Community capacity building is the first step in reforming our flailing mental health system, a round-table forum at Albury heard on Tuesday.
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Practical and accessible early intervention coupled with community-based, people-centred care had to be at the very heart of the work of policy-makers, politicians and practitioners, agreed those who gathered to meet Australians For Mental Health's new campaign manager Emma Greeney.
About 25 representatives from the Border's diverse mental health sector met at The Albury Club to discuss with Ms Greeney the particular challenges and pitfalls facing rural and regional communities when it comes to safeguarding mental health and providing timely care to our most critically ill.
It was a meeting of minds that included carers, crisis support workers, those with a lived experience of mental ill-health and suicide, Aboriginal health and Albury-Wodonga Health board members and mental health service providers, business and the rural sector.
You have to wait 'til it gets bad enough ...
And while the comments were as diverse as the cross-section gathered, the consensus was unanimous.
From grassroots community groups to state and federal governments, the time to tackle mental health reform was yesterday.
Ms Greeney heard community mental health teams were overworked "beyond capacity" and locally, carers felt there was "nothing between Headspace and Nolan House" for their loved ones.
"When you're in the process (of trying to find help for someone), you stumble from one thing to the next and you don't even know the language," one mother said.
"You have to wait 'til it gets bad enough ..."
Re-directing patients out of emergency departments to appropriate community-based services with ongoing support was listed as a vital part of reforms.
As was improving mental health first-aid training for "untapped resources" in rural and regional communities such as school principals, stock agents and even GPs.
The event was organised by Annette and Stuart Baker, founders of the Albury-Wodonga Winter Solstice and AFMH members.
Emma on campaign to listen
Emma Greeney sat and she listened.
She listened as 25 representatives from the Border's diverse mental health landscape talked openly about their experiences and what they believed was needed to fix a "broken" system.
The new campaign manager for Australians For Mental Health (AFMH) was in Albury for a meet and greet, of sorts, and to gain vital insights into how regional communities tackle mental health issues.
Ms Greeney, who has extensive experience in government roles in the delivery of mental health services, visited the Border at the invitation of Annette and Stuart Baker who are founding members of AFMH.
Part of her role will be to report to the The Productivity Commission inquiry into mental health, with the final report due on May 23, 2020.
