As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Commissioner Helen Connolly, is calling on the government to position mental health care within a rights-based framework that has relevance and usefulness to the lives of children and young people living in the 21st century.
She has today released Missing Voices – mental health as described by primary school children; a booklet containing 48 quotes that show there can be no doubt some primary school aged children across our communities are facing mental health challenges with which they need our help. The Missing Voices booklet is complemented by the Commissioner’s latest Issues Brief: Developing a ‘fit for purpose’ mental health care system for 21st century children and young people.
The Commissioner’s aim is to ask the question of government and the community as to whether South Australia’s current mental health care system meets the needs of children and young people. With issues including lack of affordability, long wait lists, and services that children and young people say are not culturally safe, gender and identity-affirming, or trauma-informed, the Commissioner is not convinced it is.
Read Full Media Release: 2023-010-06 – MR_CCYP_Is_SAs_mental_health_services-system_fit_for_purpose_FINAL
Download Missing Voices – mental health as described by primary school children
Download Issues Brief: Developing a ‘fit for purpose’ mental health care system for 21st century children and young people
