Current funding models do not always recognise the importance of continuity of service provider, or encourage sharing and/or innovation.
Short-term funding models lead to difficulty attracting and retaining staff and can result in lack of continuity of service provider, inability to forward plan and inability to build relationships which may be critical to longer term program outcomes.
Competitive funding arrangements can put organisations in a position where they are competing for funding.
The SA Mental Health Commission has explored and researched examples of social impact investing in other sectors and other jurisdictions, as well as the data available in South Australia to help define the types of wicked problems that could be alleviated using social impact investing.
We conducted research and developed a business case on the impact of Social Impact Bonds in the mental health space and how a SIB could help reduce number of mental health inpatient bed days.
We know that a NSW non-government organisation is delivering services through a Social Impact Bonds which focuses on people who have spent long periods of time in a psychiatric hospital and works to decrease the days people spend in psychiatric hospital.
The Commission has provide data to the Department of Treasury and Finance to include in documents for government to consider a Social Impact Bonds on reducing long stays for people with mental illness.
Our Partners:
- The Department of Treasury and Finance
- Flourish Australia
- Don Dunstan Foundation
Links to the SA Mental Health Strategic Plan 2017–2022:
Strategic Direction 6:
Improve governance of services which support mental health and wellbeing to ensure person-centred, recovery-focused and outcomes-oriented approaches.
Measure, monitor and communicate progress toward improvements in mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
For further information: