CESPHN is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Child Mental Health and Wellbeing Program, aimed at improving access to early mental health support for primary school-aged children and their families.
The initiative has been developed in response to a recognised gap in accessible and coordinated mental health care for children across the region. It builds on work undertaken through the CESPHN Child Mental Health and Wellbeing Collaborative, alongside extensive planning to develop a sustainable commissioning approach that reflects local needs and best practice.
The commissioning approach will pilot a multidisciplinary service model designed to strengthen early intervention and improve access to timely, affordable and culturally safe support. The model will focus on identifying and responding to mental health concerns earlier, providing brief evidence-informed therapeutic supports, coordinating care across services and settings, and helping children and families navigate health, education and community systems.
The pilot will be delivered within the Canterbury SA3, which has been identified as an area of high need based on mental health prevalence, early developmental vulnerability and socioeconomic indicators.
The RFP was released via Tenderlink on 10 July 2026, inviting organisations to submit innovative and collaborative proposals that support the mental health and wellbeing of children and families.
Applications close at 10am on the 10th of August 2026.
