The Darling Downs and South West regions will soon see support through an outreach program aimed at improving mental health services for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The program is part of a broader initiative supported by the Queensland Government, which is investing $2 million annually into the newly established Queensland Centre of Excellence in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Mental Health (QCEAIDH).
Located at Mater’s South Brisbane campus, the centre aims to address the mental health needs of approximately 80,000 Queenslanders living with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The centre, which has just opened, will provide clinical leadership, education, capacity building, and specialist advice across the state. It was co-designed with key stakeholders, including those with lived experience, to create a new service model focused on fostering improved mental health.
Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman emphasised the importance of the initiative. “Mental illness can have a profound impact on a person’s life, and that’s why the Miles Government has made this significant investment in the new Centre of Excellence,” she said.
“This centre will provide clinical leadership and training opportunities for mental health, alcohol, and other drug medical staff across Queensland.”
The centre is part of a larger $51.5 million investment over four years by the Miles Government to establish services that better support children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Specialist teams will be progressively rolled out across 12 Hospital and Health Services (HHS) regions, including Darling Downs, to provide both in-house and outreach support to rural and remote areas.
Four HHSs will specifically deliver outreach programs to rural areas, including:
Townsville to North West
Cairns to Torres and Cape
Darling Downs to South West
Central Queensland to Central West
Additionally, the Mater Intellectual Disability and Autism Service (MIDAS) will receive a boost in resources as part of the initiative.
Queensland Health Chief Psychiatrist Dr John Reilly said Queenslanders with a form of intellectual or developmental disability, in particular First Nations people, are two to three times more likely to experience mental illness across their lifetime.
“This can increase any functional impairments due to their disability, and impact on school or work attendance and engagement in social activities,” Mr Reilly said.
“However, it can be difficult to diagnose and treat effectively and we have identified a need to build capacity of existing services in this important clinical area.
“These HHS specialist intellectual and developmental disability teams will be supported centrally by the new Queensland Centre for Excellence in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Mental Health, and will also provide outreach support to our rural and remote Hospital and Health Services.”
This expansion follows a recommendation from the 2022 Queensland Parliamentary Mental Health Select Committee’s inquiry, which called for enhanced mental health services for people living with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
