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The Mental Health Carers Report 2010 will be officially launched by Senator Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, at Parliament House on Thursday 25 November 2010.

Australian of the Year, Pat McGorry, is right in saying that mental health reform is a defining policy area for the Gillard Government.

10 October is World Mental Health Day. This year, unlike previous years, we have seen the emergence of a new consensus from the Federal Parliament in its support for mental health reform across Australia. For the very first time, Australia now has a Commonwealth Minister for Mental Health (Mark Butler), a Shadow Minister for Mental Health (Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells) and a Greens spokesperson (Senator Rachel Siewert).

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) has welcomed ALP mental health commitments announced by Prime Minister Gillard and Health Minister Roxon.

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) welcomes today’s announcement of a $1.5 billion commitment to mental health by the federal Liberal Party.

Australia’s leading health and mental health organisations will present a letter on Thursday to the Rudd Government calling for increased investment in mental health.

Over a year ago the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission identified the need for a national anti-stigma campaign focusing on mental health. It was one of twelve recommendations made in relation to mental health, a recommendation supported by the Federal government. Today, a State government has taken a real step towards implementing this recommendation, at least in Queensland.

The Rudd Government today claimed that this is a “good budget for mental health”.
The Government is wrong. There is no significant increase in funding for mental health.

The Government called this a "no frills" Budget – but despite the increased expenditure in health care, mental health has been relegated to a very thin line of lace on the periphery of a substantive new investment mostly into hospital services.

State and Territory leaders should demonstrate their commitment to mental health reform by allocating at least half the promised new sub-acute care beds to mental health consumers.

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) has today welcomed Prime Minister Rudd's commitment to reform mental health, including accepting greater responsibility for community mental health, but is disappointed that the Commonwealth did not go further.

Health Minister Roxon‟s announcement that the Commonwealth plans to take a more active role in community mental health is welcomed by the Mental Health Council of Australia.

A group of leading national prevention and community health organisations led by the Australian of the Year, Professor Patrick McGorry, is calling on the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers to include fundamental principles on prevention, mental and Indigenous health at next week’s Council of Australian Governments meeting.

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) has today written to the state Premiers urging them to include mental health in any negotiated health reform plan with the Commonwealth.

Mental health needs the same type of investment and reform as the Federal Government has promised to deliver for aged care and for people with diabetes.

The Mental Health Council of Australia has welcomed the Government’s announcement today that people experiencing diabetes will be able to opt into a program that can provide more responsive primary care services through their GPs.

The launch today of the Australian Government’s National Compact: Working Together will help boost the role of the Third Sector and improve social inclusion in Australia.

Today's announcement of major changes to the way we fund and administer hospitals shows that the Rudd Government is committed to reforming the health system, however, hospital reform is only one part of the health system reform Australia desperately needs.

David Crosbie, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), told the 7.30 Report last night that greater investment is needed in community-based treatment options for people with a mental illness.

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) has welcomed the appointment of Professor Pat McGorry as Australian of the Year for 2010.

More acute mental health beds and more doctors is not the answer to Australia’s mental health needs – it is more community-based beds which will improve mental health outcomes, according to David Crosbie, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

Up to 80 per cent of inmates in Australian prisons have a mental illness and magistrates in regional areas are sending mentally ill people to jail as there is often no treatment or mental health facilities available.