The Department of Health is to fast-track six mental health priority sites across the State to provide Victorians with the treatment they need sooner and closer to home.
In a joint statement, Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Mental Health, James Merlino said the six sites would be the first of up to 60 across the State, and would provide a ‘front-door’ for anyone in the community to access mental health support.
“Establishing the new Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Services is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System,” Mr Andrews and Mr Merlino said.
“They will help Victorians access help in the community earlier, before they need to access a hospital or when they reach a crisis point,” they said.
The Ministers said the locations for the first six sites were Benalla; Brimbank; Frankston; Greater Geelong; Latrobe Valley; and Whittlesea.
They said the Department would investigate options to establish services within each priority region throughout Victoria.
“This will involve a consultation process with established local providers,” they said.
“The first of these local services would open from mid-2022, with all six of the initial services open by the end of 2022.”
Mr Andrews and Mr Merlino said the new services would operate in partnership with reformed, area-based adult and older adult mental health and wellbeing services, as well as specialist State-wide services to ensure the right level of care was available at the right time.
The Premier said the State was committed to implementing all 65 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
