The negotiation

I just returned from Parliament House, where we've been urgently negotiating with the Greens, the Opposition and mental health experts. Right now there's a real chance to make progress on our campaign for better mental health services - and you can help tip the balance.


The Greens and the Opposition both agree that the Government is not doing nearly enough to address the mental health crisis in Australia. And if they work together with the Independents, Parliament will pass a motion calling for greater mental health funding.

It would be a first, and put enormous pressure on the government to fund important mental health services through the next budget. But the Greens are wavering, and voted against the motion in the Senate. There's another vote in a fortnight, and the Greens now have the costings they wanted before committing their support.

Can you take a moment to write to the Greens and ask them to support the motion for crucial mental health funding?

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/mental_health

Why did the Greens vote against a motion to fund increased mental health services for young Australians? Greens Senator, Rachel Siewert, gave two reasons. Firstly, that the motion didn't include policy suggestions from the Greens. And secondly, that the Greens hadn't yet seen figures on how much the services would cost. But now, things have changed.

We've spoken this week with the Coalition, and the good news is that they will accept many of the Greens's amendments. And today, Prof. Partrick McGorry publicly released a detailed costing document, which you can see here

There will be another vote on the motion in the House of Representatives in a fortnight. Please ask the Greens to support the motion for better mental health services:

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/mental_health

The Opposition's motion proposes to fund 90 Headspace centres and 20 EPPIC centres across Australia. Both are proven models of community-based mental health care for young Australians. Headspace centres are drop-in community services where young Australians can find help without going through a hospital system. EPPICs - Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centres - are similar community based facilities but for those with more advanced conditions.

I've visited the first of these centres, run by Australian of the Year Pat McGorry and his team in Melbourne. It's a welcoming space, and best of all, it's not a hospital. In addition to trained counsellors, the centre has a team of young people who have themselves benefited from the service, and are now trained to mentor and inspire others. GetUp members who attended our recent mental health vigil in Melbourne heard from one of these amazing young people, Michelle: of how the service changed her life and how she is now learning to help others.

Independent MPs will be hearing from GetUp members who live in their electorates this week - but the Greens are a national party: so wherever you are across the country, you can help push them to support this mental health motion. Type a short message in our online tool and it will be faxed to the Greens offices at Parliament House on your behalf.

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/mental_health

Sincerely,

Sam, for the GetUp Team.

PS - Headspace and EPPIC are two mental health services already changing lives. Now it's time to roll them out across the nation. Nick Meinhold is a former patient of EPPIC and is now a 2nd year medical student. Here's what he says about the program:

Psychosis may never have an easy cure but early intervention offers hope for a life after psychosis that is meaningful. I hope that in the future more people can be surrounded by the message that recovery from early psychosis is possible for anyone. As a beneficiary of early intervention, I was prescribed understanding, support and a healthy dose of hope, to which I owe much of where I am today. To the people that made early intervention a priority and a reality, you have my heartfelt thanks and eternal appreciation.

Please, click here to contact the Greens and ask them to support a Parliamentary Motion for funding this program. If they do, it would put immense pressure on the Government to invest in mental health through the next budget.