Public Consultation on an Emerging Mental Health Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Health Degrees

Overview

There is a persistent and ongoing mental health workforce shortage across Australia. Upskilling the broader health workforce to identify, respond, refer, and support the mental health of people under their care is a priority. There is little consistency in existing mental health training across undergraduate health degrees, leading to a varying minimum standard of education and level of preparedness among graduating students. Developing a mental health curriculum framework will help provide consistency and a shared understanding of mental health-related knowledge, skills, and capabilities the broader health workforce should learn throughout their undergraduate training.

The Department of Health and Aged Care has commissioned Deloitte to provide recommendations to support the development and implementation of a mental health curriculum framework for undergraduate health degrees.

Why your views matter

You are invited to participate in consultation to inform the development of these recommendations.

What work has already taken place?

To date, Deloitte has considered peer reviewed and grey literature, existing accreditation and professional standards, and have engaged in preliminary consultation with some stakeholders from the Department, peak and professional bodies, and academic institutions. Key findings to date from these activities are outlined in the supporting information below.

Next steps

Deloitte is now seeking broader public feedback on this work, including from (but not limited to) professional body representatives, government departments, students, recent graduates, health care consumers and their families, and those with lived and living experience.

This feedback is intended to build on the findings summarised in the supporting information below, to better inform recommendations to the Department regarding the proposed mental health curriculum framework.

How to be involved

Please download and read the supporting information. You can then provide your feedback and insights regarding the proposed mental health curriculum framework by completing the online survey below.

The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete, however you can take as long as you want to answer the questions.

For further information on how the feedback you provide will be used, please read the supporting information below.

Please complete this online survey before 5pm AEDT Friday 4 April 2025.