Around one third of Canberrans will need support with their mental health at some stage in their lives.

That’s why we’re committed to ensuring all Canberrans can access the right mental health support in place, at the right place, at the right time.

We know this support can make all the difference. That’s why we have:

• Seen Shane Rattenbury elected as the ACT’s first dedicated Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing;
• Established the Territory’s first Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing;
• Delivered more support for youth mental health, including funding more frontline services and more outreach programs  
• Focused on reducing the devastating impacts of suicide in our community and clear targets for suicide prevention in our Parliamentary Agreement;
• Worked closely with frontline community groups to build a stronger safety net for those in the community for those in need; 
• Focused on early intervention, and helped to tackle the stigma around mental health illness;
• Delivered new supported accommodation across, ensuring we have the right supports in place to meet different mental health needs;
• Delivered the new Police, Ambulance, Clinician Early Response (PACER) service
• Expanded mental health support for older Canberrans;
• Supported LGBTIQA+ Canberrans in the marriage equality postal survey.

The Territory’s first Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing

With the Greens in Government, the ACT has now established its first Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The Office is focusing on improving mental health support  across the whole of ACT Government, including health services, primary care, housing, employment, community services, justice, police, education, and social inclusion. Find out more about the Office for Mental Health here. 

Suicide prevention

Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.

The Greens believe that current rates of suicide are a national emergency—and the ACT is no exception.

By providing the right support at the right time, we can reduce the devastating impacts of suicide in our community. That's why we're working together with frontline community groups to help prevent suicide, and help keep more Canberrans supported at a time of crisis. 

ACT Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan introduced annual reporting of suicides into the Assembly in 2012. The ACT Government has now reported against this since 2014, greatly reducing the stigma and taboo around talking about suicide which can stand in the way of people seeking the help they need, leading to tragic and preventable loss of life. As a society, we must better equip our services, and indeed the broader community, to respond to suicide.

More support for those experiencing eating disorders

When it comes to eating disorders, early intervention can make all the difference.

That's why the Greens have expanded services available for those experiencing eating disorders in the ACT. This includes more training for GPs and other health care professionals and better access to more services here in Canberra. You can read more about this here.

In this year's Budget, a further $2.2 million will be invested to establish an Eating Disorders Specialist Clinical Hub and a community-based intervention supports service to further expand the range of eating disorder services available in the ACT. We will also establish a project team to review current demand and plan for future service needs.