Mental Health Commission
The strategic direction of the Mental Health Commission (Commission) is guided by the Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 (the Plan). The Plan provides a roadmap for service development, transformation and expansion of mental health, alcohol and other drug services.
The implementation of the Plan requires partnerships between all key stakeholders, including all levels of Government, private and non-government, health and non-health sectors, clinicians, consumers, families and carers.
Nationally, there is the Fifth National Plan for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan, National Drug Strategy (and its sub-strategies for alcohol, other drugs, Aboriginal people and workforce development), as well as progress towards Vision 2030.
Learn more about how the Commission is developing the sector here.
Our Strategies and Frameworks
The Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 (the Plan) is the Commission's key planning tool for the mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector.
The Plan was developed through an extensive consultation process with stakeholders across the sector and outlines how we can all work together to achieve an optimal level of services for both mental health and AOD services.
The Plan provides a range of options for investment decisions and priority-setting for all levels of government and non-government stakeholders, based on the optimal mix of mental health, alcohol and other drug services required for the population of Western Australia, and subject to regular budgetary processes.
A considerable amount of work has taken place across the Commission and the mental health and AOD sectors to meet the goals of the Plan and to support the people of Western Australia. Read more about the key achievements from 2015 to 2017 below.
Plan Update 2018
The Commission released the Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 Plan Update 2018 (Plan Update 2018) on 7 May 2019.
The Plan Update 2018 undertook remodelling of the optimal level and mix of services for Western Australian mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) services as outlined in the Plan.
The Plan Update 2018 provides revised modelling of service types, levels and locations required in Western Australia until the end of 2025. The East Metropolitan Health Service has been included for the first time. The Plan Update 2018 also provides a summary of progress towards actions highlighted in the Plan.
The Plan Update 2018 is supported by the following materials:
The Community Treatment and Emergency Response (CTER) Project was established in 2021 to provide a clear vision for public specialist community mental health and emergency response services that will best meet the needs of Western Australians.
It identified the need for better integration of community treatment and community support services, with a view to shifting service delivery closer to people’s homes.
The CTER Project provided the framework for the Community Treatment, Support and Emergency Response (CTSER) final report, which focuses on the current state of, and necessary reforms needed for, CTSER services for youth (people aged 16-24 years old) and adults (people aged 18-64 years old).
The CTSER Final Report was informed by consultation with clinicians, people with lived experience and health service providers throughout the project, as well as data from previous reports, service evaluations, CTER data and evidence of good practice nationally and internationally.
It sets a clear vision for a future system where people are supported to stay connected and build a life that has meaning for them through seamless, culturally appropriate, flexible and evidence-informed care in their communities.
To enable the future system, four pillars have been identified – access and assessment; emergency response, community treatment and support and transitions.
- Access and Assessment: A single, co-ordinated point of entrance and triage that facilitates timely access to appropriate care, where consumers have confidence they will be directed to the right care, at the right time, with minimal gaps in care.
- Emergency Response: People experiencing crisis are supported to access appropriate services that act as an alternative to the ED, ultimately providing service in the most appropriate therapeutic setting and reducing pressure on hospital EDs.
- Community Treatment and Support: Care is provided in clinics and as outreach by a multidisciplinary team providing responsive, holistic support that is connected to, and delivered in partnership with other mental health and community services, as well as primary care.
- Transitions: Transitions to other care arrangements happen seamlessly with smooth handovers and the right supports, to minimise disruption and re-traumatising individuals, while ensuring governance of care is clear and coordinated.
Moving from the current service landscape to the future system will require concerted effort and investment across a range of areas. To achieve this, three Reform Directions have been developed that outline the high-level approach that will need to be taken to make transition from the current state towards the future system.
- Reform Direction 1: Deliver services in a more coordinated and integrated way, in partnership with others in the system.
- Reform Direction 2: Improve the accessibility and availability of community treatment and support services.
- Reform Direction 3: Establish more seamless, safe, and effective non-ED crisis responses.
The Suicide Prevention Framework 2025 provides the framework for a coordinated approach to address suicide prevention activity in Western Australia from 2021 to 2025 under the four streams of Prevention / Early Intervention, Support / Aftercare, Postvention and Aboriginal people.
