Prevention and early intervention

Disadvantaged Queenslanders are more likely to fall into crisis. People in poverty, and people marginalised by location, culture, language, disability, age, and critical health needs are over-represented in our expensive crisis systems (hospital emergency wards, mental health facilities, prisons, and the youth justice and child protection systems) Prevention and early intervention programs lessen risk, increase resilience – and keep people out of these crisis systems. The cost effectiveness of investing in prevention and early intervention programs is now irrefutable. Prevention and early intervention refers to a range of programs to prevent or lessen the effects of harm or crisis on disadvantaged people, which without intervention may lead to further harms including criminality and loss of life. Decades of research in Australia and internationally have demonstrated the social and economic benefits of early interventions for children, families and communities. QCOSS has lobbied for the Queensland Government to commit to an integrated, planned and evaluated ‘Early Intervention Action Plan’ since 2006.