Mental health problems affect one in five Victorians during their lifetime. This significant incidence makes supporting good mental health and minimising the human and societal costs a vital challenge.

The Victorian Government has risen to this challenge and outlined its reform directions in its whole of government strategy Because mental health matters: the Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009-2019 at the launch on 13 March 2009 by Secretary, Fran Thorn and Minister for Mental Health, Lisa Neville.

Strategy highlights

Some of the major highlights from the strategy include:

• promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in schools, workplaces and other community settings, addressing mental health in government social inclusion programs and reducing risk factors related to alcohol and drug use and suicide
• supporting people earlier in life through the redevelopment of child and youth mental health services, with a distinct early intervention capacity, and delivery partnerships with schools, early childhood, primary health, and child and family services
• streamlining pathways to care through new phone advice and referral services, centralised psychiatric triage systems and a more integrated community crisis response involving police, ambulance, mental health teams and hospital emergency departments
• giving greater focus to earlier intervention and relapse prevention, public/private service partnerships to support a broader range of people, more alternatives to acute inpatient care, particularly for older people, and active promotion of consumer-centred and carer-inclusive practice
• embracing new approaches to supporting people with mental health problems in the justice system, including court support and diversion programs, and redeveloped prison health services
• supporting participation in the community through new care coordination arrangements and flexible support packages for people with severe, enduring conditions; including innovative supportive housing and employment participation models.

Further information

To download the strategy or a summary document visit the Victoria's Mental Health Services website.