A political row has erupted over youth mental health funding after the resignation of non-profit Headspace’s chief who has accused the Turnbull Government of “quietly dismantling” the service.
Headspace chairwoman Wendy McCarthy announced on Monday Chris Tanti would be leaving as chief executive because of changes to “the scope, structure and role of Headspace”.
The organisation’s $170 million budget would be handed to Primary Health Networks (PHNs), health minister Sussan Ley conceded, with no guarantee they would continue fund Headspace programs.
“I’m really sad that what we have created in this country, which is the envy of the world, is a national platform of care for young people and what we’re moving to potentially is 31 variations of that national platform,” Mr Tanti told eastern states reporters.
“The regional PHNs may decide that they don’t want to invest the money in early intervention, the money’s not ring-fenced; it’s pretty devastating when we still haven’t actually completed the build of 100 centres.”
Headspace operates 94 youth mental health centres around Australia including one in Rockingham which assists young people in Mandurah.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, speaking at a doorstop on Sunday, said Headspace and its youth mental health centres would continue to receive government support.
“There is about 100 of them now and more will open and they will continue to have the same level of support into the future,” he said.
Health minister Sussan Ley said changing how Headspace is funded may result in more centres.
“...the Coalition is currently investing a guaranteed, budgeted $3 billion directly into mental health services and reform over the next four years,” she said.
“This includes making it easier to set up local Headspace centres across Australia by putting the power to contract them in the hands of local communities who want them, not bureaucrats in Canberra.”
But Labor’s shadow mental health minister Katy Gallagher said the health minister’s comments were at odds with the Prime Minister.
“The health minister’s statements make it very clear that there is no guaranteed support for Headspace beyond June 2018, despite what the Prime Minister has said,” she said.
“A Shorten Labor Government supports a nationally consistent model to support young people and will provide the certainty needed to ensure young people with mental illness have access to Headspace and early psychosis centres across Australia.”
In the first weeks of the federal election campaign, opposition leader Bill Shorten said Labor would allocate $72 million for 12 regional suicide prevention projects.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
