$1.5m to plug mental health gap

A “SIGNIFICANT” gap in mental health prevention and early detection, particularly in young people, will be topped up with a $1.571 million funding injection from the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network.

The DDWMPHN is accepting tenders from organisations to tackle the three month, low-intensity mental health program, which will begin in March and be rolled out in a number of local government areas in the region.

It is possible the program will be extended past its June 30 end date on the basis of performance reporting and evaluation.

According to tender documents, the $1.571 million is split between local government areas, with $174,000 for South Burnett and Cherbourg, $62,000 for Somerset, $182,000 for Southern Downs, $384,000 for Ipswich, $201,000 for Lockyer Valley, $55,000 for Goondiwindi, $178,000 for Western Downs, $277,000 for Toowoomba and $58,000 for Scenic Rim.

Low-intensity mental health services support people with, or who are at risk of, mild mental illness, such as depression or anxiety.

In November 2015 the Commonwealth Government announced its response to a Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services in Australia.

The review indicated that there was a “significant mental health gap in prevention and early detection, particularly in young people”.

The contract will run from March until June 30.