AN Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) report has found ACT community organisations have some of the shortest mental health funding contracts in Australia.

In 2020, the Productivity Commission recommended a five-year minimum contract term for psychosocial support programs to “ensure availability and continuity of care.”

However, a new ACOSS report found that only 14 per cent of community sector organisations in the ACT had a government funding contract of at least five years’ duration.

For more than a third of organisations, their longest contract was under three years.

Mental Health Community Coalition (MHCC) ACT CEO Bec Cody says mental health recovery isn’t about short-term fixes but long-term support.

“Community-managed mental health services want to be there throughout that process, to help people manage their physical, social and mental health needs so they can create and live a meaningful and contributing life in their community,” says Ms Cody.

According to the MHCC, the ACT Government has committed to increasing the length of contracts with the community sector and is in the process of implementing this as part of its new commissioning model, however no such commitment has been made at the federal level.

“At a time when the sector is looking at a funding black hole, with no commitment to federal funding for psychosocial services after June 2023, we need a commitment to long-term, sustainable funding for the community-managed mental health sector. Let us get on with our important work and help more Canberrans recover and live well,” says Ms Cody.