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Clinical mental health service responses for people with eating disorders in Victoria

[Clinical mental health service responses for people with eating disorders in Victoria - October 2007 (PDF file 72KB)]

Mental health service reforms in the 1990s established systemic roles and functions for new mental health service configurations in Victoria. In April 1994, Victoria’s Mental Health Service: The Framework for Service Delivery was released. This cornerstone document specified target populations to be in
receipt of mental health services. Amongst the stipulated groups were those with eating disorders.

Since that time there has been significant growth in demand for mental health services as well as many noteworthy changes in the service environment. Three important developments related to eating disorders have been the Government funding of the Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders, the introduction of Primary Mental Health and Early Intervention teams in 2001 and establishment of rural eating disorder services in Geelong and Bendigo.

In 2005/2006, The Report on the Parliamentary Inquiry into Body Image (BII), and a subsequent mapping of eating disorder services undertaken on behalf of the Department of Human Services, have each highlighted that mental health and other services need to be more accessible and responsive to
the needs of people with eating disorders. Both these reports called for strengthened prevention and early intervention and for a systematic hierarchy of treatment responses.

This Program Management Circular describes and guides the role of public specialist mental health services in responding to the needs of Victorians of all ages who experience eating disorders.