Mental Health and Wellbeing Investment Package

Mental health and wellbeing is a shared responsibility across government, community and everyday settings, not only the healthcare system.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Investment Package (the Package) delivers Recommendation 19 of the Parliamentary Inquiry into opportunities to improve mental health outcomes for Queenslanders and brings together time-limited funding into a single, strategic investment designed to maximise impact, alignment and long-term outcomes.

The Package adopts a whole-of-system approach, combining cross-government partnerships, community sector collaboration, targeted grants and shared evaluation.

Why this matters

Queensland’s mental health system has seen important enhancements in treatment and crisis response. At the same time, ongoing system demand and strong evidence highlight the need to invest more consistently in promotion, prevention and early intervention.

The Package responds to this need by focusing on non-clinical, everyday settings where people live, learn, work and connect.

Building on momentum already underway across government and the community sector, it is designed to:

Embed wellbeing into existing systems and programs
Support coordinated, place-based responses
Deliver greater impact through partnership
Leveraging existing relationships and networks

Current partnership initiatives

The following partnerships demonstrate how mental health promotion and prevention is being embedded across sectors:

Partner / Organisation	Focus Area	Initiative Overview
Department of Education (through Arts Queensland)	Arts and culture	Expansion of the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF, IRADF), a partnership with local councils, to support community wellbeing outcomes Establishment of a Regional Arts Services Network (RASN) wellbeing advisor to embed mental health and wellbeing and support grant recipients.
Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety	Community and families	Extending Queensland’s Social Prescribing Trial to deliver a targeted and expanded model that supports better integration with the health system
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)	Young people	ABC Heywire is a place-based media and storytelling initiative co-designed with regional young people. A grant program will support local solutions to youth-identified issues in the chosen communities. A Celebration Summit will be developed by participating young people to showcase their work and stories.
Department of Housing and Public Works (through the Office of the Queensland Government Architect)	Built environment	Local government grants to implement demonstration projects that embed physical and mental health and wellbeing principles in the built environment, for young people Refreshed QDesign embedding physical and mental health and wellbeing principles and guidance.
Department of Primary Industries	Rural and regional communities	Workforce training to support industry mental health and wellbeing integrated into disaster management and extension services. Community resilience programs targeting rural and farming communities Activities include mental health workshops and webinars for trusted agricultural advisors, extension officers (who work with farmers across Queensland) and rural support networks, alongside a Queensland-specific Managing Stress on the Farm resource. Enhanced Business Wellness Coaching, community connection and resilience activities, and improved navigation to mental health and wellbeing supports for rural and farming communities.
Queensland Health (through Prevention Strategy Branch)	Rural and regional communities	Strengthening social and emotional wellbeing for women and girls in Western Cape York Seed funding for eligible Queensland neighbourhood centres to promote and support mental wellbeing in their communities Working with Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and Cleveland Youth Detention Centre to improve mental health and wellbeing and health literacy of young people in correctional settings Place-based approach within West Moreton Hospital and Health Service, working with local partners to co-design alcohol prevention solutions.

The Package also includes targeted grant funding to support community-led mental health and wellbeing initiatives, particularly in rural and remote Queensland communities.

Evidence-informed design

The approach has been shaped by multiple inputs, including:

Strategic direction from Shifting minds: The Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2023–2028 and Thriving Lives, Connected Communities – Queensland’s Commitment to Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Stakeholder engagement across sectors
Independent expert advice

One important input is the independent advice provided by Prevention United: Strengthening Prevention: Advice on Investing in Mental Health and Wellbeing.

This report provides evidence-informed insights to support mental health promotion and prevention investment. It sits within the broader Package design and complements other inputs and decision-making processes.

What’s next?

A key component of the Package is a coordinated evaluation approach. This will measure outcomes across individual, community and system levels, enabling shared learning across partners to build the evidence base for what works in prevention.

Stay informed

Further updates, including partnership announcements, grant opportunities and evaluation insights, will be published as the Package progresses.

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