On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, mental health researcher Luis Salvador-Carulla and Cassandra Goldie join us to look at the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and the importance of adequate financial support for people’s sense of dignity and wellbeing. What impact has the COVID-19 crisis had on the mental health and wellbeing of Australians? What can policymakers do to improve access and the efficiency of mental health services? And with financial support for those in lockdown areas falling short of meeting their needs, what does this mean for some of the country’s most economically vulnerable citizens? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Social Service Dr Cassandra Goldie and Head of the Centre for Mental Health Research at The Australian National University Professor Luis Salvador-Carulla join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter.Cassandra Goldie is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Social Service, a national voice for Australians experiencing poverty and inequality and peak body for the community welfare sector.Luis Salvador-Carulla is Head of the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Research School of Population Health at The Australian National University. He has been advisor to the Government of Catalonia in Spain, the Spanish Ministry of Health, the European Commission, and the World Health Organization on mental health and disability policy.Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.