20 SEPTEMBER: The Honourable Curtis Pitt and over 20 leaders from Queensland’s mental health sector will gather in Brisbane today to confront workforce challenges facing the sector in light of rapidly increasing service demands.
Queensland’s mental health sector is bracing for not only a steady long-term demand increase, but also a sharp peak as support needs associated with the summer of natural disasters begin to surface now that physical infrastructure has largely been restored and individuals have time to reflect on their experiences.
As this occurs it is vital that the sector acts strategically to meet needs of the community.
The breakfast meeting, jointly hosted by the Workforce Council and Queensland Alliance for Mental Health, marks a unique opportunity for the government and mental health leaders to work together to develop solutions to the sector’s sustainability challenges.
The Minister for Disability Services, Mental Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, The Hon. Curtis Pitt MP, will consider the Mental Health Industry Leaders Group’s plans for a sustainable community mental health workforce including the development of new sector-specific qualifications, clearer career progression opportunities and formal recognition of the life experience of workers.
The Group will also discuss plans to commission a six-month project to examine the core content knowledge, competencies and areas of work in the mental health workforce. This will become the first step towards developing sector-endorsed career pathways which include multiple entry points and value the life experience of workers, the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, and lifelong learning.
The meeting comes ahead of next month’s Mental Health Week (9-15 October) which aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community. The Week is an annual national awareness campaign held to coincide with World Mental Health Day which falls on 10 October.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE STRATEGY
The Community Mental Health Workforce Strategy is a joint initiative of the Health and Community Services Workforce Council (Workforce Council) and Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Inc. (Queensland Alliance), which is funded by Skills Queensland. Its purpose is to facilitate a sector-led and sector-wide approach to support workforce growth and development in the NGO mental health sector in Queensland.
For more information visit the Community Mental Health Workforce Strategy page
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Daniel Hobbs, Queensland Alliance 0409 890 434 / dhobbs@qldalliance.org.au
Jeremy Gill, Workforce Council 0438 795 910 / jgill@workforce.org.au
