National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement

NT Mental Health Coalition
7 hours ago
2 min read

What is it?

This National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement was originally signed in 2022 by Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers. The overarching agreement sets out responsibilities and functions for the two levels of government in relation to mental health and suicide prevention. Each State and Territory also signed a Bilateral schedule with co-investments from both the Commonwealth and NT government. For the Territory, The Commonwealth invested $30.65 million, and the Territory invested $13.25 million to expand mental health care services. Many of our members and stakeholders receive grant funding through this agreement via NT Health and/or NTPHN. The hallmark elements of the bilateral schedule highlighted in the media release included:

$15.4 million for two new Head to Health adult mental health satellite clinics and ongoing funding for the Territory’s first Head to Health centre that opened in January 2022
$9.1 million for a new Head to Health Kids Hub to improve access to multidisciplinary team care to children.
$5.7 million to enhance two headspace centres to increase access to multidisciplinary youth mental health services. This means more staff and more resources, to reduce wait times and support more young people.
$9.3 million to establish universal aftercare services, meaning all Territorians who are discharged from hospital following a suicide attempt will receive immediate follow up care. Two trial sites will also be established in the Territory for aftercare services for people who have experienced a suicidal crisis without being admitted to hospital.
$1.3 million to ensure all people in the Territory who are bereaved or impacted by suicide can access postvention support services.

Why is this important?

Health and Mental Health Ministers and their relevant Departmental representatives have begun negotiating the development of the next bilateral agreement. The Commonwealth have been actively consulting with national peaks for quite some time, including the National Mental Health Consumer Alliance, Mental Health Carers Australia, Indigenous Australian Lived Experience Centre and Gayaa Dhuwi.

Mental Health Australia published a suite of resources to inform the next agreement, underscoring investment in unmet need for psychosocial supports and workforce as central to the next agreement.