If you’re an at-risk youth in Adelaide suffering from psychosis, as of June 30, you may struggle to find the support services you desperately need.
Right now, offers a Youth Early Psychosis Program, that has treated around 40 patients since starting earlier this year. The evidence based program focuses on early recognition of more complex and potentially severe mental illness. They do this by supporting people at the preliminary stages of psychosis, a health issue that has one of the highest burdens of any mental illness. However, with early intervention and follow up care, the patients can manage their condition for the rest of their lives. headspace’s main goal is to keep people out of hospital and provide counselling and support from a range of mental health professionals, both at the centre and in the community.
However, as of June 30, headspace can’t guarantee the service due to a lack of federal funding. “The headspace National Office received formal notification on April 19 that the federal government had decided to discontinue the implementation of the early psychosis model, based on the National Mental Health Commission’s review of mental health services,” headspace spokesperson Michael Bennett told SBS. “In order to implement this decision, we understand funding will cease for the headspace Adelaide site to take on new clients for this program on June 30.”
(Facebook: headspace Adelaide) Source: Facebook
While there’s no guarantee the service will be available in the new financial year, Bennett acknowledged the support headspace has received over the years, from both sides of government, and the work they are still doing.
“We are working closely with the South Australian government, the South Australian Primary Health Networks and the Federal Department of Health to ensure that all existing clients receive on going care," he said.
"Our purpose has always been to provide for the mental health needs – both complex and otherwise - of young people and we are encouraged by the Federal Health Minister’s statement that she will ensure all young people with complex mental health concerns are not denied treatment.”
In response to the news, Donna Symonds, a university student studying psychology, has launched the and a calling on the federal government to guarantee funding for the service. The change.org petition has already seen over 3,300 signatures from concerned members of the community with commenters voicing their anguish.
“We don't say to people who are presenting with early stages of cancer, 'go away and come back when your cancer has progressed and is more debilitating.' - Cutting this service just doesn't make sense!,” said one commenter.
While another exclaimed, “I lost my brother to mental illness! These services are crucial, especially for our youth!”
Despite the growing petition, letters and calls from the action group to the Health Minister Sussan Ley’s office have gone unanswered.
Members of the South Australian Youth Mental Health Action Group (Supplied) Source: Supplied
“There's been no response from the government,” Symonds told SBS. “We've been left in the dark. I feel like we've been ignored. I think when it comes to youth mental health services. Shouldn’t you be speaking to the youth about these services?”
“There's no evidence based reason to close the service and it doesn't seem fair,” she told SBS. “Everywhere else in Australia is getting this funding, why is SA missing out? We want people to feel safe going to headspace. If they are presenting with psychosis we want people to be looked after. We've got their back. And without the funding, we don't have their back. I'm concerned that headspace won't be able to treat people with psychosis."
“Everywhere else in Australia is getting this funding, why is SA missing out?"
When contacted by SBS, a spokesperson for Health Minister Sussan Ley responded:
“I really want to emphasise that funding for delivery of youth mental health services is not being cut, so the basis of the petition is incorrect. On expert advice we are actually broadening the focus from early psychosis to ensure more young have access to a wider range of services for severe mental illness services or comorbid substance abuse.”
“So, what you will see from July, is the Adelaide and SA Country Primary Health Networks (PHNs) receiving funding to commission services for local young people with, or at-risk of, severe mental illness. PHNs that have Early Psychosis Youth Service (EPYS) centres will have the flexibility to retain existing services, potentially expanding these over time either through broadening the entrance criteria for the EPYS program or by widening the geographical reach."
“But importantly, there are no savings from this change. All funding from the EPYS services will be redistributed to PHNs as part of a mental health flexible funding allocation for services to youth and young people. All patients will be fully supported in their care requirements. The Department of Health is working with headspace Limited, who operates this service, to prepare transition arrangements for the 40 clients currently in their care.”
Minister for Health Susan Ley at a mental health announcement at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015. (AAP) Source: AAP
Still, the future appears murky for future psychosis sufferers, with the South Australian government quick to criticise the federal government’s supposed lack of action.
“These cuts to headspace’s early psychosis intervention program are just the latest example of the federal government shirking its responsibilities to the most vulnerable people in our community,” SA Mental Health Minister Leesa Vlahos said. “They come on top of $20 million in cuts to mental health respite services across South Australia which have begun to be felt with news last week that service provider, Neami, were forced to stand down staff.”
“The South Australian Government has been appealing to Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley to properly fund mental health but it has so far fallen on deaf ears. South Australia, as well as other jurisdictions, cannot continue to pick up the cost of the federal government’s savage cuts to health, education and welfare.”
Where does that leave Adelaide’s at-risk youths?
President of the and Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, Patrick McGorry, doesn’t buy the government’s position and thinks if anything, more funding is needed to properly assist youth mental health, and mental health in general, in Australia.
“What they are saying is they want to dilute the funding,” Professor McGorry explained. “The logic the government is using is that there are other diagnoses than psychosis which need to be covered but more money should be allocated for that rather than cutting the funding already. They've told PHNs to support headspace centres but they're pulling the rug out of the early psychosis model. The difference between headspace and early psychosis programs is that headspace has been given a reprieve, but the early psychosis programs are being defunded.”
Professor Patrick McGorry giving a TEDx talk in Canberra. (Flickr: Creative Commons/Paul Hagon) Source: Flickr
“If you had six to eight breast cancer centres set up around Australia but then someone pointed out ovarian cancer and prostate cancer weren't getting as much attention, you wouldn’t dismantle the breast cancer centres to give to the others. In this instance [the government] is robbing Peter to short change Peter and Paul."
"In this instance [the government] is robbing Peter to short change Peter and Paul."
And, unfortunately, according to Professor McGorry, the results are not good. “It's a poor decision that will result in cuts, job losses and increased risk of death, such as suicide for people with psychosis.
However, Professor McGorry does not believe the program is doomed. “It is salvageable,” he explained. “They could decide to give the money to a subset of PHNs and stick with the focus on mental illness in those regions. But they can't spread it out over the whole of Australia as it will be absolutely useless. They must keep the focus on early psychosis and similar illnesses because that is where the evidence is.”
After no announcement appeared in the 2016 budget, it doesn’t look likely that his suggestions will come to fruition and he believes that’s bad news for mental health.
“The mental health sector is extremely frustrated on behalf of all Australians with mental illness. The government is trying to say they're reforming mental health. But all it is doing is reorganising resources without growth. We definitely need a much clearer commitment to proven models that work and more money. Unless it's going to appear during the election, people are going to be very frustrated.”
With prime minister Malcolm Turnbull set to announce an election in the coming days, all eyes from Donna Symonds and South Australian Youth Mental Health Action Group will be on any mental health announcements in the hopes that after June 30, at-risk youths in Adelaide will still have access to early psychosis intervention.
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