Australia is in the middle of a mental health crisis and the government is under increasing pressure to reform the sector.

Dr Ruth Vine, Deputy National Chief Health Officer of Mental Health says while there is an acknowledgement of the pressures on the system and the need for the services to be more targeted, it takes time to "integrate and add" items effectively into the system

Dr Simon Stafrace Victorian Chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists says despite the best intentions of everyone across the mental health system, "the foot keeps being taken of the accelerator". He says the system "feels like a vehicle that is spluttering" and says there needs to better integration between the services offered by the states and commonwealth.

Guests: Dr Ruth Vine, Deputy National Chief Health Officer of Mental Health

Dr Simon Stafrace Victorian Chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists