COVID-19 Emergency Mental Health Support: Additional mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic

Overview

On 13 July 2021, the Australian Government announced an additional $12.25 million (GST exclusive) in 2021-22 to increase in the availability of mental health support in New South Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The funding aims to provide people in mandatory isolation with access to around the clock wellbeing and mental health support, and increased access to services for parents, young people and multicultural communities who are struggling during the lockdown. The package includes $10.75 million (GST exclusive) for this grant opportunity. On 18 July 2021, the Government announced $3.0 million (GST exclusive) in 2021-22 to support young Australians in Victoria to help meet the high demand for youth mental health services. This additional investment to headspace services, complemented by matched funding from the Victorian Government, will support a surge workforce of clinicians recruited by state-funded Child and Youth Mental Health Services to boost the capacity of 32 headspace services across Victoria for six months and improve system integration.