Annual Report 2024/25

Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

Central and Eastern Sydney Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Regional Plan

The Central and Eastern Sydney Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (the Plan) 2024-26 has completed its first 12 months of implementation.

The Plan establishes a platform from which we engage with other key agencies and stakeholders to work together and combine resources to pursue shared priorities identified by the community.

As a joint plan, the Plan brings together the following partners: Central and Eastern Sydney PHN, Sydney Local Health District, South-Eastern Sydney Local Health District, St. Vincent’s Health Network and the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Being NSW, NSW Mental Health Carers and the Mental Health Coordinating Council.

Over the last 12 months, the Implementation Committee has met monthly to review and progress on many of the 13 initiatives in the Plan.

One particular focus has been on improving physical health outcomes for people with a mental health diagnosis. The Implementation Committee is collaborating with Equally Well (Equally Well – Quality of life – Equality in life) to develop focused resources for the region, such as a Health Literacy resource for consumers and carers.

To further support our workforce, the Implementation Committee has reviewed and refreshed: Learning to Support Our Community – Mental Health Continuing Professional Development Resource.

The CESPHN’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee – which includes representation from our Regional Planning partners – have progressed Initiative 12: Social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in CES. The Advisory Committee are supporting CESPHN’s refresh of our Commissioning Culturally Appropriate, Safe and Responsive Services Framework, which will strengthen our existing approach to ensuring our commissioned services and projects are culturally safe for and developed with leadership from Aboriginal Peoples in the CESPHN region.

In addition, the Suicide Prevention Working Group under the Plan have worked hard over the last 12 months to deliver on activities that support regional oversight of suicide prevention, postvention and aftercare. This includes:

Regional service mapping

Review of the suicide prevention services and resources listed in our community and professional Mental Health Service Directories (CESPHN Mental Health Services Directory)

Expanded referral pathways for The Way Back NSW service to help more people get the support they need.

Regional Planning partners have continued to work toward a joint Data Sharing Agreement between CESPHN and our LHD and SHN partners. The Agreement is now in its final stages, with crucial input from InforMH (Ministry of Health System Information and Analytics Branch) contributing to its progress. As a first-of-its kind initiative, the Agreement aims to facilitate secure and coordinated data sharing, supporting collaborative efforts to address regional planning mental health and suicide prevention priorities.