Push for better funding for mental health: Greens
The Greens will continue to push for better funding of mental health programs and services, Ballarat’s Greens spokeswoman Belinda Coates said.
Ms Coates’ comments follow a decision by the Greens to withdraw a motion disallowing cuts to services after the federal government last week softened cutbacks to the Better Access program.
Under the Better Access initiative, GPs can help people experiencing mental illness to access Medicare rebates for sessions with a psychologist.
The Gillard government last year reduced the number of subsidised consultations from 18 to 10.
The Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler has now reinstated six services.
However, extra services can only be used under “exceptional circumstances” for a transitional period to December 31 this year.
The Greens had earlier pledged to disallow the cuts. Defending their decision, Ms Coates said she was confident the party would continue to push for improved mental health services.
“I am well aware of the service gaps because I have worked as a social worker locally in the counselling and mental health fields,” Ms Coates said.
“So it’s recognised that this big change with the 16 sessions is really only a short-term reprieve to buy some time.”
Mr Butler said the transitional period would provide sufficient time for new mental health services to build capacity and effectively respond to people with more complex needs.
But Ballarat Community Health chief executive Robyn Reeves said the new arrangements were not in place and there was no guarantee of the timing.
Withdrawing the motion, Greens spokeswoman for mental health Senator Penny Wright said the reinstatement of six additional sessions in exceptional circumstances was a positive compromise.
“The fact is that no party has the numbers to act unilaterally in the Australian Senate,” Ms Wright said.
“There was no guarantee that the Coalition was going to support my motion to disallow the Better Access cuts and if the motion had been defeated the 10-session limit would have continued and there would have been no improvement at all.”
Alliance for Better Access spokesman Ben Mullings said they would not be satisfied until there had been a full restoration of services as they were prior to the 2011 budget cuts.
Mr Mullings said the Greens’ backdown was disappointing.
Article source: http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/push-for-better-funding-for-mental-health-greens/2456797.aspx
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