Media release – New standards to improve community mental health care
On 23 November 2022, the Commission released the first National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations (NSQMH Standards for CMOs).
With 1 in 5 adults experiencing a common mental health disorder in 2020-21, the standards are a significant step in providing safety and quality assurance for consumers, their families and carers.
Up to 100,000 Australians seek mental health support from community managed organisations every year. From today, these Australians will benefit from improved safety measures through new national standards.
The National Safety and Quality Mental Health (NSQMH) Standards for Community Managed Organisations – developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) – provide a framework for delivering safer mental health care.
With 21 per cent of adults (16-85 years) and 40 per cent of young people (16-24 years) experiencing a common mental health disorder in 2020-21, access to safe and effective care in local communities is essential.
More than 200 community managed organisations (CMOs) – mostly not-for-profit, non-government organisations – provide mental health services across Australia, often sharing care with public health services, primary care providers and private health services. These services include psychosocial rehabilitation, helpline and counselling services, sub-acute step up/step down services, accommodation support, self-help and peer support, as well as employment, education and family and carer support.
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