The Andrews Labor Government has reached another milestone in its nation leading work to build a new mental health and wellbeing system that will make sure every Victorian gets the care they deserve.
Minister for Mental Health Gabrielle Williams today marked the second anniversary of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, with work well underway on more than 90 per cent of recommendations.
Organisations like Tandem, the peak Victorian body representing family and friends of people living with mental illness, are delivering key Royal Commission recommendations – including co-designing and co-leading new family-led centres to support carers and loved ones of those experiencing mental health challenges.
Tandem will also manage an $8.8 million Mental Health Care Support Fund and the $8 million Mental Health Carer Participation Register – making sure lived and living experience sits at the heart of our mental health system reform.
Since the Royal Commission delivered its final report, work is well underway to build a robust workforce to support this new, contemporary mental health system. In two years, more than $600 million has been invested to create more than 2,500 new roles in the mental health workforce, as well as hundreds of scholarships and training grants.
This includes 360 scholarships and grants to train and upskill mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, alcohol and other drug (AOD) practitioners and lived and living experience workers with an additional 50 postgraduate scholarships for allied health workers.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 invested $1.3 billion in mental health and wellbeing, building on last year’s record investment of $3.8 billion – the largest single investment in mental health in Victoria’s history.
We are not wasting a minute building a new mental health system that supports every Victorian - whether it's walk-in, community-based care or acute hospital treatment, we're making getting care easier for everyone as we continue to build a new mental and wellbeing system from the ground up.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Mental Health Gabrielle Williams
“The Royal Commission told us that the system was not fit-for-purpose – we know we have a long way to go but I'm very proud of what we have achieved in just two years as we continue to build a more compassionate and responsive system that works for all Victorians.”
“Our mental health workers, advocates and supporters, including those at Tandem, have been working tirelessly over the past two years to help more people access mental health and wellbeing treatments, care and support.”
Reviewed 01 March 2023