By bobb |

20 June 2010 | 01:05:33 PM | Source: AAP

National Advisory Council on Mental Health chairman John Mendoza tendered his resignation on Friday in a letter to Health Minister Nicola Roxon. (AAP)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's top mental health adviser has quit accusing the government of a lack of vision and commitment to a problem that affects millions of Australians.
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National Advisory Council on Mental Health chairman John Mendoza tendered his resignation on Friday in a letter to Health Minister Nicola Roxon.

His letter has been obtained by Fairfax newspapers.

Professor Mendoza accuses the Rudd government of publicly claiming credit for the increased investment in mental health saying almost all of it resulted from the former Howard government.

He has also described the government's the Better Access program as a mess that should be overhauled.

from http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1282692/PM%27s-mental-health-advisor-quits

see also:

The PM does not have an Autism Spectrum advisor ... nor is there an autism/ASD representative on the Disability Advisory Council. The Government merged FaHCSIA's ASD Branch with the Mental Health Branch and scattered responsibilities across state offices (policy development will be difficult or impossible under such an arrangement).

here is another item: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/mental-health-concerns-le…

It says:

Ms Roxon said she agreed with the mental health experts in some areas.

"Professor McGorry and John Mendoza are expressing a view which is a legitimate one - that we have huge problems in mental health," the minister told ABC Television's 7.30 Report program on Tuesday.

"We're trying to restructure the health system to improve a whole lot of the things that they have identified as problems ... mental health patients falling between GP services and psychologists services and hospital services."

But, Ms Roxon said, it was unfair to selectively highlight some criticisms of mental health policy.

"It is an advisory council - it's not a decision-making body and it is the government's chance to take that advice or not," she said.

"Many of the ideas are still being worked on and considered by the government.

"Professor Mendoza needs to make a choice whether he wanted to be in that tent working for change or whether he wanted to advocate outside that tent."

It would be good if she had an autism/ASD representative "in that tent", for a change.