2023 Publications
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2023 Submissions
November – Feedback for the Department of Justice’s 2024-2029 Disability Access and Inclusion Plan – To ensure people with psychosocial disability are free from stigma, discrimination and are given respect and understanding in their encounters with the Department of Justice.
October – National Autism Strategy – This submission aims to convey the two-way relationship between mental health and secure housing and to argue for specific inclusions and priorities for secure and accessible housing/housing services for people with mental health challenges.
October – National Housing and Homlessness Plan – This submission aims to convey the two-way relationship between mental health and secure housing and argues for accessible housing for those with mental health challenges.
August – National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations Guide for Service Providers – This Submission aims to ensure that safety and quality standards keep consumers at the centre of the project and to emphasise the importance of trauma-informed, human rights-based approaches.
July – MRFF and MREA Feedback – To optimise the government’s investment in health and medical research, the Department of Health and Aged Care and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) are undertaking national consultation to improve alignment and coordination between the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA).
July – Rental Crisis – Housing is a key social determinant of mental health – research shows that when people have access to secure housing and support to maintain that housing, their mental health outcomes are improved.
July – NDIS Review – CoMHWA welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the NDIS Review on behalf of our members, many of whom are NDIS participants receiving support for psychosocial disability, to provide insight into how the NDIS is accessed, used and understood by people with psychosocial disability.
July – Submission: Feedback to the ADHD Inquiry – This papers purpose is to reduce and eliminate barriers to effective and holistic supports for ADHD.
July –Submission: Consistent Local Planning Schemes Consultation – To keep the status of alcohol and other drug rehabilitation centres classified as ‘community purpose’ land type in order to ensure smooth establishment and expansion of of AOD services.
July – Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework – CoMHWA supports the Australian Human Rights Commission’s call for a federal Human Rights Act that will offer people living in all states and territories protections of their rights.
June – Consultation Paper on Reforming WA Disability Legislation – Ensure that new disability legislation includes principles, safeguards, accessibility and services that meet the needs of and are relevant to people with mental health challenges.
May – Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard – CoMHWA urges the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to adopt and enforce supported decision-making principles in situations where medication will be given to a consumer.
February – Robodebt – This submission highlights the extreme distress experienced by consumers of mental health who were affected by this unlawful and discriminatory debt recovery scheme.
February – Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy – This submission represents CoMHWA members’ views on National efforts to address stigma and discrimination of people with mental health issues.
2023 Briefings
November – Evaluation Report of the Alternatives to Suicide Program – This briefing paper outlines the findings of an evaluative report about the guiding principles, structure and future development of the Alt2Su program.
October – WHO Reform – In order to develop a standardized global initiative to promote the ‘meaningful engagement’ between government, service providers and consumers, the WHO proposed to use a collaborative approach of co-design to receive feedback on The Framework.
September – Unlawful Detention – This briefing papers provides an overview of recent incidents where hospital staff have facilitated the unlawful practice of detaining people in hospital settings.
September – Proposing Regulations to Mental Health Apps – This briefing paper offers an understanding of the lack of regulation in Australia for mental health apps.
July – Pharmacy Reform – In 2018 the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) proposed that the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) be amended to allow for a select range of medicines to be prescribed in 60-day increments, requiring a new prescription every 12 months.
June – Scriptcheck – While WA has long had monitoring systems for some prescribed medicines, the development of ScriptCheckWA raises serious digital privacy concerns for mental health consumers
June – Public Trustee – The exploitation of those under the care of the Public Trustee by the procedures of this institution.
May – Group Services Closure – CoMHWA members who are users of group services through Neami, Grow or Richmond Wellbeing have contacted us, either through our members’ survey or through reaching out individually, to underline the impact the defunding of these services will have on their recovery journeys.
May – Long Stay Patients in Hospital – To ensure that people are not kept in hospital past the point where they are medically ready to be discharged and that they are discharged with appropriate support in the community
April – CLMIA/CLMI Bill Reforms and Update – The Criminal Law: Mentally Impaired Accused 1996 (CLMIA) Bill denies people due process, natural justice, and human rights and compromises public safety by creating barriers to people accessing vital supports.
April – Eliminating Restrictive Practices – The dehumanising effect of restrictive practices on consumers is a major concern for many CoMHWA members, and the lived experience of members consulted for feedback highlighted how these practices led to fear, anxiety and despair for those that are subjected to them.
February – Better Access Reforms – Evaluation of the initiative to improve the Medicare Benefits Scheme
to ensure more equitable access to psychosocial supports