Welcome to the Victorian State Government Mental Health Services Web site

What's New

New mental health triage scale

A new mental health triage scale has been developed for use by all Victorian public mental health services.

Triage is the process of initial assessment to determine a person’s need for service and the nature and urgency of the required response.  The new mental health triage scale provides a standardised tool to classify the outcome of a triage assessment.

Public mental health services (child & adolescent, adult and aged persons) must implement the scale from 1 September 2010.

Mental health triage scale (pdf, 558KB) - July 2010

Statewide mental health triage scale - Guidelines (pdf, 298KB) - July 2010

The Department of Health is providing ‘train the trainer’ sessions in mid-July 2010 to assist mental health service providers to implement the scale.  Senior triage clinicians and clinical educators are invited to participate in the program. 

Mental Health Advice Line

The Mental Health Advice Line is a state-wide telephone information service available to all Victorians seeking mental health information, advice and referral for themselves or another person.

The service is for Victorians of all ages and from all backgrounds.  You can call about yourself, a friend or a family member and you may remain anonymous if you wish.

The service is staffed by mental health professionals who provide expert mental health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.

Call 1300 280 737 for the cost of a local call from anywhere in Victoria. (Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate.)

In an emergency or life threatening situation, you should still call 000.

If you would like to speak another language, we can organise an interpreter. The National Relay Service is available to assist callers who have difficulties with hearing or speech.

Mental Health and Drugs Fellowship Grants 2009-10

The Mental Health and Drugs Research Fellowship Grants Program aims to support staff in mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) services undertake research that benefits mental health consumers and AOD clients.

The program is open to staff from AOD services, area mental health services, psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support services, as well as consumer and carer consultants. This year the program will offer four grants of $50,000 each.

After the Bushfires: Victoria's psychosocial recovery framework (pdf, 243kb) - September 2009

Following the devastating impact of the February 2009 bushfires on Victorian individuals, families and communities, the Victorian Government committed to supporting the psychosocial recovery of people affected by the bushfires.

After the Bushfires: Victoria’s psychosocial recovery framework, provides an evidence informed framework of the range of psychosocial responses required post a disaster such as the Victorian bushfires of 2009. It highlights the principles that support these responses and builds on the Psychosocial model for post emergency individual and community support (DHS 2005).

Shaping the Future: The Victorian mental health workforce strategy

On 6 October 2009, the Minister for Mental Healthlaunched Shaping the Future: The Victorian mental health workforce strategy. The report is a key element of the government’s commitment to developing Victoria’s specialist mental health workforce and sits within the broader longer term framework of workforce and mental health system reform provided by Because mental health matters: Victorian mental health reform strategy 2009-19.

Shaping the future: The Victorian mental health workforce strategy - Final report (pdf, 326kb) - September 2009

Shaping the future: The Victorian mental health workforce strategy - Final report (rtf, 636kb) - September 2009