Expansion of successful mental health program

A successful Australian Government program assisting people suffering from severe mental health problems was expanded today with the announcement of 48 new sites across Australia.

Addressing a workshop of Personal Helpers and Mentors in Canberra today, Minister for Community Services, Senator Nigel Scullion, confirmed that their new program was already achieving great results and would be expanded with an additional $60 million.

‘The original 28 demonstration sites running the Personal Helpers and Mentors program are proving very effective at giving individual support to help mental health sufferers reconnect to the wider community,’ Senator Scullion said.

‘Altogether the Australian Government is funding around 900 new Personal Helpers and Mentors over five years to assist people with severe mental illness to manage their daily activities and access a range of support services.

‘These new teams of Personal Helpers and Mentors will provide an additional 240 Personal Helpers and Mentors across Australia.

‘A key element of the program is its emphasis on community support and social connections as an integral component of recovery.

‘The program focuses on strengths – what people with a mental illness can do, rather than what they can’t do.

‘It works towards meeting the great challenges the nation confronts in relation to mental illness, helping participants reconnect with their community and have the opportunities in life they deserve,’ Senator Scullion said.

These first two rounds of funding are part of the Australian Government’s $285 million commitment for the Personal Helpers and Mentors program.
The program is part of the Australian Government’s $1.9 billion contribution to the Council of Australian Governments’ National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011.