Analysis of Mental Health System and Role of Counselors in Australia

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current mental health system in Australia, focusing on the attitudes towards mental health and the roles of counselors and psychotherapists. It highlights the reforms under the National Mental Health Strategy, the increase in mental health workforce, and the growing investment in the sector. The report suggests changes for a more sustainable system, including increased awareness, enhanced accessibility to mental health care, recruitment of skilled professionals, dual relationship frameworks, and outdoor-based health approaches. It further examines the current roles of counselors and psychotherapists in providing confidential support, addressing various mental health issues, and implementing strategies like nicotine replacement therapy. The analysis emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to improve the mental well-being of Australian citizens. Desklib provides access to similar documents and study resources.

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
Mental Health and Community
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The primary objective of this report is to study the current mental health system in Australia.
In this connection, the report is concerned with analysing the mental health system of
Australia. Further, on the imperial findings of the literature review, the report suggests the
changes that are needed to create a sustainable mental health system in Australia. Moreover,
the report studies the current role play of the counsellors and the psychotherapists that fosters
their effort in the improvement of the health care sector in Australia.

2MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
The current attitudes to mental health in Australia....................................................................3
Changes to create a better and sustainable mental health system..............................................4
Current role of counsellors and psychotherapists in the mental health system..........................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
As opined by Spitzer, Endicott & Franchi, (2018), mental health is the term that is
recognised as the psychological well-being of an individual and the absence of the same is
related to the mental illness of the same. In this connection, the given report is critically
focused on explaining the current attitude of the mental health of people concerning the
country of Australia. Researchers found that since the last decade, half of the mental system
of Australia has reformed itself under the ideologies of National Mental Health Strategy
(Kirk, 2017). The same is recognised to bring recognised and significant changes in the
mental health conditions of Australia as compared to the last decades. With respect to this,
the report further concentrates on discussing the current mental health at Australia as well as
the changes that would be needed and necessary in order to create sustainable and equitable
adjustments in the same.
The current attitudes to mental health in Australia
According to the viewpoint of Naiker et al., (2018), the public sector of Australia
specialising with the mental health system of the same, at the present date is staffed with
effective and efficient mental health workforce. Studies found that the employed
professionals in the sector of working at mental health in Australia had increased by 51% at
the end of the year 2017. This increase in the level of workforce is recorded to complement
the needs and maintenance of the individuals in Australia who are mentally sick or abnormal.
Studies recorded that the care to the mental health conditions is delivered at a more primary
basis as compared to the past days. This resulted in better and faster healing of the psychiatric
patients in Australia. With the commencement of encouraging better workforce in the mental
health community of Australia, it was recorded that the mental patients reduced to 29% since
the year of 2017 (Rickwood et al., 2015). Moreover, it was also examined that the investment

4MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
that was encouraged by the government of Australia concerning its mental health department
was known to recognisably increase by 53% in the fiscal year of 2016. The workforce
looking after the mental sector in Australia takes care of the patient with a higher level of
safety, concern and dedication. They are nowhere negligent in the quality of outcomes that
would leverage attention to sensitive mental patients.
Based on the above shreds of illustration it can be clearly identified that the mental
condition of Australian people is at a better level and the attitude of the concerned department
of mental health in Australia has fostered itself to high effectiveness and efficiency. In this
connection, the given report identifies and explains the changes that would be needed to turn
the ideology of mental health in Australia to be more sustained and improved.
Changes to create a better and sustainable mental health system
Increasing awareness among the stakeholders and the communities will assist in
changing the face of the psychological health-related issues in Australia. The research
assisted in identifying the different aspects of mental health-related awareness and the
manner in which it supported the councillors and the psychotherapists in maximizing the
amount of participation of the members. Murray et al. (2014) stated that the reforms in the
Mental Health related activities would be based on maximizing the awareness among the
community stakeholders through suitable promotional and educational campaigns. The
campaigns will assist the councillors and psychotherapists in making the people aware of the
types of mental illness and heir emerging symptoms so that the people might take necessary
steps while the first symptoms turn out. Bond et al., (2014) stated that the educational and
promotional campaigns would assist the councillors and the psychotherapists in circulating a
positive flow of information to the respective members in the community. The information

5MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
will help the councillors and psychotherapists in encouraging the active involvement of the
community stakeholders in combating mental health-related disorders.
Enhancing the accessibility to the mental health care in primary care settings will
assist the councillors and psychotherapists in providing proper psychiatric care to the clients.
Dowdy et al., (2015) stated that the increased rate of primary care would assist in maximizing
the frequency of services being provided. The recruitment of specialized talents in the health
care sector will support the councillors and psychotherapists in developing the operations. On
the other hand, Osborn et al., (2015) opined that the analysis of the mental health care related
needs of the communities would be assisting the mental health care practitioners in
continuing with a coherent system of mental health care related solutions in adherence to the
diverse needs of the patients. Lack of recruitment and retention of skilled health care
professionals in mental care organizations has affected the interests of the patients. The lack
of a supportive workforce has transformed the capabilities of the organizations in maintaining
the quality of the health care related services in accordance with the needs of the patients.
Engaging the health workers in sustainability based operations through induction of
professional skills. The enhancement of the professional skills of the practitioners while
identifying the different values of activities will be assisting the councillors and
psychotherapists in developing the quality of the practices. Brophy et al., (2014) stated that
the enhanced variety of the methods that are undertaken by the professionals would assist the
same in developing a positive approach towards studying the different mental ailments and
mitigating the same. The study of the mental ailments will be based on the evaluation of the
current issues that are encountered by the people. Liu et al., (2017) stated that the study of the
current problems would assist the councillors and psychotherapists in developing the
operations of the same in adherence to the changing mental health-related needs of the
communities. On the other hand, the study of the current trends of the diseases will assist the

6MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
psychotherapists in developing the operations of the same in order to adhere to the care-
related needs of the patients.

7MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
Initiation of dual relationship framework
In the case of managing mental health, one of the primary considerations is the
relationship between counsellors and patients. This is due to the reason that physical health
cases can be cured by medicines, which is not in the case of mental health. Thus, the mental
health standards of the patients can be maintained by having a proper and productive
relationship with them. Counsellors should take significant responsibility in building up the
relationship with the patients. However, according to the ESI code of conduct of the
healthcare process, counsellors are not allowed to have personal rapport or association with
the patients. This is one of the significant gap areas in the Australian system. It is stated by
Kreider (2014) that dual relationship framework is most applicable for managing the mental
health of the patients. Thus, it is recommended that personal relationship can be encouraged
in exceptional cases where counsellors will be able to build a personal rapport with the
patients and be able to identify the significant issues and challenges. In addition, the patients
will also feel comfortable in communicating their problems and views with the counsellors.
Thus, the mental state and health standards can be improved.
Outdoor-based health approaches
It is also identified from the analysis of the current mental health of Australia that the
core practices are practised within the closed enclosure. Even though the separate enclosure is
essential for the treatment of the physical concerns, but in the case of the mental health
concerns, the outdoor approach can also be useful. In this case, it is stated by Triguero-Mas et
al. (2015) that natural outdoor environment is much beneficial in managing the mental health
of the patients. There are direct relationships between nature and greeneries with the mental
state of human beings. Thus, a change can be implemented in the current Australian mental
health system where the outdoor-based treatment will also be offered to the patients when
possible. It is also being stated by the authors that if the patients can provide the mental state

8MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
treatment in the natural outdoor based environment, then the response of them towards the
treatment will be more favourable and it will be easier for the counsellors to gain the positive
results from the treatment.
On the other hand, it is stated by Cronholm et al. (2013) that Australian current health
system is having the lacking of care homes. This is due to the reason that treatment through
the care homes will be more useful for mental patients over providing treatment through the
medical centres. Patients will feel more comfortable in the care centres as they will receive
the homely environment. It is also stated by the authors that care home can mitigate the gap
between the lack of treatment facilities in the house and the closed environment in the
medical centres. Thus, this is another change that can be beneficial in terms of the current
mental health system of Australia.
Current role of counsellors and psychotherapists in the mental health
system
As opined by Holland & Nelson (2018), counsellors and psychotherapists are those
trained and professional individuals who help in the healing of the people who are known to
incur one or more abnormalities in their mental health. In this connection, the given report
investigates the current role that is played by concerned individuals in terms of the mental
health system of Australia. In this concern, it was examined that the counsellors and
psychotherapists in Australia provide confidential support to the people who are suffering
from mental health (Aoun et al., 2015). Explicitly, they are recognised to provide assistance
to the concerned individuals of mental health at Australia of every query the patients have
regarding their mental health. The counsellors and the psychotherapists in Australia help the
people in the country who are suffering from problems such as stress related to personal as
well as financial life, domestic violence, divorce as well as relationship breakups. This is a

9MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
piece of clear evidence that the concerned individuals who take care of the mental health
concerning people in Australia do not only include individuals with severe mental illness but
also the people who are suffering from temporary depression and stress. Moreover, the
psychotherapists also put forward a significant hand in the curing of the post-traumatic stress
disorder that helps the people suffering from mental illness heal in a faster way. It was also
examined that at current the counsellors in Australia are focused on implementing the
nicotine replacement theory along with the counselling classes, helps the Australian citizens
to quit their habit of chain smoking. Concerning the present mental health of Australian
people it was also examined that the counsellors help the people to struggle with possible
future stress and painful emotions that they analyse that an individual can go through by the
help of studying the behavioural attribute of mind and psychology of the individuals they deal
with (Lerner et al., 2015). Furthermore, it was also examined that the role play of the
psychotherapists have efficiently improved the situation of the mentality of the people and
they are recorded to be stable in their mindset regarding their tough situations in life.
Researches show that the mental illness condition of people in Australia are recognisable
decreasing year after year and thus the whole country of Australia is becoming more
sustainable and efficient concerning its health sector. However, it was also examined that the
counsellors and psychotherapists impose high charges to its clients and this results to be a
drawback to the industry of mental improvement in Australia to some extent. This is because
the lower class people remain liable to afford themselves to the treatment and thus, the scale
of improving the mental care system decreases.
Conclusion
Based on the above-presented pieces of evidence, it can be clearly stated that the mental
health system in Australia is on the verge of crossing all the barriers and increase itself to the
most efficient country to be sustained in the field of the mental health sector. The report

10MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
clearly depicts the ideas and changes that can possible proved to be more useful for the
concerned mental health department of Australia. However, the only limitation to the
effectiveness of the role play of the counsellors and the psychotherapists is the high amount
of charges they impose on their clients.

11MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY
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