The Centre is one of three consumer-operated mental health services funded by the Government across Queensland.

Article Link:  http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-mb-mb005.htm

Synopsis: In the 2011-12 Budget, the Gillard Government brought in changes to the Better Access program to deliver a mental health package that better targeted and supported some of the most disadvantaged people in our community. The Government recognises that reducing the number of rebatable sessions has caused some community concern and that the new mental health package needs to build further capacity before it is fully able to provide care and support to those with more complex needs. Thus, the Government will be reinstating an additional 6 services under ‘exceptional circumstances’ for a transitional period to 31 December 2012. This change means that eligible individuals can receive up to 16 services from 1 March 2012 until 31 December 2012 where ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply.

A fact sheet is available on the following website: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba-fact-transfac

Synopsis: More children with hearing or vision impairment living in regional and remote Australia will soon have access to specialist services and therapies through the National Broadband Network (NBN) as the Remote Hearing and Vision Services for Children Initiative is launched. The Government is investing $4.9 million over three years to deliver the online video-based initiative which will deliver services to about 125 additional children in regional and remote Australia. 

“The NBN gives children with disability and their families the opportunity to get the best possible start to life, regardless of where they live,” Ms Macklin said.

“For example, a child will be able to meet with a speech pathologist in Brisbane and have a therapy session online through this new video conferencing service.”

The funding for the initiative is in addition to the almost $580,000 the Government currently provides to the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children for the Teleschool initiative each year.

• The equality law consolidation process initiated by Roxon’s predecessor should be used to reform the anti-discrimination scheme to be effective in preventing and remedying discrimination and promoting substantive equality.
• The Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act due in 2012 should lead to the enactment of a comprehensive national Human Rights Act.
• Roxon should enhance the oversight of places of  detention by immediately ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which aims to prevent ill-treatment by establishing national and international systems of independent monitoring ng inspection of all places of detention. Places of detentions should promote rehabilitation and social interation, however the process of reform has been slow and subject to wrangling between the states and the Commonwealth.
• The Attorney-General should order a review of people smuggling offences under the Migration Act, as recently recommended by a senate committee, to prevent situations which have arisen in the past where vulnerable Indonesian  children have been detained for extended  periods.
• Roxon should take immediate action to address the disadvantage and disenfranchisement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, focusing on including ‘justice’ in the ‘Closing the Gap’ program. Roxon should also work hard to ensure the success of a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and guarantee against racial discrimination in Australian’s Constitution.

The key measure of Roxon’s success will be the effectiveness of the revised laws. There is much remedial work to be done in the area of human rights, however, principles leadership in these priority areas could go a long way to realising the vision of a nation which respects and protects human rights – a vision that Roxon articulated in the 1998 maiden speech to Parliament.

In an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia, they said that the States and Territories have failed to spend the money in a coordinated manner on the things it was intended for.  Mental health’s share of the federal health budget has also decreased overall, at 5%. They also said that there was not enough data collected about how funding had affected outcomes for people with mental illness.

The department would be financially separate from the rest of the health system, but Queensland Health would retain responsibility for mental health patients in hospitals.

The centre will provide services to at least 12 children, giving them access to speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy in a new state-of-the-art centre. Mr Pitt said the State Government is contributing $700,000 to help meet its construction costs, and will provide AEIOU Foundation with $500,000 a year to run the centre. “In addition to delivering Bundaberg-based services, the new centre will also provide outreach services to families throughout the Wide Bay-Burnett region,” he said.

“This will help to reduce the demand on families travelling to Brisbane to access specialist autism early intervention services. The evidence shows that early intervention can make a real difference to children with autism, and that’s why we’re putting these services and supports in places for local families.

AEIOU Foundation CEO Alan Smith said the Foundation is delighted with the Queensland Government’s support, and is looking forward to collaborating with CQUniversity to develop the centre, explaining it will present several mutual benefits to the local community.

The centre is scheduled for completion by mid-2012.