New South Wales will send specialist nurses rather than police to some mental health emergencies, after the state announced a reform funded by $270m over ten years. The change follows multiple deaths at the hands of police, including the fatal shooting of Jesse Deacon in July 2023.
Triage and response changes
A new team of mental health experts will assess triple zero calls 24/7, providing real-time clinical advice to NSW Ambulance first responders. Eight new mental health teams, each including a paramedic and a specialist mental health nurse, will offer a health-led response to call-outs. However, these teams will operate only 12 hours a day and will not be statewide.
Outside those 12 hours, police or existing co-response models such as the Police Ambulance and Clinical Early Response (Pacer) will respond. The mental health minister, Rose Jackson, said the reform, shaped by the UK's "right person, right care" model, was "only the beginning" and could be scaled statewide. "We're committing $270m as a first step. But I recognise that mental health crises don't happen within neat 12-hour windows," she said.
Pressure after deaths
Police and government faced pressure to enact reforms after fatalities involving people in mental health distress. In July 2023, 42-year-old Jesse Deacon, who lived with schizophrenia, was fatally shot by police at his home after being reported self-harming. His mother, Judy Deacon, has become a leading voice for change. She welcomed the change as an important first step that might have saved her son's life. "I think the outcome might have been different," she said.
Police will continue to be the lead responder when there is a risk to safety, such as when someone is armed with a knife.
Reactions from advocates and clinicians
Grace Cameron-Lee, a senior solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre, welcomed the change but said NSW police training and operational changes prioritising de-escalation techniques "remains critical." Asked if the reform would include more police training, the police minister, Yasmin Catley, said police are trained in mental health but are not mental health clinicians. "This model is exactly what we need to ensure that those people who are experiencing a mental health incident get the right care," she said.
Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, chief executive of the Australian Society of Psychiatrists, described the reform as "a stronger front door into the mental health system." However, she urged more funding for community mental health support, saying "a front door is only useful if there's a house behind it." Without enough community services, people will remain stuck in the cycle of crisis and emergency response.
Jackson has been under pressure to release an analysis of the mental health system expected to outline resource gaps. She said she planned to release it publicly but did not give a timeline.
