National Advisory Council on Mental Health
The Council was established in 2008 as an election commitment. The Council provides independent and confidential advice to Government on mental health issues as requested by the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing.
It provides a formal mechanism for the Australian Government to gain independent advice from a wide range of experts to inform national mental health reform. The mental health sector, including consumers, carers, mental health professionals and service providers, will benefit through the Government’s consideration of the independent advice provided by the Council.
$2.4 million over three years (2008 – 2011) has been made available to support the work of the Council. The Council will meet not less than four times per year and have held 7 meetings to date. The next meeting is scheduled for the end of May 2010.
Role and Function:
The objective of the Council is to provide timely, expert, balanced and confidential advice to Government on mental health issues as requested by the Minister for Health and Ageing.
The Council will provide independent and confidential advice to the Minister for Health and Ageing on mental health issues, in particular:
- providing advice on strategies and broad directions in mental health policy;
- providing advice on the implementation of mental health programs currently funded by the Australian, State and Territory governments;
- providing advice on how to improve these programs and better support people with mental illness, including through better coordination and integration of existing mental health programs;
- providing advice on how to focus mental health programs for people with particular needs, including younger people, older people including people with mental illness and comorbid conditions, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Indigenous Australians, and people in rural and remote areas;
- commissioning targeted research as appropriate on mental health policy and service delivery issues;
- consulting and liaising with the mental health and related sectors, including mental health consumers and carers, professionals and the non-government sector; and
- providing advice on specific issues as requested by the Minister for Health and Ageing.
The Minister for Health and Ageing may convey to the Council requests for advice from the Prime Minister, other ministers whose portfolio responsibilities relate to mental health issues, or the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference.
The Council may seek advice from people with expertise from within the mental health sector and in areas that intersect with mental health policy, such as welfare, housing and employment.
Membership:
Membership was announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, on 12 June 2008. Membership consists of 11 individuals appointed as individual experts, rather than representatives of particular organisations, professions, or constituency groups.
Mr John Mendoza (Chair) - former Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Council of Australia, and author of the seminal ‘Not for Service’ report
Mr Michael Burge - consumer consultant/advocate for the Toowoomba District Mental Health Service
Associate Professor Neil Cole - Associate Professor in the Monash Medical School, mental health consumer and former Victorian Member of Parliament
Mr David Crosbie - current Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Council of Australia
Professor Allan Fels - Dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, and a carer
Professor Ian Hickie - Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney and Executive Director of the Brain & Mind Research Institute
Professor Lyn Littlefield - Executive Director of the Australian Psychological Society
Associate Professor Helen Milroy - descendant of the Palyku people in the Pilbara, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Associate Professor and Director for the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at University of Western Australia
Ms Dawn O’Neil - Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Australia
Dr Rob Walters – general practitioner, former chair of the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)
Ms Adele Cox - is a Bunuba & Kija (Gija) woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Member of several committees' including the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention, the National Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia (NIYMA) and is the current Chairperson of the Indigenous Strategies Working Group (ISWG).
Further information:
Secretariat support for the Council is provided by the Department of Health and Ageing (NACMH@health.gov.au).
Page currency, Latest update: 21 October, 2008