Supporting Australians with psychosocial disability

Supporting people with a psychosocial disability is the focus of report released today that will help to further develop mental health policy in Australia.

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Senator Jan McLucas launched the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum (NMHCCF) Position Statement Unravelling Psychosocial Disability, which focuses on psychosocial disability associated with mental health conditions, in Parliament House, Canberra.

“Unravelling Psychosocial Disability gives a detailed summary of the best practice approaches to improve support services and care for people with a psychosocial disability,” Senator McLucas said.

Psychosocial disability is the term that mental health consumers and carers use to describe the disability experience of people with impairments and participation restrictions related to mental health conditions.

“We know that parents and carers of people with psychosocial disability face many difficult and complex challenges, and are at risk of feeling isolated and unsupported.

“Unravelling Psychosocial Disability describes the kind of care and support mental health consumers and carers would like to see provided.

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler said it is important that we have effective and consistent support services, which provide more opportunity for people with a disability and their carers to participate in the community.

“This is why the Australian Government is investing $571 million in mental health services essential for the recovery of people with severe mental illness to participate in social and community life, find and keep a job, improve relationships with family and friends and help manage the tasks of everyday life,” he said.

“We are working to lay the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme that would provide people with disability with the care and support they need over the course of their lifetime,” Senator McLucas said.

“The Government has agreed with state and territory governments to lay the foundations for launch of a National Disability Insurance Scheme by mid-2013—a year ahead of the timetable set out by the Productivity Commission.

“We want to see improvements to disability care and support as quickly as possible.

Minister Butler and Senator McLucas commend the NMHCCF Working Group for providing the Australian Government with invaluable information to help further develop better services and support for people with psychosocial disability.

For more information go to www.fahcsia.gov.au