In its 2017-18 pre-budget submission, the council proposed a Tasmanian Mental Health Promotion and Stigma Reduction Strategy, comprising four key actions, to complement the existing Rethink Mental Health Plan 2015-25.

“The Rethink Mental Health Plan has articulated a strong focus on promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI), and MHCT believes there is an urgent need for further action in these priority areas to ensure their success,” the submission said. 

It said anti-discrimination programs focused primarily on anxiety, depression and suicide prevention. 

“This has left an urgent and unmet need for addressing stigma and discrimination for people with complex illnesses,” it said. 

“The mental health system in Tasmania is complex, and is underpinned by a heterogeneous mix of funding arrangements, provider types, and clinical and non-clinical approaches,” it said. 

“This creates numerous entry and exit points, unpredictable costs, and a vastly complex network of referral pathways and  requirements.

“As a consequence, it also creates many opportunities for people living with mental illness to fall out of care, or to receive care inappropriate for their needs.”

Health Minister Michael Ferguson welcomed the council’s submission and said it would be considered as part of the budget development process. 

“Reducing stigma and placing a greater emphasis on promotion of positive mental health are identified as reform directions in the Rethink Mental Health Plan and have already featured heavily in messages … to the community,” he said. 

He said “many valuable” improvements had been achieved and the government acknowledged there was work still to be done to fully realise the long-term plan. The council proposed creating a mental health directory for Tasmanians and highlighted the need for access to accurate information.

“Without this information, the benefits promised by increased mobility and choice within the sector, and by Rethink, will instead lead to inadequate care, or even heightened disadvantage,” it said. Mr Ferguson said Rethink was “all about” developing an integrated system.