Media Release by Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion

$45 million towards addressing mental illness

The mental health of indigenous families will be one of the key focus areas of the Mental Health Community Based program, Minister for Community Services Senator Nigel Scullion said today.

The Australian Government is providing $45.2 million in a number of funding rounds from which community organisations can apply for three years funding to run a locally based project to help in the prevention and early intervention of mental illness.

‘Mental health is such a complex issue and communities are best placed to provide programs that are tailored to addressing the needs of their particular areas. The circumstances of a mental health sufferer in suburban Melbourne are going to be vastly different to the situation of someone in Arnhem Land,’ Senator Scullion said.

‘This program is about local communities creating programs to support local families, carers and young people affected by mental illness. We are particularly keen to see these programs focus on indigenous families and those from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

‘We will be closely monitoring the results of these projects to see that they build family and community resilience and will be looking to replicate the very successful ones in other communities,’ Senator Scullion said.

This program is one of the three major mental health projects under the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and continues to deliver on the Australian Government’s commitment to mental health.

Application packs are available from Monday 18 June 2007. Applications close on Friday 20 July and it is anticipated services which receive funding will operate from October this year.

Eligible non-government organisations are encouraged to apply by obtaining an application pack from the FaCSIA website or by calling 1800 053 885 Monday to Friday from 9am – 5pm AEST.

This program is part of the $1.9 billion commitment to the Council of Australian Governments’ National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011.