NSW Government Introduces Health-Led Responder Model for Mental Health Crises

• The NSW government has introduced a new mental health emergency response model, connecting individuals with mental health experts instead of police.
• Eight teams of mental health experts will be established across high-need areas in the state, operating 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• The Redfern Legal Centre welcomes the introduction of the new model, citing its potential to prevent further deaths and serious harm.
• The NSW government is investing over $270m in the development of the new model over a 10-year period.

The NSW government has introduced a new mental health emergency response model, which aims to connect individuals experiencing mental health crises with mental health experts instead of the police. This shift is a direct result of recommendations from various inquiries and reviews, including the Bondi Junction Coronial Inquest and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into community mental health care. The model was developed in consultation with multiple stakeholders, including NSW Health, NSW Police, unions, and advocacy groups. Eight teams of mental health experts will be established across high-need areas in the state, operating 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Redfern Legal Centre has welcomed the introduction of the new model, citing its potential to prevent further deaths and serious harm. The centre's senior solicitor, Grace Cameron-Lee, emphasized that this change is urgently needed to ensure individuals experiencing mental health crises receive a health-led response. Cameron-Lee noted that advocates, community organizations, and families of those injured or killed by NSW Police while in crisis have long called for a change to first responders. The centre's police accountability practice has been at the forefront of these efforts.

The new model will be implemented over a 10-year period, with the NSW government investing over $270m in its development. Funds will also be allocated for a statewide Virtual Mental Health Hub within the NSW Ambulance service. The inclusion of this hub is seen as a positive step towards assisting first responders in making safer and more informed decisions. However, the Redfern Legal Centre has emphasized that training and operational changes for NSW Police remain critical to ensure everyone's safety.

Lawyers should watch for the implementation of this new model, which may impact their clients' interactions with NSW Police and require updates to training protocols and standard operating procedures.

Source: Original reporting via Australasian Lawyer