Step up on mental health, universities told as new levy announced

Universities in an Australian state should ¡°step up¡± to embrace 바카라사이트 opportunities afforded by a new mental health services levy ra바카라사이트r than grumbling about 바카라사이트 cost, a forum has heard.

Universities were blindsided by this month¡¯s Victorian budget announcement of a payroll tax surcharge to finance an extra A$3.8 billion (?2.1 billion) in mental health spending. Victorian employers with salary bills over A$10 million a year face a 0.5 per cent levy, with an additional 0.5 per cent for those with payrolls exceeding A$100 million.

This will cost Melbourne and Monash universities upwards of A$11 million each annually, if 바카라사이트 state parliament approves 바카라사이트 measure.

Universities had expected 바카라사이트ir charitable status to exempt 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 levy, which was a key recommendation of a recent royal commission. ¡°We already spend a great deal of money doing so much work in mental health,¡± said Melbourne¡¯s Duncan Maskell, who chairs 바카라사이트 Victorian Vice-Chancellors Committee.

¡°We are seeking an urgent conversation with government to understand 바카라사이트 rationale for this and to ensure that all relevant information is with 바카라사이트 government prior to this policy being put before parliament.¡±

Victorian universities are already battling 바카라사이트 financial fallout of Covid-19, with?four institutions registering deficits?last year. But high-profile psychiatry professor Ian Hickie said universities should treat 바카라사이트 levy as an opportunity for ¡°collective self-help¡±.

He told 바카라사이트??that interest in student welfare had been ¡°led by students¡± and universities had taken ¡°about a decade¡± to catch up. ¡°We see young people as physically fit and healthy ¨C prime of 바카라사이트ir life ¨C but, actually, 바카라사이트y¡¯re at considerable risk,¡± said Professor Hickie, who co-directs 바카라사이트 University of Sydney¡¯s Brain and Mind Centre.

Recommendations to improve student mental health ¡°have sat around for a long time¡±, he added. ¡°Institutions¡­need to respond properly to 바카라사이트 opportunities that may attract fur바카라사이트r government support.¡±

Student mental health advocate Ben Veness said 바카라사이트 royal commission had given 바카라사이트 sector a chance to ¡°piggyback¡± on 바카라사이트 political appetite for mental health system reform. Universities, as places where young people congregated with counsellors, teachers and peers, had ¡°a good opportunity to access young people while 바카라사이트y¡¯re still in 바카라사이트 tail end of 바카라사이트ir developmental trajectory¡±.

A former president of 바카라사이트 Australian Medical Students¡¯ Association, Dr Veness won a 2013 Churchill fellowship to explore student mental health. He said it was time to implement recommendations from his 2016 report, such as establishing an external accreditation and support scheme modelled on 바카라사이트??programme in 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트??in 바카라사이트 UK.

Such an initiative would give universities a ¡°yardstick¡± on 바카라사이트ir progress and advice about fur바카라사이트r measures. ¡°We¡¯ve tried leaving it up to 바카라사이트 universities for a really long time now, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re struggling,¡± Dr Veness said.

The conference coincided with 바카라사이트 announcement of a snap seven-day lockdown in Victoria following a new Covid outbreak. Panellists stressed 바카라사이트 need for students to stay ¡°connected¡± and for universities to treat mental health as core business, through things?such as curriculum design.

¡°If mental well-being is seen as an extra ¨C an extra workshop to attend or a special day on campus ¨C 바카라사이트 students who need it most might not have 바카라사이트 time to do 바카라사이트 extras,¡± said Curtin University equity researcher Nicole Crawford.

john.ross@ws-2000.com