The Victorian Government is being pressured to increase resources for youth mental health, including a dedicated treatment unit at Goulburn Valley Health to address growing concerns about youth suicide.
State Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed has called on Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley to ensure a new mental health unit for GV Health is funded in the next state budget.
Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has also highlighted the urgent need for improved services in the wake of the tragic loss of five young Goulburn Valley residents to suicide since November last year.
Ms Sheed said the pandemic significantly increased the level of distress and mental health issues of young people across the state, with organisations such as headspace, Primary Care Connect and Wellways reporting wait times of up to six months for an appointment.
“A significant investment in a new mental health unit at Goulburn Valley Health has been identified as a high priority for stage two of the redevelopment of our regional health service and my plea to the government is to invest in this as a matter of urgency,” she said.
“I was recently contacted by a constituent, a 20-year-old woman, who sought my assistance to advocate on behalf of young people in our community who suffer from mental health issues and have been unable to get the supports that they need.”
Ms Lovell called for an immediate increase in funding for child and adolescent mental health services throughout the region and a start to planning the establishment of a dedicated child and adolescent inpatient facility at GV Health.
“My own community has been devastated by the loss of five young lives since November and I again call on the minister to take urgent action to ensure that our young people get the help they need, when they need it,” she said.
Ms Sheed said a constituent gathered online responses from people seeking mental health support in the region.
“The responses portrayed a tragic picture of the situation,” she said.
“So many talked about the wait times to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist, the difficulty in getting a mental health plan for themselves and the lack of emergency services.”
“While further infrastructure will not alone solve the problem, it goes some way to alleviating the stresses on our current system and on those seeking their services.”
The state government is in the process of establishing Mental Health and Wellbeing Interim Regional Bodies in response to a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
An estimated $700 million was included in the 2021-22 budget for new and expanded regional mental health support services as part of a record $3.8 billion investment in the sector.
If you need help, you can contact:
Lifeline: call 131 114 or visit lifeline.org.au
Beyondblue: call 1300 22 4636 or visit beyondblue.org.au
Kids Helpline: call 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au
Headspace: call 1800 650 890 or visit headspace.org.au