We are parents advocating for
A crisis care system that keeps young people safe when they need it most, helps them through crisis, and works alongside families.
Our young people deserve crisis care that keeps them safe and supported. We are campaigning for urgent change during the NSW State Election.
What is the problem?
Australia is facing a youth mental health crisis. Rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicidality among young people aged 12 – 25 years have risen significantly. Mental health conditions are the leading cause of death for young Australians.
Yet, in NSW crisis responses are often unsafe, traumatic and escalate distress instead of stabilising it. Young people are exposed to harm, left without support and families navigate crises alone.
Community crisis teams are under‑resourced and overstretched. Young people and their families can wait days for help, even when risk is escalating. There are no youth‑specific mobile response teams, and community mental health still uses outdated age cut‑offs that push teenagers and young people into adult services that aren’t designed for them, often causing harm.
When community supports fail, the default becomes emergency departments and, commonly, police attendance. For distressed young people, these responses can be frightening and traumatic, exposing them to overstimulating, chaotic, and unsafe environments — often followed by long waits in ED, sometimes days, which only escalates their distress.
Young people who need a safe place to stabilise are too often admitted to adult inpatient units. These environments are inappropriate for teenagers and vulnerable young adults. They can be traumatising and disempowering, and can cause further distress and harm. Adult units also fail to provide developmentally appropriate treatment or care.
Parents are frequently locked out of decision‑making, and communication is inconsistent even when their young person is at high risk. Families are rarely given the information or resources they need to support their young person through crisis.
Again and again families are left without information, and young people are discharged without clear pathways to ongoing care. There is no meaningful aftercare to help them stabilise, stay safe or navigate what comes next, leaving parents to manage crisis alone.
There is little accountability for the impact these experiences have on young people and their families. When harmful or inappropriate responses occur, families are left without answers, and systems are rarely required to acknowledge or address the consequences.
What's needed to fix youth crisis care
Our reform platform calls for evidence‑based, youth‑specific, family‑inclusive crisis care for adolescents and young people.
These reforms are achievable, evidence‑based, and lifesaving.
Community Youth Crisis Teams
Dedicated crisis support for age 12–25
Mobile crisis teams and Hospital in the Home
Clinicians trained in youth mental health, de‑escalation and working with families
Family involvement in safety planning
Safe Alternatives to Emergency Departments
Calm, youth‑friendly crisis spaces
Community‑based de‑escalation environments
Reduced reliance on police and EDs
Available 24 hours a day
Youth-Specific Inpatient Care
Two zones: 12–16/18 and 16/18–25
Specialist clinicians
Recovery programs to avoid premature discharge
Mandatory family involvement in admission and discharge planning
Coordinated Care Throughout Crisis
Standardised youth crisis pathways
Active engagement and warm handovers to community and private services
Consistent person-centred care
Collaboration with families
Mandatory Family‑Inclusive Practice
Recognise families as protective
Require structured communication with families around safety
Provide information and resources to help families support their young person
Apply to emerging adults where there are safety risks
Youth-Focussed Policy and Practice
Recognise 12–25 as youth cohort in policy and practice
End the dangerous transition cliff at 18 years
Prioritise safety and protect young people during peak years for risk of harm and suicide
About the campaign
Why we exist
Too many young people experience crisis responses that escalate distress and cause harm, leaving them unsafe, unheard and without the help they need.
Families are often left unsupported and excluded from decision‑making. They lose trust in the system and struggle to keep their children safe. Too many have lost children.
These failures are not inevitable — they are the result of outdated policy and under‑investment.
We need urgent reform and action to address these problems.
Our approach
We focus on:
Evidence‑based reform
Direct experience
Youth‑specific and family-inclusive crisis responses
Equal engagement with all political parties
Constructive, respectful dialogue
Non‑partisan public advocacy
Our commitment
We act strictly as private citizens, maintain neutrality and advocate for policy change that any party can adopt.
About Parents for Crisis Care Reform
We are a non‑partisan, parent‑led advocacy initiative calling for urgent reform of youth crisis care in NSW.
Young people and families in NSW are being failed by crisis responses that are unsafe, traumatising and developmentally inappropriate.
We are parents, clinicians and advocates working together to ensure every young person in NSW receives best practice crisis care that prioritises safety and support throughout crisis.
Our goal
A crisis care system that keeps young people safe, provides real support throughout crisis and works alongside families to rebuild stability.
Our focus
We engage all NSW political parties equally ahead of the March 2027 State Election to ensure youth crisis care becomes a priority. Our work is strictly non‑partisan and centred on public health, safety and evidence‑based reform
Family experiences matter
Families across NSW are sharing their stories to highlight how the current crisis system is failing young people — and how urgently reform is needed.
Our supporters
The campaign is endorsed by
Parent support groups
Leading youth mental health experts
Mental health advocates and groups
Get involved
Why your voice matters
Decision‑makers listen when families speak together. Parents speaking up collectively with experts and organisations standing with them can drive meaningful change.
Join the campaign
We are building a powerful coalition of families, clinicians and advocates.
Get involved by:
Standing with us — add your voice to a growing group of families, clinicians and advocates.
Sharing the campaign — expand our reach so more families can stand with us.
Supporting our reform platform — back our policy proposals and sign our open letters.
Speaking with decision‑makers — highlight the urgent need for a crisis care system that keeps young people safe.
Please email us or get in touch using the form below if you want more information or want to support or participate in the campaign.
Contact us
Acknowledgement
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this land, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise their enduring care for children, young people, families, community and country.
We also acknowledge all young people and families who have experienced crisis, distress, and harm through system failures. We recognise their strength, their experiences, and their hope for a crisis care system in NSW that truly supports young people and families when they need it most.