On 14 September 2009, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, and the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator the Hon Mark Arbib, jointly released the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy, a part of the government’s Social Inclusion Agenda. The Social Inclusion Agenda aims to address the barriers faced by people with disability, including mental illness, that make it harder for them to gain and keep work.

The Strategy sets out a number of priority actions to assist Australians with disability, including mental illness, into work. It recognises the importance of education and training as a pathway to sustainable employment, and the role of employers in increasing employment opportunities for people with disability.

A copy of the Strategy paper is available for download from the Australian Workplace website.