The Western Australian Eating Disorders Framework 2025-2030 lays the foundation for a statewide coordinated approach that supports an individualised, comprehensive, equitable, and culturally responsive system of care for those impacted by eating disorders.
The Framework identifies six focus areas to ensure appropriate service delivery across the continuum of prevention, early intervention, treatment, and support services. This will enable people to access eating disorders services that meet their individual needs, where and when they need it.
The Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Strategic Framework 2020-2025 (Workforce Strategic Framework) aims to guide the growth and development of an appropriately qualified and skilled workforce that will provide individualised, high quality mental health and AOD services, and
programs for the Western Australian community. The Workforce Strategic Framework provides suggested evidence-informed strategies and actions that may be implemented by a range of organisations, including government agencies and non-government organisations at the state and/or national level.
The Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework (Framework) is intended to support individuals and organisations as they go forth to build, develop and strengthen the Western Australia Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces. The foundations of this Framework – as with other Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce frameworks – have already been set in history as outlined in the Transformation agents section of this Framework. Its many components provide a firm structure to ensure that the workforces will further develop over time.
The Young People’s Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Use: Priorities for Action 2020-2025 (YPPA) will provide guidance to the State Government, the Mental Health Commission and other agencies, the mental health and AOD sector, and other stakeholders across the community. It outlines the priorities that we will collectively work towards to 2025, to make real change for young people. It is targeted to support young people aged 12 to 24 years, their families, carers, support people and communities, from prevention through to treatment.
It is recognised that the age range of 12 to 24 years covers multiple developmental stages and this will be considered in the development of priorities for action.
The YPPA will inform the development of new initiatives for investment consideration by government, as well as new ways of working to achieve better outcomes for young people, their families, carers and support people.
The Western Australian Mental Health Promotion, Mental Illness, Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Plan 2018 2025 (Prevention Plan) provides a guide for all stakeholders, including the Commission, for the development and implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies to promote mental health and prevent mental illness, alcohol and other drug-related issues amongst the Western Australian community.
The Prevention Plan development was led by the Commission in partnership with a range of key stakeholders, including academic experts, senior representatives from a range of government departments, key non-government agencies, the general public, and consumers, families, carers and supporters of those with lived experience of mental health and/or alcohol and other drug-related issues.
The Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 (the Plan) identified the need for a strategy to address the housing and support needs of people with mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues, including those who are homeless. In addition to the Plan consultation, other forums focussed specifically on accommodation and support highlighted the following problems in the system:
- homelessness and lack of accommodation services are one of the most significant issues impacting the mental health and AOD service system in Western Australia
- expenditure on mental health services is heavily reliant on more costly acute services and more community-based services are needed
- the lack of appropriate accommodation and support options leads to bed blockages in clinical settings, resulting in individuals remaining in acute settings far longer than needed.
The Commission's Disability, Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2022-2026 outlines our commitment to ensuring we are proactive about removing any barriers that may exclude people from accessing information, services, facilities, events and employment opportunities within the Commission.
The Commission welcomes feedback on the DAIP at any time by emailing multicultural@mhc.wa.gov.au.
The Commission’s Multicultural Plan 2022-2025 articulates our commitment to implementing the multicultural policy priorities outlined in the Western Australian Multicultural Policy Framework.
The Multicultural Plan outlines the actions the Commission will undertake to implement the multicultural policy priorities, focusing on:
- developing an internal workplace culture that is welcoming and inclusive of all people
- equipping our workforce with the knowledge, skills and understanding to provide inclusive and culturally sensitive services that meet the needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds
- working with culturally diverse communities to develop policies, programs and services that meet the needs of people from CaLD backgrounds.
For more information contact multicultural@mhc.wa.gov.au.
The Commission's Innovate Conciliation Action Plan 2025-2027 (CAP) is indicative of the commitment to conciliation in the work that we do. The Commissions vision for conciliation is to create a culturally safe and responsive service through genuine partnerships and collaboration that supports the Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The CAP is founded on four pillars, relationships, respect, opportunities and governance, in alignment with Reconciliation Australia’s framework. We aim to achieve conciliation through embracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and leadership, and to foster ways of working that promote and create culturally safe practices.
For more information contact conciliation@mhc.wa.gov.au.
Page last updated1 May 2025
