The Nationals have proposed a Mental Health Workforce Strategy that Victorian deputy leader and Mental Health Shadow Minister Emma Kealy has dubbed ‘the nation’s largest worker recruitment drive’.
The plan intends to address psychologist shortages in regional Victoria and improve the availability of mental health appointments.
The plan proposes funding for an additional 750 psychology supervisors in Victoria and a matching service for psychology graduates to find the right supervisor for them.
There would also be scholarships and relocation incentives provided by the state government.
The proposal hopes to add up to 1300 new psychologists over the next two years.
They also suggest recognising counsellors as mental health practitioners, claiming an additional 2000 practitioners could deliver mental health support in schools.
Nationals candidate for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said people could not afford to sit on waiting lists for months when they needed mental health support.
“In terms of psychologist accessibility and availability, our region is significantly below the national average on a per capita basis,” she said.
“One third are closing waiting lists to new patients and Victorians aren’t able to access appointments for up to a year.
“GV Health has been unable to meet half of their target for mental health service hours, meaning thousands of appointments are being missed.
“We need innovative solutions to fix the mental health crisis.”