than 300 jobs from SA Pathology when they were in government and now do their best to obstruct sustainable reform. They know that Labor cries 'privatisation' at the drop of a hat when they were responsible for the state's largest ever privatisation in health, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. But this is a new low for Labor. Spreading fear among South Australians with mental illness is despicable. Labor knows that they are misrepresenting the facts. They know because they were the ones who took the decision.

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