❓ Hon Alison Xamon asks about improved data collection on children's mental health following a report recommendation. The Mental Health Commission outlines existing and planned initiatives for better data collection and monitoring.
AnsweredQoN 5066Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to recommendation 11 of the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Report on the
Inquiry into the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
from April this year, which calls for better data collection, monitoring and reporting on the mental health of children and young people to better provide services in this area, and I ask -
(1) Has the Mental Health Commission initiated any additional procedures to improve data collection on the mental health of children and young people in Western Australia?
(2) If yes to (1), how?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
Inquiry into the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
from April this year, which calls for better data collection, monitoring and reporting on the mental health of children and young people to better provide services in this area, and I ask -
(1) Has the Mental Health Commission initiated any additional procedures to improve data collection on the mental health of children and young people in Western Australia?
(2) If yes to (1), how?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 March 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health
Response time
111 days
(1)
The Mental Health Commission has the lead responsibility for mental health reforms across the state. The mental health strategic policy document
Mental Health 2020
Making it personal and everybody's business
released in October 2011 which sets out the State Government's mental health reform directions for the next decade, identifies infants, children and youth as a specific priority population group. The Mental Health Commission will report annually on the progress of the actions outlined in the strategic policy document. In this context, the Commission is a key stakeholder with respect to keeping a watching brief on the mental health and wellbeing of all Western Australians including funding specialised mental health services as well as developing and maintaining partnerships with other agencies. Part of this watching brief is to ensure that information and data specific to children and young people is available as required.
(2)
There have been a number of developments and initiatives that will have an impact on better data collection, monitoring and reporting on the mental health of children and young people. Examples include:
System level
§ the re-structuring of the governance arrangements of WA Health with the formation of the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) to provide a comprehensive service supporting the health, wellbeing and development of young Western Australians. This arrangement will enable performance monitoring and evaluation as well as local service planning to be undertaken with respect to all child and adolescent public health services including mental health.
§ the implementation of Activity Based Funding approach at the national and state level from 1 July 2013 aims to ensure that all public mental health service activity is counted and costed in a consistent and transparent manner. This will require significant improvements in data integrity and consistency of data definitions, counting rules and classification systems. This work is currently underway and is overseen by the National Healthcare Reform Implementation Steering Committee chaired by the Director General of WA Health. The Commission is represented on this Committee.
§ developmental work has commenced on a second national survey of the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with a view to the survey being in the field at the end of 2013 early 2014. The survey will be funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. The data from this survey will provide valuable current information on the landmark survey conducted in 1996 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Mental Health Commission's specific initiatives
§ funding a mapping project of the mental health services provided by non government organisations regardless of source of funding. The data collected will include information on the specific target population for which services are provided. This will provide the Commission with comprehensive information on mental health service provision by non government organisations in Western Australia regardless of funding source. A draft report from this survey is expected in late February/early March 2012.
§ development of a draft mental health measurement framework which currently includes two youth specific performance indicators related to the participation of young people in education, training and employment and rates of use of illicit drugs that contribute to mental illness. Some of the other indicators can be disaggregated to provide specific information on children and young people.
§ negotiations with the Department for Communities - Youth with respect to providing funding to analyse the Australian Bureau of Statistics wellbeing indicators for children and young people specifically for Western Australia.
(3)
Not applicable
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The Mental Health Commission has the lead responsibility for mental health reforms across the state. The mental health strategic policy document
Mental Health 2020
Making it personal and everybody's business
released in October 2011 which sets out the State Government's mental health reform directions for the next decade, identifies infants, children and youth as a specific priority population group. The Mental Health Commission will report annually on the progress of the actions outlined in the strategic policy document. In this context, the Commission is a key stakeholder with respect to keeping a watching brief on the mental health and wellbeing of all Western Australians including funding specialised mental health services as well as developing and maintaining partnerships with other agencies. Part of this watching brief is to ensure that information and data specific to children and young people is available as required.
(2)
There have been a number of developments and initiatives that will have an impact on better data collection, monitoring and reporting on the mental health of children and young people. Examples include:
System level
§ the re-structuring of the governance arrangements of WA Health with the formation of the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) to provide a comprehensive service supporting the health, wellbeing and development of young Western Australians. This arrangement will enable performance monitoring and evaluation as well as local service planning to be undertaken with respect to all child and adolescent public health services including mental health.
§ the implementation of Activity Based Funding approach at the national and state level from 1 July 2013 aims to ensure that all public mental health service activity is counted and costed in a consistent and transparent manner. This will require significant improvements in data integrity and consistency of data definitions, counting rules and classification systems. This work is currently underway and is overseen by the National Healthcare Reform Implementation Steering Committee chaired by the Director General of WA Health. The Commission is represented on this Committee.
§ developmental work has commenced on a second national survey of the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with a view to the survey being in the field at the end of 2013 early 2014. The survey will be funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. The data from this survey will provide valuable current information on the landmark survey conducted in 1996 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Mental Health Commission's specific initiatives
§ funding a mapping project of the mental health services provided by non government organisations regardless of source of funding. The data collected will include information on the specific target population for which services are provided. This will provide the Commission with comprehensive information on mental health service provision by non government organisations in Western Australia regardless of funding source. A draft report from this survey is expected in late February/early March 2012.
§ development of a draft mental health measurement framework which currently includes two youth specific performance indicators related to the participation of young people in education, training and employment and rates of use of illicit drugs that contribute to mental illness. Some of the other indicators can be disaggregated to provide specific information on children and young people.
§ negotiations with the Department for Communities - Youth with respect to providing funding to analyse the Australian Bureau of Statistics wellbeing indicators for children and young people specifically for Western Australia.
(3)
Not applicable
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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