The NSW Government is putting $130million towards helping people whose mental health is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding will:
Over two years, $35million in funding will expand the mental health clinical workforce. This funding will allow NSW residents to access privately practising psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. NSW Health will work in partnership with Primary Health Networks.
There will be $20million in funding to expand youth mental health services provided by Headspace, including 55,000 additional appointments and a boost to GP and clinical psychiatrist appointments at their NSW centres.
The funding will also allow placements at Headspace centres for:
It will allow students, supervised by clinical educators, to conduct mental health assessments and provide clinical sessions for young people. Up to 350 students can participate over the 18-month period from January 2022 to June 2023.
Over two years, $14million will provide training to 275,000 people in suicide prevention. Training is being aimed at high school peer leaders, teachers and support staff, parents, community groups and youth influencers such as sports coaches and club managers.
Living Works will deliver the majority of the training, while grants will also be available to small organisations delivering training to at-risk groups
Over four years, $21million funding will employ 18 FTE Aboriginal Care Navigators and 18 FTE Aboriginal Peer Workers to link Aboriginal Australians to culturally-appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services.
Over four years, $16.5million in funding will address the increase of people diagnosed with eating disorders. The frontline workforce will be expanded to better recognise and respond to people who show signs of eating disorders. The Butterfly Foundation is also being funded to admit NSW residents to its national eating disorders centre in Wandi Nerida in Queensland.
Over one year, $3million will be used to provide access to private beds for 12-24-year-olds experiencing complex trauma and eating disorders. This will be trialled in South Western Sydney Local Health District.
Over two years, $6million will fund the increase of caseworkers and casework managers to provide support to child protection practitioners at high risk of trauma.
The NSW Government will provide $2.8million to fund NSW sporting bodies to deliver mental health and wellbeing initiatives. Sporting bodies will use the grants to deliver projects that aim to increase mental health, wellbeing or resilience amongst their members and communities.
Over two years, $2.6 million will help to expand Gidget Foundation’s services and access to the online Gidget Perinatal Support Centre. This will allow the foundation to expand Gidget House the Start Talking telehealth programs.
The NSW Government has announced $700 million for a state-wide mental health infrastructure program. This investment will transform existing infrastructure to support new contemporary care models and provide specialist mental health units for children and adolescents, families and older people. It will also improve the forensic mental health network and provide facilities which help patients reintegrate into normal life.
Locations confirmed include:
Planning continues on this program. Find out more about the Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program's sub-programs and projects.
Towards Zero Suicides is an $143.4 million investment over four years in suicide prevention initiatives that address priorities in the Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention in NSW 2022-2027.
The NSW Suicide Prevention Fund is funded by the NSW Government to provide opportunities for non-government organisations and community based services to deliver local suicide prevention services and activities.
From 2020-21, the NSW Government has committed $7.4 million over four years for the NSW Suicide Prevention Fund.
Read more information about suicide prevention services.
