2030. Hon Alison Xamon to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to existing state funding contracts for mental health and mental health carer support programs due to expire as of 30 June 2019, and I ask:
(a) when will providers be advised if their existing contracts for the provision of mental health and mental health carer support services will continue beyond 30 June 2019;
(b) how many people in Western Australia currently access both federally and state funded carer support services;
(c) of these, how many people will be eligible to access carer support services after the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out; and
(d) will the government commit to guaranteeing that West Australian carers will not be worse off after the NDIS is rolled out?
Hon Alanna Clohesy replied:
Mental Health Commission advises:
(a) In September 2018, the Mental Health Commission (MHC) notified all mental health and mental health carer support services with contracts expiring on the 30 June 2019 that a preferred service provider process would be offered to continue contracts beyond this date.
(b) Service reports for the six month period of 1 July 2018 to 31 December 2018 indicate that 2821 people in Western Australia accessed Family and Carer Support services purchased by the MHC.
The MHC does not collect information on the number of people accessing federally funded carer support services.
(c)–(d) The roll out of NDIS will not impact on the carer support services purchased by the MHC or the eligibility requirements to access these services. These services will continue to be available to people who care for individuals living with a mental illness.