Congratulations to local organisers for compiling an interesting program of events for Mental Health Week.

While the week itself is a time to promote wellbeing, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on mental health issues more generally.

A Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Mental Health Services reported its findings last month. The report "Towards Recovery: Mental Health Services in Australia" has been welcomed as providing the basis of genuine reform in mental health for all Australians.

It makes 26 key recommendations to improve mental health services, deliver greater accountability and better targeted programs.

The report looks at implementation of the COAG National Action Plan (NAP) on Mental Health, two years after the plan was agreed.

It notes some positive achievements, but also reports there are a number of important aims that have not been realised.

"The National Action Plan on Mental Health failed to set out a vision for Australian mental health services into the future with a plan for how to get there ...

"Consumers have not been given a priority voice in formulating policy and implementing programs. Support for consumer advocacy, training, peer support and consumer-run services is yet to translate into the resources and capacity building needed to assist consumers in these roles."

The peak national non-government organisation in the sector, the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), says the Senate report not only recommends real changes, but perhaps more importantly, it calls for the delivery of ongoing reports and accountability measures.

It's hoped there will be some real progress made in the management of mental health services across Australia.