Thursday 29th of August 2024
Victorian Legislative Council

RACHEL PAYNE (Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan): My constituency question is for the Minister for Mental Health, Minister Stitt. My constituent is a young person who has recently moved to the Cranbourne area. My constituent struggles with their mental health but cannot afford the ongoing cost to go and visit a psychologist. The nearest Headspace to my constituent is in Narre Warren, over an hour away via public transport. This means that my constituent cannot readily access mental health services, and as a result their mental health is suffering. They are not alone in this struggle. Cranbourne, as part of Casey City Council, is set to grow to over 100,000 residents in the next decade. This problem is only set to get worse, so my constituent asks: will the minister ensure the provision of adequate affordable mental health services in the Cranbourne area?

Response Received, 11th of October 2024:

I thank the Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan for her question and for their advocacy for young people in the Cranbourne area.

We know that 75 per cent of diagnosable mental illness first emerges before the age of 25. The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that all Victorian can access mental health treatment, care and support when and where they need it most, including children and young people.

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System made 74 recommendations and provided us with a roadmap to transform the mental health and wellbeing system in order to improve access to mental health treatment, care and support.

As part of its commitment to implement every one of these recommendations, the Government is creating a dedicated infant, child and youth mental health service stream, a key foundation in building a better mental health system for young Victorians.

The Royal Commission also recommended that every region has a Youth Prevention and Recovery Centre (YPARC) for people aged 16-25. We’re in the process of delivering five new and three upgraded Youth Prevention and Recovery Centres across Victoria, including in Frankston. The first stage of the upgrade to the Frankston YPARC was completed earlier this year, delivering three refurbished bedrooms, a new bedroom pod and better outdoor areas to the existing service – ensuring a safer and more comfortable facility for both consumers and staff.

The second stage of the Frankston YPARC centre upgrade will deliver important improvements to the centre’s kitchen facilities, activity rooms and interview rooms.

In response to another recommendation of the Royal Commission, we have established three new Infant, Child and Families Locals in partnership with the Commonwealth, including one in Cranbourne. Infant, Child and Family Locals provide specialist support for children aged 0-11 years and their families, free of charge and with no referral required. They also provide family services, group parenting programs and culturally safe wrap around services.

In addition we have made a number of important investments to support young Victorias across eating disorder services, bed-based services, AOD services, and suicide prevention initiatives for groups disproportionately impacted by suicide. The 2024-25 State Budget also invested $6.4 million to continue Orygen’s Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) program, a digital mental health service for young people aged 12 to 25. It’s available by referral for free at participating youth mental health services in Victoria.

For specialised, mental health care for young people in Cranbourne, Monash Health is a key provider of a range of services including an Adolescent Recovery Centre, Stepping Stones (the Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Unit), an Intensive Mobile Youth Outreach Service, the Recovery and Relapse Prevention of Psychosis Service (for 16–25-year-olds) and outpatient services.

The Royal Commission recommended that headspace centres will continue to be a main place for young people to access treatment, care and support and the Department of Health is working towards better integration of headspace services with Infant, Child and Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services.

As headspace is a Commonwealth initiative, advocacy for expanding headspace services can be directed to the Minister for Department of Health and Aged Care, The Hon Mark Butler MP.

We know that demand for mental health services will increase with population growth and to plan for this, in response to a recommendation of the Royal Commission, we have developed a Statewide Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Capital Plan 2024-2037 which is currently being finalised. This statewide plan will use estimated projections of demand for services to guide future planning across the mental health and wellbeing system.  

Ingrid Stitt MP
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Ageing
Minister for Multicultural Affairs

Related Resources

> Casey Rental Crisis – Rachel Payne
> Maternal & Child Health in Casey – Rachel Payne
> Casey Fields Women’s Centre of Excellence – Rachel Payne