Mental health rollout

Geelong picked as priority for treatment centre

GREATER Geelong will be one of the first communities to receive a new mental health treatment centre following recommendations from a landmark report into the state’s troubled system.

The new centres will focus on providing a “front door” for adults in crisis as well as access to long-term care.

Geelong was one of six identified sites that will house the first of up to 60 centres across the state, with the consultation process for developing the centre expected to begin immediately.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the state government would “deliver for local communities” after unveiling the findings of Mental Health Royal Commission report on Tuesday.

He said Geelong’s higher than average rate of self harm over several years had led the region to be identified as a priority area.

Barwon Health’s clinical director of mental health, drugs and alcohol services, Associate Professor Steve Moylan, said the announcement was in line with the report’s recommendations.

“We are pleased to hear that the Victorian government has identified Greater Geelong to establish one of the first new local mental health and wellbeing services recommended in the royal commission final report,” Professor Moylan said.

“We believe this is an important opportunity for our community and is consistent with recommendations of the report and our desire to make accessing care simple and easy.”

Professor Moylan said providing new services would require investment in a new workforce and the introduction of strategies to ensure Barwon Health could “attract, retain and develop” a mental health workforce to provide a high level of care.

He said a key component of the royal commission report was the highlighted difficulty of finding and accessing the right care at the right time.

“To improve this, a unified approach, or a ‘unified front door’, will make it simple for consumers, carers and other concerned people to connect with the right services when they are needed,” Professor Moylan said.

Recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare research found Geelong had higher than average intentional self-harm hospitalisation rates.

In 2018-19, there were 240 hospitalisations among all Geelong females, and 131 for males.

Geelong had a higher rate for females (233.3 per 100,000 people) and males (132.2) than the Victorian rates, of 123.5 and 68.2 respectively.

The government said the first of the local services would open from mid-2022, with all six of the initial services open by the end of 2022.

The other sites will be located at Benalla, Brimbank, Frankston, the Latrobe Valley, and Whittlesea.

Mental Health Minister James Merlino said the announcement was the “first step” in implementing the agenda set out in the final report.

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