WA Government welcomes national mental health plan

A commitment by all Australian Health Ministers to work towards a whole-of-government approach to mental health has been welcomed by Western Australian Mental Health Minister Dr Graham Jacobs.

Dr Jacobs said the commitment by the Australian Health Ministers' Council (AHMC) to strive for a mental health system across the country that was 'collaborative, responsive and robust' signalled a new era for mental health.

Speaking after the launch of the National Mental Health Policy 2008 today, the Minister called on all levels of government and the private sector to embrace the new collaborative framework and work toward better services to improve the lives of people with a mental illness.

"Mental illness affects one in five Western Australians during their lives," he said.

"This new national-level commitment supplements reforms that the WA Liberal-National Government is already undertaking.

"We are committed to creating WA's first Commissioner for Mental Health to oversee the governance of mental health services including timely service delivery to consumers.  The State Government will also conduct a comprehensive review of all mental health services in WA.

"The Government wants a system that supports efforts to prevent mental ill health, promotes personal resilience and lessens the stigma so often attached to mental illness.

"The National Mental Health Policy 2008 and the Mental Health Plan will be key drivers of the State Government's commitment to developing the WA Mental Health Strategy 2010-2020 to be tabled in Parliament later this year."