FROM THE EDITOR
Investing in mental health has many flow-on benefits MICHAEL ESPOSITO, EDITOR
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very year for the past few years, I have attended the yearly State Budget lock-in, joining a hundred or so other delegates of representative organisations. Every attendee scours the budget paper looking for what is in the budget for their sector. Typically, representative bodies form the view that the budget did not provide enough funding for the industry they represent. This is completely understandable of course, as these bodies exist to advocate on behalf of their constituents, but it does highlight the very delicate balancing act the Treasurer must perform when preparing the annual budget, not only having to consider the needs and wants of various sectors, but having to juggle financial and political considerations. This year’s budget, which was handed down on 22 June, included a number of measures to support and care for some of the State’s most vulnerable people. Whether the budget did enough to support vulnerable people has been hotly debated, but it is important that the funding that has been allocated to vital community services is put to good effect through sound, evidenced based policy
and if necessary, underpinned by welldrafted legislation. One of the biggest announcements has been the $163.5 million mental health package, which includes the construction of a new 16-bed crisis stabilisation centre in the northern suburbs, and eight additional psychiatric intensive care beds. Treasurer Rob Lucas said one of the key objectives of the mental health facilities was to divert people with acute mental health issues away from emergency departments, which are clearly not the ideal environments to treat mental health crises, and into dedicated facilitates that provide the mental health support that people need. While there have been some outspoken critics of the mental health funding, mainly on the basis that it doesn’t go far enough, it is at least encouraging that the Government has recognised the need for greater mental health resources in SA. The Society has been on its own mission to enhance mental health resources for the profession. The preliminary results from the Society’s recent mental health survey, as outlined
by President Rebecca Sandford in her President’s Message on the following page, shows there are significant mental health challenges facing the legal profession. But there are numerous strategies that can significantly improve mental health. Having recently spoken to Gabrielle Kelly, founder of SAHMRI’s Wellbeing and Resilience centre, for an article that will be published in next month’s Bulletin, I was won over by her passionate insistence that mental health is something we should all continue to work on, the same way one might practice physical fitness. Practicing mental fitness is just as important, training ourselves to more effectively deal with the setbacks and stressors of life will make us calmer, more focussed and more productive individuals. Another big takeaway from my chat with Gabrielle was the importance of managers investing in their staff ’s mental health. Aside from the inherently worthy objective of supporting staff to be as mentally healthy as possible, which one would hope most managers want for their workforce, there is also a compelling productivity argument for prioritising mental health. B
Amy Nikolovski appointed new Managing Partner of DBH Lawyers
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ormer Law Society President Amy Nikolovski has been appointed Managing Partner of DBH. The appointment makes Amy the youngest and only female leading a large law firm in South Australia. “I feel both honoured and humbled to be appointed Managing Partner of DBH,” Amy said. At DBH, Amy practices in the areas of workers compensation, motor vehicle accident, public liability and general personal injury law.
4 THE BULLETIN July 2021
Outgoing Managing Partner, Matt DeGregorio, said that Amy was the obvious choice to succeed him as Managing Partner. “Aside from being recognised as a leading lawyer across her areas of expertise in South Australia and nationally, Amy’s passion, drive and commitment to supporting women in the legal profession is well recognised,” said Matt. “I have no doubt that over the next few years she will continue to
provide outstanding leadership for the firm, and in true Amy spirit, continue to break down barriers and act as a fantastic role model for the next generation of lawyers.” Amy is the immediate Past Chair of the Society’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and served as the South Australian representative on the Law Council of Australia’s Equal Opportunity Committee between 2018 and 2021. She served as President of the Law Society in 2019. B
