What is the background, purpose and vision of Planning for Wellbeing?

Brisbane North PHN (the PHN) and Metro North Hospital Health Service (Metro North Health), as co-sponsors of the Regional Plan, worked with an extensive group of stakeholders to develop a shared vision, priorities, objectives and actions, and collectively, these form Planning for Wellbeing - a joint regional plan for mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drug services (revised 2020-2025).

Planning for Wellbeing establishes shared objectives that reflect the future commitment to action of healthcare practitioners and organisations across the region, as well as the contribution that will be made by People with a Lived/Living Experience, Families and Carers who are engaged in work to shape and improve services.

Currently, the delivery of mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drug treatment services in the Brisbane North and Moreton Bay region is argubly complex, as it incorperates services being delivered by various organisations and practitioners across multiple, and often disconnected sectors. Planning for Wellbeing identifies significant opportunities for both service and system improvement, which have been the subject of comprehensive consultation with stakeholders. Many of these actions involve improvement of service delivery approaches by existing services as well as enhancements to the planning, commissioning and integration of mental health services. This ultimately aims for services that respond better to local needs; more efficient and effective use of resources; and better health outcomes. 

Planning for Wellbeing further endorses the vision statement articulated by the Queensland Mental Health Commission's Strategic Plan: "A fair and inclusive Queensland where all people can achieve positive mental health and wellbeing and live lives with meaning and purpose."

What's Next?

Facilitated through the Health Alliance, we plan to develop a regional resourcing plan that will map current investment in the region and use the National Mental Health Service Planning Framework - Planning Support Tool to conduct a gap analysis compared with the regional need. This will then provide information about where future investment in the region should be directed.

In due course, this will inform a more comprehensive Regional Plan, one of the aims of which will be to utlise co-commissioning of services, in which the PHN and Metro North Health would work together to assess local needs, and plan and prioritise services that support those who need it most. Local people, families and communities will be at the centre of this process as equal partners in planning, developing and monitoring care that best meets their needs.

For more information

You can access the full plan and more at the Planning for Wellbeing website.