Labor Member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese, has welcomed the announcement in last night's budget of increased funding for people with mental illness.
“This $2.2 billion investment in mental health will help many affected families in the Inner West,” said Mr Albanese. “The Government’s comprehensive strategy is founded on the evidence of what works, and follows extensive consultations with the mental health sector and the community.”
The package will improve the lives of thousands of Australians with mental illness by:

• Providing more intensive support services, and better co-ordinating those services, for people with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex care needs;


• Targeting support to areas and communities that need it most, such as Indigenous communities and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas that are underserviced by the current system; and


• Helping to detect potential mental health problems in the early years, and supporting young people who struggle with mental illness.

“This investment and reform will give Australians who suffer from poor mental health quick access to appropriate support and the best chance to recover, stabilise and stay well in the community," said Mr Albanese.
“It will make a real, practical difference to the lives of many people we know.”