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The chief executive of the National Mental Health Commission has stepped aside while the federal government launches an investigation into claims of bullying and dysfunction at the agency.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced the review on Monday following reports in The Saturday Paper that the commission had sacked a quarter of its workforce this month, and was being separately investigated over its operations and financial decisions.
National Mental Health Commission CEO Christine Morgan has stepped aside while the review is conducted.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Chief executive Christine Morgan, who reports to Butler and has led the commission since 2019, has voluntarily stepped aside while the review is conducted.
The mental health commission was established in 2012 to hold governments to account on mental health policy and has been allocated $24.7 million in total resources this financial year.
But as suicide rates spike in Australia and the mental health system becomes increasingly inaccessible, it has been criticised by its former leaders, including former chair Professor Allan Fels and former deputy chief executive Georgie Harman, who said it no longer provides an incisive source of truth about how the system is operating.
Fels, who chaired the commission from its inception in 2012 until 2018, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age earlier this year that the commission had lost the confidence of the mental health sector and was not holding the government accountable.
There have been calls for the commission to receive statutory independence so that it can act as a proper watchdog, including in a 2020 report from the Productivity Commission.
In a statement, Butler said the commission played an important role in delivering on the government’s mental health and suicide prevention reforms, and needed to have the confidence of the public.
He said the independent investigation would be led by Professor Deb Picone, who is chief executive of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
She will review the commission’s culture, capability, function and efficiency to ensure there is a safe environment and the commission is financially sustainable.
The review will also consider whether claims published in the media about bullying and psychological harms can be substantiated.
“As minister, I take allegations of this nature seriously and will prioritise ensuring a safe working environment for staff,” Butler said.
“The investigation will inform any changes required to support the commission’s role, functions and operations.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ruth Vine will act as chief executive while the investigation is under way.
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