More Mental Health funding for Harmony Place

The Australian Government will deliver an additional year’s funding of $335,000 to the Harmony Place Multicultural Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, a centre which offers a range of support services to people affected by mental illness in Yeronga and the surrounding regions.

Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Senator Ursula Stephens today visited Harmony Place with Federal Member for Moreton, Graham Perrett, to announce the additional funding which forms part of the Government’s $1 million investment into the Centre under the Mental Health Community Based (MHCB) program.

“Mental illness can have a devastating effect on people’s lives,” Senator Stephens said.

“Caring for and living with a person with a mental illness can be challenging and demanding.

“Family and carers are often at the centre of community-based mental health care, providing the bulk of support and assistance, but with limited specialised training and support of their own.

“The MHCB program funds projects that support families and carers, children and young people aged 16-24 who are affected by mental illness.

“These projects give families and carers the practical support they need to build on family strengths and improve resilience and family functioning, particularly among Indigenous families and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” Dr Stephens said.

Harmony Place aims to reduce the risk of mental illness and increase protective measures that support mental health and wellbeing of individuals, families and carers from established culturally and linguistically diverse communities, who are affected by, or at risk of, mental illness.

“With the right support, we know that carers and families are critical to assisting people with a mental illness to live meaningful and often rewarding lives,” Dr Stephens said.