Why is this important?
Mental health and wellbeing is shaped by various social, political, cultural, biological, economic and environmental factors that operate throughout life and at key transition points. This requires a service system that is responsive to whole-of-person needs across the life course.
A shift to a community-based system that meets people where they are at is vital—regardless of level of distress, severity of ill-health, geographical location or sociocultural needs.
This approach must facilitate easier access to services and supports, enable opportunities to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing, and ensure equitable social and economic participation.
What we want to achieve
This focus area proposes strategic priorities to improve and expand accessible, integrated and coordinated care through person-led, culturally responsive and trauma-informed services.
It also addresses the barriers to active social and economic participation for people with lived experience and their families and carers.
Directions, priorities and actions
Accessible, coordinated and integrated support, care and treatment
Priorities |
Actions |
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Improve whole-of-system connections and navigation |
19. Consolidate and improve the current ‘wayfinding’ and first points of contact for individuals, families and carers seeking help, including after-hours options 20. Improve the use of technology and develop digital capability to improve access to reliable information and connections to services and support for people seeking help |
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Expand integrated community-based services |
21. Strengthen the responsiveness and integration of community-based mental health and wellbeing, alcohol and other drug, and suicide prevention systems and services 22. Expand the availability of a broad range of peer and psychosocial support services, particularly for people who are ineligible for the NDIS 23. Co-design, trial and evaluate rural and remote models of support, care and treatment, including consideration of regional inter-agency hubs and bed-based services (including hospital in the home) 24. Enhance physical health outcomes for people with mental ill-health and problematic alcohol and other drug use 25. Continue to expand and enhance alternatives to emergency department presentations and hospital admissions, including co-responders and community-based supports for people experiencing distress 26. Build and enhance capacity and capability to proactively intervene early in distress, including beyond health services |
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Address inequitable access to services and supports |
27. Enhance engagement, support, care, treatment and respite services for families and carers, with a focus on families and carers who are supporting people with problematic alcohol and other drug use and suicidal distress 28. Enhance coordination and access to mental health, alcohol and other drug treatment and support for people in contact with the criminal justice system. This includes expanding rehabilitation and reintegration responses, and improving responses for First Nations people 29. Expand mental health, physical health and psychosocial services and supports for older Queenslanders, including those living independently and in aged care facilities 30. Explore and expand service models that seek to address health inequity, including for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ people and in rural and remote areas |
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Prevent and reduce harms associated with problematic alcohol and other drug use, and gambling |
31. Increase and improve alcohol and other drug harm reduction activities, in particular opioid dependence treatment programs and overdose prevention 32. Enhance family-based alcohol and other drug support and services, focusing on maintaining the family unit (where this is a safe option) and preventing and reducing contact with the child protection system 33. Review the implementation of diversion for all substances, and determine if legislative changes are required to optimise outcomes 34. Increase and improve gambling-related harm reduction initiatives, in particular restricting gambling advertising, and improving mental health outcomes and financial resilience |
Person-led, trauma-informed and culturally responsive care
Priorities |
Actions |
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Increase and improve the capacity and capability to provide high-quality care
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35. Facilitate opportunities for the health, education, justice and human services workforce to develop skills, knowledge and competencies to respond to trauma, culture, age, gender and neurodiversity |
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Strengthen human rights protectiosn and reduce harm |
36. Continue to monitor and reduce involuntary treatment and promote least restrictive practice, including reviewing mental health legislation 37. Strengthen cross-agency approaches to enhance and consolidate complaint resolution processes and outcomes, to improve service quality and safety 38. Review evidence-based and consumer-supported models of representation, advocacy and support for individuals in contact with the Queensland Mental Health Tribunal |
Active social and economic participation
Priorities |
Actions |
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Enhance access to housing, and prevent and reduce the impacts of homelessness |
39. Explore housing with support for people living with mental ill-health and/or problematic alcohol and other drug use, incorporating diverse models of integrated housing, support and tenancy sustainment |
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Increase participation in education, training and employment, particularly for young people, people with disability and First Nations people |
40. Develop and implement innovative models that address barriers and expand employment pathways, programs and options for people living with mental ill-health and problematic alcohol andother drug use, such as social enterprises |
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Facilitate and support greater social participation and connection |
41. Strengthen the skills and knowledge of the mental health, alcohol and other drug, and suicide prevention workforce to facilitate social participation and community connection |
