DURING Mental Health Awareness month in October last year I wrote an opinion piece for The Border Watch about the ‘shadow pandemic’ and the need to improve mental health services for our community.
In that piece, I spoke about the Federal Government’s ‘Head to Health’ initiative rolling out across the country and suggested that the Limestone Coast should be included in the rollout.
Since then, the Limestone Coast community has shown its support for that proposal.
I returned to Federal Parliament last week armed with almost 3000 signatures collected over the past couple of months and presented that petition to the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, requesting that Mount Gambier be chosen as one of the locations around the country to become home to a ‘Head to Health’ satellite centre to service the mental health needs of the local community.
Accompanying the petition were a number of letters of support from Limestone Coast community organisations.
Much like the push for a Mount Gambier Headspace facility that I championed in 2016, as a community we are again working together to ensure we put the strongest possible case forward to the Federal Government for a Head to Health facility in Mount Gambier.
I’m doing my best to argue this case on behalf of my community because, sadly, I know that one in five Australians and nearly half of all adults will experience a mental or behavioural condition in their lifetimes. Over 65,000 Australians make an attempt on their lives each year, and for each life lost to suicide, the impacts are felt by up to 135 people, including family members, work colleagues, friends and first responders.
Giving the community the services required to tackle their individual mental health issues when they arise will make for a happier, healthier Limestone Coast community and the flow on benefits of that are immeasurable.
I had an extremely productive meeting with the Minister, and I am told that the locations for the satellite Head to Health facilities will be announced shortly.
My fingers are crossed – I hope yours are also.
Tony Pasin
Member for Barker
