Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
The Tasmanian Government has supported the Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT) with funding to monitor and collect data on the impacts of COVID-19 in the community mental health sector over the last 18 months.
The MHCT has released the COVID-19 Impacts on the Community Mental Health Workforce Report – the final in a series of COVID-19 community sector impact reports – which will inform our Government’s ongoing planning and response to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Tasmanians.
The report demonstrates that the pandemic has exacerbated many pre-existing challenges facing the community mental health workforce in Tasmania.
It is also clear that, while the workforce has been impacted by the pandemic at a national, state, and individual staff level, we can see a way forward with tangible opportunities to build and support a sustainable workforce, and better equip them to manage future disaster events.
There will be a focus on addressing the key priorities and immediate actions required from the report, including:
- Integrated workforce planning to support recruitment and retention;
- Prevention and early intervention measures to address increased service demand;
- Upskilling and diversifying the mental health workforce;
- Fostering and supporting the wellbeing of staff;
- Equipping mental health services to respond to ongoing COVID-19 impacts; and
- Data collection and monitoring to inform an effective response.
We believe that a whole-of-population preventative approach can support people in maintaining their mental wellbeing and build resilience before they become unwell, and these actions have been mapped against our Government’s Rethink 2020 implementation plan to ensure that they are a priority in our shared approach with the community sector, public health system, and primary care.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is supporting this approach through our 2021-22 Budget commitments which deliver additional investment of $26 million, including $2.2 million to meet the increasing demand for community mental health services, continuing new and innovative mental health services introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and appointing a Peer Workforce Coordinator.
I thank the community mental health sector, who have demonstrated incredible resilience and agility throughout the pandemic, for their dedication and commitment in providing essential support to vulnerable Tasmanians and their families, carers, and friends.
The full report is available at
