This proposal would establish the following ten components relating to mental health services.

Component 1 – Workplace mental health interventions in small businesses

• Provide ongoing funding of $50 million per year, indexed to the consumer price index (CPI), for mental health intervention measures in small businesses. Departmental expenses are included within this capped amount.

Component 2 – Mental health in larger businesses

• Provide funding of $50 million per year (indexed to the CPI) over four years. Departmental expenses are included within this capped amount.

Component 3 – Additional data on mental health

• Fund the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to collect more detailed data on mental health, including its effect on absenteeism and presenteeism, by conducting a National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Mental Health Survey) similar to the one conducted in 2007.

Component 4 – Peer workforce trial

• Establish a two-year national peer workforce trial with 1,000 places, from 1 July 2019. Peer workers generally refer to people with lived experience of mental illness who provide support to others.

Component 5 – Supported employment for people with a severe mental illness

• Expand the existing Individual Placement and Support Trial that is funded by the Department of Social Services to cover 10,000 additional participants. The Individual Placement and Support Trial helps young people aged 16 to 25 with mental health concerns to identify and secure employment and study opportunities. The trial would have the following timing:
  • 2019-20 and 2020-21: 2,000 participants per year.
  • 2021-22 and 2022-23: 3,000 participants per year.
• Administered funding for these places would be indexed by the CPI. The expanded trial would run for four years.

Component 6 – Assertive outreach post suicide attempt

• Provide grant funding of $500 million over four years for programs such as hospital outreach post suicide, capped at $125 million in each year. Departmental expenses are included within this capped amount.

Component 7 – e-Health early interventions

• Fund online cognitive behaviour therapy services for one million total users each year for four years.

Component 8 – Community psychosocial services

• Provide $150 million each year over three years for community psychosocial services.
  • Expenditure under this component would be offset by reversing the 2019-20 Budget measure Prioritising Mental Health – Early Psychosis Youth Services.

Component 9 – Prevention and early intervention

• Provide funding for a four-year trial of 50,000 children and young adults to each access 10 group sessions of cognitive behaviour therapy. The trial would fund 5,000 participants in its first year and 15,000 for each of the following three years.

Component 10 – National youth mental health stigma strategy

• Provide $10 million spread evenly over four years for a national youth mental health stigma strategy.

The proposal would have effect from 1 July 2019.