The NSW State Government has recently ruled that mental health practitioners who are not vaccinated cannot provide much-needed support services, even in the risk-free environment of Telehealth. 

What does this mean in the real world?

- Thousands of vulnerable Australians currently being supported by these professionals via Telehealth will be left unsupported as of 31st Jan 2022.

- Those clients will need to look for support in a mental health industry which is already under extreme pressure. They will likely be turned away from services or sit on a waitlist for several months.

- Our community's mental health will undeniably suffer. Likely outcomes include increased rates of suicide, drug and alcohol use, domestic violence, and mental health hospitalisations.

- Our mental health services will experience even more pressure, including further increased wait times and a lack of staff to meet the demand. Many mental health services have already reached capacity and stopped accepting clients, and many more will follow.

- The hard-working mental health professionals who are still practising will suffer under the weight of this, and experience increased levels of burn-out.

- Their unvaccinated colleagues will be unable to work, despite years of training and personal investment into the wellbeing of our community.

- Ultimately this decision leads to increased mental illness, unemployment, and pressure on our health system.

We are undeniably experiencing a mental health crisis. Individuals and families are suffering, services are under immense pressure, and Australia has a shortage of practitioners to meet the demand. This recent decision by the Australian Government to limit the availability of mental health professionals will harm the mental and emotional wellbeing of our country.

Please help to keep our dedicated mental health professionals working in a risk-free Telehealth environment, regardless of their vaccination status.

* This petition does not relate to the issue of vaccination, but calls for a decision to utilise our mental health workforce to its greatest potential where there is no risk to public health. It is worth noting that as a health professional providing face to face psychological services, I am fully vaccinated. I support the Government's efforts to provide free, safe and effective vaccines to those who wish to receive them.