Funding for the National School Chaplaincy Program should be redirected to put qualified mental health workers in every school, says Australian Greens spokesperson for schools and mental health Senator Penny Wright.

"There is a youth mental health crisis in Australia - our students need to have access to qualified professionals," Senator Wright said.

"When teenagers are more likely to die from suicide than car accidents, it's time to make it as easy as possible for every young person to get professional mental health support."

Huge cuts to rural and regional services will have drastic mental health consequences if adopted by the Abbott Government, Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Penny Wright has warned.

Senator Wright urged the Abbott Government to immediately reject proposals to abolish the Rural Financial Counselling Service and Farm Finance Concessional Loans Scheme.

"The Abbott Government must not sell out rural and regional South Australia," Senator Wright said.

"These programs have supported thousands of country families through tough times."

I move that the Senate:

1.       notes the 2014 Resilient Youth Australia survey's findings, that 34 per cent of girls and 28 per cent of boys in years 7 to 12 feel constantly under strain and unable to overcome difficulties;

2.       affirms that every school student in Australia should be able to access the tools to develop emotional resilience; and

3.       calls on the Commonwealth government to:

a.       facilitate nationwide monitoring of adolescents' emotional resilience and wellbeing; and

The Abbott Government must continue to fund a critical health program for perinatal depression, says Australian Greens spokesperson for mental health Senator Penny Wright.

Federal funding to the National Perinatal Depression Initiative is currently under review, with the Greens and Labor co-sponsoring a senate motion today support the program into the future.

Senator Wright said the program, which began in 2008, was providing support for mothers with antenatal and postnatal depression and improving prevention and early detection techniques.

We give notice that, on the next day of sitting, we will move:

that the Senate:

1.       notes that the National Perinatal Depression Initiative, since 2008:

a.       has improved the prevention and detection of antenatal and postnatal depression, and provided better support and treatment for expectant and new mothers experiencing depression;

b.      in doing so, has provided what experts have called 'the ultimate two-for-one', by ensuring babies' wellbeing in the course of supporting mothers at this critical stage of life; and

Senator Wright asks questions about the National Mental Health Commission's review of mental health services during Senate Estimates. 

Senator Penny Wright asks questions about gaps in the mental health system, particularly with regard to adult survivors of childhood trauma, during Senate Estimates.