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The mental health crisis isn’t looming. It’s already here. Respectfully dissenting from the “expert opinions,” with another expert opinion, a thread: by NOT an old white guy as requested by @timheffo @mithenzoe @sonialaw @davidstavanger @sian_np https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mental-health-system-needs-ndis-style-reform-to-cope-with-this-crisis-experts-say-20201030-p56a2n.html
Disclosure: I work in the public sector in complex care, homeless outreach and forensic transition, with adults 18+ experiencing severe mental illness (SMI). My opinion is my own, but it is a frontline opinion. There is no white tower here, or funding grant in sight. 2/10
NDIS: We don’t need ‘NDIS-style’ reform. Working in the SMI space, I suggest NDIS has been a mess of a roll out. Applications aren’t processed because people “won’t engage,” i.e. too unwell, unsupported or lacking capacity. Isn’t it ironic… 3/10
NDIS: Some of the NDIS workers my patients have access to are simply brilliant and facilitate new recovery realms, but some smoke cannabis with them and that is not how I understand the Scheme was intended. Regulation?! 4/10
NDIS: Packages are determined in some bizarre and random fashion, some of my patients don’t have beds or dental care; while you have other people rorting the system for “noise cancelling Bose headphones for social anxiety.” 5/10
Housing: COVID is not the time to use tokenism address the largest gaping hole in social welfare – HOUSING. Last week I had a homeless patient evicted from a motel because their “covid housing” payment ended. 6/10
Housing: We need to invest more in supported independent living (SIL) beds rather than hospital beds; and services will have to move to a ‘hospital in the home’ model both for quality of life, and sustainability. 7/10
Housing: There isn’t enough safe, government-supported housing. That’s it. That’s the tweet. 8/10
Psychiatrists: As for fifty sessions rebated - if you can find a vacancy with a psychiatrist, sure you can access Medicare rebates, but you need to be able to afford the gap. If you know a decent psychiatrist with open books, please do let any of us know! 9/10
Psychiatrists: If you can’t afford the gap, maybe the psychiatrist will bulk bill you. But between indemnity, administrative support, rent, supervision etc – they can’t survive on BB salary alone. FYI once you hit safety net you get 85% of the fee rebated. 10/10
