Living Well A Strategic Plan for Mental Health

Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health John Feneley NSW Mental Health Commissioner

NSW Mental Health Commission

The journey to develop a NSW strategic plan for mental health

Living Well: Putting people at the centre of mental health reform in NSW: A Report Released 14 October 2014 • Shows an inclusive, authentic portrait of how our present system applies in practice • Tells the story of mental health in NSW from the perspective of people who live there. Available at: nswmentalhealthcommission. com. au

Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014 -2024 Released December 2015 “The aim is for all of us to live well, on our terms, in the community. ”

‘Once in a Generation’ The NSW Government has accepted the actions outlined in the Commission's plan, which includes: • Strengthening prevention and early intervention - with a stronger focus on services for children and young people; • A greater focus on community based care - including a phased transition of long-stay psychiatric hospital patients into community care and providing more community based services; • Developing a more responsive system - through improved specialist services for people with complex needs such as personality disorders; • Working together to deliver person-centred care - including better integration between mental health services, mainstream health, and justice and human services; and, • Building a better system – including by developing the mental health workforce, and investing in research.

Directions for change • Planning for our future • Making it local • Getting in earlier • Putting people first • Providing the right care • Better responses • Care for everyone • Supporting reform • Accountability

What change means INCREASING Positive mental health and wellbeing Participation by people with a mental illness Peer workforce Positive experience of service delivery Proportion of NSW mental health funding spent on community-based services TD 15/522 DECREASING Psychological distress in the community Discrimination and stigma Suicide and suicidal behaviour The use of involuntary treatment orders Proportion of people in the prison population who have a mental illness

The power of peer workers “All the literature suggests people become more well. In fact you’ll have the most reliable, punctual, engaged staff member you could hope for. ” Gabrielle Le Bon, social worker

Leisa, Rohan and Monica’s stories

Why a Peer workforce ? • People with lived experience of mental illness hold expertise that is incredibly valuable. • People who are living well with mental illness represent hope that is often missing in people’s lives. • This doesn’t only apply to health

Supporting the Peer Workforce • • Infrastructure & Governance Retention Career Pathways Training and Development

QUESTIONS? nswmentalhealthcommission. com. au Twitter: @MHCNSW facebook. com/mhcnsw