Mental health reform needs staff, nurses

Nurses have welcomed extra federal funding for mental health but have questioned where the staff will come from for the new services and programs.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said the $1.5 billion increase in mental health funding was a boost to a sector neglected for many years.
"This approach is an important step forward in recognising the need to address acute care needs as well as the value of averting illness, where possible," South Australian federation secretary Elizabeth Dabars said on Wednesday.
"The funding will help provide much-needed social and clinical support for mental health across the country, especially measures focused on mental health problems in children and young people."
But Ms Dabars said the government must enter urgent discussions with the mental health sector to identify ways to develop the workforce needed to provide the new services and programs.
"It is crucial to identify where the new workforce will come from and to up-skill the current workforce to provide the resources for the new services."