Key facts
- New South Wales will deploy specialist nurses and paramedics to certain mental health emergencies instead of police.
- A new 24/7 mental health triage team will assess triple 0 calls.
- The reform is backed by $270 million in funding over ten years.
- Eight new mental health teams will provide a health-led response for 12 hours a day.
- Police will remain the lead responder in situations posing a safety risk.
New South Wales will begin sending specialist nurses and paramedics to some mental health emergencies instead of police, a significant reform aimed at improving care and preventing further deaths. The state government announced on Thursday that a new, statewide 24/7 mental health triage team will assess triple 0 calls, with a $270 million investment over ten years to support the changes.
The initiative will also establish eight new mental health teams, comprising a paramedic and a specialist mental health nurse, to provide a health-led response. However, these teams will operate only 12 hours a day and will not cover the entire state initially. Outside these hours, police or existing co-response models will handle calls.
Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson stated that the reform, inspired by the UK's "right person, right care" model, is a starting point and could be expanded statewide. She acknowledged that mental health crises do not adhere to a 12-hour schedule. The government has faced pressure to act following several fatalities involving individuals in mental health distress, including Jesse Deacon, who was fatally shot by police in July 2023.
Judy Deacon, Jesse Deacon's mother and a vocal advocate for change, welcomed the reform, suggesting it might have saved her son's life. She and other victims' families will monitor the implementation closely. Police will continue to lead responses in situations where safety is at risk, such as when an individual is armed.
Grace Cameron-Lee, a solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre, supported the change but emphasized the ongoing need for improved police de-escalation training. Police Minister Yasmin Catley affirmed that while police receive mental health training, they are not clinicians, highlighting the necessity of the new model for appropriate care.
Dr. Pramudie Gunaratne, chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, described the reform as a "stronger front door" to the mental health system. However, she cautioned that its effectiveness depends on increased funding for community mental health services to prevent individuals from remaining in a cycle of crisis.