A message from the co-Chairs

Despite the best efforts of governments over the years, providing timely, appropriate and equitable access to services supporting child mental health has been problematic. Mental health services are delivered in many settings by a range of providers, with poorly developed linkages between them. In particular, the referral pathways between primary health care and educational settings and secondary and tertiary assessment and treatment services are often unclear; services tend to be delivered in narrow, single-discipline clinics despite many children having complex needs and requiring a multidisciplinary approach; parents as well as many professionals have difficulty navigating a fragmented service system; and there are long waiting lists for assessment and treatment for all but the most severe problems.

There is increasing recognition of the importance of considered investment in child mental health. The service system needs to respond better to increases in the prevalence of mental health problems in Australian children, compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, increased attention is paid to the need for child mental health services to be both effective and cost efficient. There are many opportunities for prevention and early intervention as problems start to emerge, and before they become entrenched and need more intensive treatment.

We accepted the appointment to co-Chair this Strategy with some trepidation due to the size of the challenge, but were excited to be given the opportunity to be involved in the development of a roadmap that might guide future reform and investment. We were interested in looking broadly at the system as a whole, from parent mental health literacy and reducing stigma through to the management of complex problems in expert settings and everything in between. Given the complexity of the current system, we did not want to simply argue for new services to be added. Rather, we aimed to develop a roadmap to effectively restructure and improve what was already in place and to support the many thousands of committed professionals working in this area. We are aware that a major restructure is more difficult than adding new services, but are convinced that this is the best way forward.

From the outset, we were committed to consultation with stakeholder groups – professional organisations and individuals – and to seek expert advice from different disciplines. We were able to meet with a wide range of stakeholder groups and gained valuable insights into what they perceived as strengths and weaknesses of the current system and, importantly, advice as to how to improve it. Many of their suggestions are reflected in the articulation of the issues andrecommendations in the Strategy.

We were well-served by an expert advisory group and two working groups, where robust discussion and feedback helped shape our views and informed many aspects of the Strategy. Similarly, a steering committee guided our deliberations and provided valuable feedback and advice. And having this work sit within the National Mental Health Commission allowed us to draw on an incredible depth of content, organisational capacity, and outstanding writing skills, and we are most grateful to the staff and Commissioners for their wise counsel and support. We are well aware that this Strategy is only the first step in reform of mental health services for children and their families, and we hope that this provides a good foundation for implementing the urgently needed changes.

Professor
Frank Oberklaid AM

Professor
Christel Middledorp