Five priorities to transform Australia's mental health system
We propose that system reforms need to be centred on digital innovations to meet the challenges of 2025 and beyond
The Albanese Government now has a crucial opportunity to move beyond traditional approaches and implement genuine innovation in Australia's mental health system. In a recent piece for Croakey, my colleagues (Associate Professor Sebastian Rosenberg, and Professor Ian Hickie) and I from the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney outline five priorities that could transform mental healthcare in Australia (and globally).
While Labor's $1 billion pledge for service expansion is welcome, the proposed improvements resemble promises and changes made many times over the last two decades.
In 2025, this would be a missed opportunity. Digital mental health innovations offer real opportunities to deliver effective care earlier in the course of illness and widen equitable access.
Here is a very brief summary of our priorities, but please visit the Croakey article for more detail about each.
Our five priorities for transformation
1. A nationally standardised assessment at every entry point into the system
We need a consistent, digitally-enabled intake process regardless of where someone first seeks help. Building on the Initial Assessment and Referral tool with smart technology would ensure equitable, high-quality assessment nationwide.
2. Establish seamless, digital care coordination for everyone
The burden of navigating complex care shouldn't fall on individuals and families. An interconnected digital ecosystem could dynamically connect people with appropriate services, regardless of location.
3. Make measurement-based care the norm
Embedding routine outcome monitoring into everyday practice dramatically improves response rates and treatment speed. Digital tools can scale this approach system-wide, empowering both clinicians and consumers.
4. Enhance direct and timely access to effective care
Early specialised intervention prevents progression to severe illness. We must expand our specialist workforce and leverage AI and digital innovations to enhance care capacity and eliminate unnecessary delays.
5. Build a real-time learning health system for continuous improvement
Accountability requires measuring outcomes that matter to people, not just counting services delivered. Australia needs transparent reporting and continuous improvement based on real-world results.
Real change by 2028
By 2028, we shouldn't still be discussing the same problems we've documented for decades. These five innovations form a blueprint for a mental health system that's genuinely accessible, equitable and effective.
Let's demand more than incremental change. Our communities deserve a mental health system designed for the challenges of today—and tomorrow.
Agree with all of the above but also how did the under resourced “down in the trenches and tunnels” Vietcong defeat the mighty US hierarchical army machine - “gorilla tactics” …. SO NOW we also need to add a major missing piece to the puzzle - a program whose major focus and modus operandi is outreaching into community, infiltrating and engaging directly (gorilla tactics). A program that can address that unmet need for psychosocial support for people outside the NDIS (as per that Major Report). This program can and should be peer worker rich, social determinant and human rights focused and able to connect and engage with those many isolated people living with "severe and complex mental health issues" who (often because they have been burnt or let down) will not "engage in help seeking behaviors" and thus will not walk into any of the new Medicare mental health centers (at least will not do without that initial connection). This would be a great legacy for this term of government!