Recommendation 18

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission recommends that the Victorian Government:

1. expand and reform the community perinatal mental health teams in each Adult and Older Adult Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Service across Victoria to adapt and deliver the core functions as set out in Recommendation 5, including by providing consultation to primary and secondary care and related services for prospective and new parents, including maternal and child health nurses.
2. review approaches to perinatal mental health screening.

Update

In response to Recommendation 18.2, the Department of Health commissioned a review of the evidence to improve perinatal mental health screening practices.

The review has now been completed and makes 10 recommendations. These recommendations are aligned with the following themes:

• strengthening perinatal mental health screening practice
• building workforce capability and confidence across our services
• improving experiences and continuity of care for people.

An external Expert Advisory Group will be established to help develop new Victorian perinatal mental health screening guidelines.

View our Review of perinatal mental health screening approaches page for a summary report of the findings, including recommendations.