Our system is built by psychiatrists and politicians

Through the Head to Health (now Medicare Mental Health) centres, we are starting to understand the true value and impact of multidisciplinary team care, where the peer worker voice holds sway alongside the clinical voice. We are seeing ED reductions, managed and reduced clinical wait times, better collaboration and better consumer experiences. Yes, these service types can be expensive and may not solve for rural complexities, but surely we are working hard to understand the strengths of these models and applying lessons learned on a national scale? We need to be brave, we need to stand up and say STOP, COLLABORATE and LISTEN! Let's prioritise mental health as a critical issue and address it as a nation. Many large health initiatives have political elements enshrined into their fabric. In that case, let's urge our politicians to commit to understanding how international models are showing signs of success. Let's cross the floor, unite our parties and agree on a way forward.