Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether has been an increase in proportions of citizens presenting with financial stress-related mental health concerns when seeking social assistance administered by the Ministry in the past three years; and (b) if so, what interventions are being developed to address the intersection of economic hardship and psychological well-being.
Answer
1 When the Social Service Office comes to know that clients have mental health concerns, they will refer them to community mental health teams to provide the necessary assessments and interventions.
2 However, it is not part of the ComCare assessment process to require applicants to provide information on their mental health. To do so may deter those who need support from applying.