ABSTRACT
An individual’s mental health is vital to a person’s ability to lead a satisfying and rewarding life. In recognition of this fact, the Australian government has introduced a number of initiatives, including the National Standards for Mental Health Services, to assist in the continuous improvement of the quality of mental health services being delivered across Australia. Underpinning these standards are a number of key principles consistent with national policy aimed at ensuring mental health treatment and support that imposes the least personal restriction on the rights and choices of mental health patients, clients, and consumers. The Queensland government has also developed and introduced a number of plans and programmes aimed at improving the delivery of mental health services in Queensland, including the Mental Health Intervention Project (MHIP) and the Queensland Mental Health Commission, which became operational on July 1, 2012. The prioritisation of providing mental health treatment within the community has led frontline police and ambulance officers to assume a more prominent first response role to mental health-related incidents. In this chapter, we examine some of the unintended effects of community-based mental health policies and programmes, including challenges that frontline police and ambulance officers face in complying with the key principles and legal requirements of mental health legislation.
