Recommendation 20

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission recommended that the Victorian Government:

• ensure young people aged 12 to 25 years can access the treatment, care and support that they need
• create mental health services specifically for young people
• develop partnerships between youth services so young people can access the type and level of care they need
• ensure young people can access step-down and step-up care options when needed
• support the young person's family, carers or supporters to be involved in their treatment and care.

What are we doing?

We are creating a more responsive and integrated infant, child and youth mental health and wellbeing system. This will provide developmentally appropriate mental health and wellbeing treatment, care and support for newborns to 25-year-olds

This will be achieved through the implementation of recommendation 19, recommendation 20 and recommendation 21.

Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services

We are establishing new Infant, Child and Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services across two age streams:

• 0 to 11 years (recommendation 19) and
• 12 to 25 years.

This means young people will be able access a range of community mental health and wellbeing services such as:

• treatments and therapies
• wellbeing supports focused building life skills and on study and employment
• education, peer support and self-help
• care planning and coordination.

Young people will be able to access these supports through referrals from a medical practitioner. They can also be referred through headspace. In times of crisis, they will also be able to access these services without a referral.

Headspace

Headspace will continue to be a main place for young people to access treatment, care and support. We will work with the Commonwealth Government to promote strong partnerships between headspace services and Infant, Child and Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services. This will help to ensure that young people can move through the system as they need to and access the treatment, care and support that best suits their needs.

This is consistent with the Royal Commission’s recommendations and the Bilateral Agreement on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention between Victoria and the Commonwealth.

HOPE

Four new Child and Youth HOPE (Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement) services have been established at Alfred Health, Monash Children's Hospital, Royal Children's Hospital and Orygen. The new Child and Youth HOPE services provide support to children and young people who have attempted suicide, have suicidal ideation or have self-harmed. The services have been designed with children and young people as well as their families and carers.

Targeted outreach - IMYOS

Funding has been allocated to expand the Mobile Targeted Assertive Outreach teams, now known as the Intensive Mobile Youth Outreach Service (IMYOS). These teams provide specialised outreach support to young people who have complex needs. The mobile teams support young people who find it challenging to attend clinical appointments and ensure they can access important treatment, care and support.

Young people can be supported in places where they are most comfortable, such as in their home or at the local park.

Schools

A new School Mental Health Fund is also being set up for schools to deliver mental health and wellbeing support to their students. The Fund was rolled out to all Victorian Government rural and regional schools in Term 3, 2022, and is now in all Victorian government metropolitan schools. The Fund supports government schools to select programs, staff and other support from an evidence-based menu that best meets their students’ mental health and wellbeing needs.