The House Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention has announced the dates for its July public hearings with a range of health and allied health stakeholders. The Committee had planned to hold these hearings at various locations across the country, including Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions have meant these hearings will now be held via videoconference.
The Committee will hear from organisations, governments, and individuals on workforce concerns and service accessibility. The Committee will also enquire into digital models of service, affordability, and the capacity of mental health initiatives to meet the needs of at-risk communities.
Chair of the Committee, Dr Fiona Martin MP, said ‘These upcoming hearings give the Committee an opportunity to explore how best to utilise the mental health workforce to ensure the safety, accessibility, equity and quality of mental health services across Australia. The public hearings enable the Committee to build upon its evidence base and understand pressing issues across the mental health and suicide prevention sectors.’
The final report of the Committee is due to be presented by 1 November 2021.
Public hearing details
Date: Monday 19 July 2021
Time: 10:30 am to 4:00 pm AEST
Date: Wednesday 21 July 2021
Time: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm AEST
Date: Monday 26 July 2021
Time: 9:30 am to 4:00 pm AEST
Date: Wednesday 28 July 2021
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm AEST
Date: Thursday 29 July 2021
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm AEST
The public hearing programs will be available on the Committee website. Due to the public hearings being held by videoconference, public access will be available via the live broadcast at aph.gov.au/live.
The Committee is unable to intervene or provide advice in relation to individual circumstances. If you are in immediate danger, please contact 000. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact one of the services below:
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14
BeyondBlue 1300 224 636
Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467
eheadspace 1800 650 890
Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
Media inquiries
Office of Dr Fiona Martin MP
Chair of Committee
(02) 9715 7444
For background information
Committee Secretariat
02 6277 4633
mhsp.reps@aph.gov.au
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.