Tara Murray
Residents in Whittlesea and Hume will have access to more mental health services with the state government allocating significant funding to the sector.
This year’s state budget will include $868.6 million in funding to ensure Victorians have the mental health support they need.
This includes funding the rollout of the interim recommendations from the Royal Commission into Mental Health.
As part of the funding, $492 million will be spent on 120 mental health beds in Epping, Geelong, Sunshine and Melbourne.
An additional $18.9 million is provided for 35 acute treatment beds for public mental health patients in private health services.
The Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement (HOPE) service will be expanded, with individual, intensive and one-on-one support for Victorians as they rebuild their lives.
Completion of the statewide rollout will deliver services in both metro and regional areas, including Broadmeadows and Epping.
The funding will also see $2.2 million allocated to design the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Money will be allocated to help Victorians who have suffered mental health problem use their experiences to help others.
The budget also includes additional training opportunities to support students and job seekers looking to pursue a career in the mental health sector and funding to address workforce shortages in the sector.
An extra 19,000 hours for community mental health support will also be funded.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the mental health system is broken.
“For far too long we’ve seen the patient instead of the person,” he said.
“As we recover from this pandemic, we can’t lose sight of what matters most – the health and wellbeing of our families, friends and communities.”
