The National Mental Health Sector Reference Group met on 8 September 2025 for their second meeting of the year.
The meeting was held online.
Focus of the meeting
The focus of the September meeting was:
- A discussion on the early design of the Navigator role
- The final report from the Psychosocial Early Intervention Working Group.
Navigators
The group heard about the early design thinking of the Navigator role and the NDIA sought feedback on the proposed design.
Members provided the following feedback:
- Importance of embedding cultural competency, a trauma informed, human focused, and recovery orientated approach.
- Requirement for mental health training and suggestions of upskilling the workforce by liaising with the mental health sector and educative resources.
- Suggestions for opportunities for better engagement between the mental health sector and the NDIA. Communication is vital in improving outcomes.
- Importance of targeted and considered consultation with people with lived experience, carers, families, and kin on the design of Navigators.
Psychosocial Early Intervention Working Group
The final Psychosocial Early Intervention Service Report was discussed. The Working Group took the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of all involved and thanked the National Mental Health Sector Reference Group members for providing valuable feedback.
Support was sought for the following recommendations:
- That the National Mental Health Sector Reference Group accepts the Working Group’s report on psychosocial early intervention.
- That the National Mental Health Sector Reference Group forwards this report to senior management in the NDIA and relevant Ministers.
The Working Group received strong support and endorsement from members.
NMHSRG next meeting
The National Mental Health Sector Reference Group’s next meeting is Wednesday 19 November 2025 and will be held online.