What the Royal Commission said
The Commission recommended a new Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The Collaborative Centre will:
- lead best practice for the inclusion of people with lived experience across the mental health system
- conduct interdisciplinary research to guide new treatments and services
- educate the mental health workforce through practice improvement, training and professional development programs
- work with services and research organisations in rural and regional areas.
What are the opportunities?
The Royal Commission identified opportunities to improve the current system.
These include:
- ensuring that research has a direct impact on services or health outcomes for people
- connecting research, training organisations and services around a shared purpose and vision
- developing clear processes for monitoring and improving programs and services.
What are we doing?
We are consulting with stakeholders to deliver the new Collaborative Centre. This involves learning from experts, including those with lived experience of mental illness.
The legislation to establish the Collaborative Centre was passed in Parliament in November 2021.
This creates the Collaborative Centre in legislation and requires that people with lived experience of mental illness or psychological distress are represented at every level of the centre. This includes its Governance Board and part of its executive leadership.
The Victorian Government appointed the intended Board for the Collaborative Centre in July 2022.
The Board will start when the Collaborative Centre Act officially commences, likely to be on 1 September. The Board will oversee the establishment and operation of the new Collaborative Centre. This includes setting the early strategic direction of the new centre and selecting key delivery clinical and academic partners.
Better services
The Collaborative Centre will provide high quality treatment, care and support. It will bring together people with lived experience, researchers and health professionals to lead improvement in the mental health system.
People with lived experience will be at the centre of service design, delivery, research and evaluation.
Research that makes a difference
The new Collaborative Centre will be Victoria's centre of excellence for mental health research.
Research projects will bring practical benefits to consumers, families, carers and the community.
Informing our community
The Collaborative Centre will share new information about advances in mental health treatment, care and support.
It will ensure information is shared across the mental health system and with people living with mental illness, their families and carers. This includes people living in rural and regional areas.
Education programs will improve community understanding of mental health. This will help reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with mental illness.
The workforce
The Collaborative Centre will also support the mental health workforce. Funding will be provided for academic positions, internships, traineeships, fellowships and scholarships.
The board
It is intended the inaugural board of the Collaborative Centre start in early September 2022.
Reviewed 21 March 2024