Recommendation 47

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission recommends that the Victorian Government:

1. establish a process for assessing the Victorian population's need for mental health and wellbeing services.
2. develop and publish a statewide mental health and wellbeing service and capital plan, and eight regional mental health and wellbeing service and capital plans, by the end of 2022; the remainder of the plans to be completed by the end of 2023.
3. update the statewide mental health and wellbeing service and capital plan every three years.
4. by no later than the end of 2026, empower Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards to update regional mental health and wellbeing service and capital plans every three years.

What are the opportunities?

Through the process of developing the statewide and regional plans, people can expect:

• improvements in system planning
• strengthening of system stewardship
• increasing and improving collaboration with stakeholders. This includes between the Victorian Government, the Department of Health, people with lived experience, and the mental health sector in service and capital planning
• strengthening in the way funding decisions are made.

What are we doing?

Work is underway in implementing this recommendation, including:

• developing a tool to assess the Victorian population's need for mental health and wellbeing services.
• working with the Victorian Health Building Authority to assess and plan for both current and future infrastructure needs.
• engaging with and listening to people with lived experience. We will ensure opportunities for consumers, families and carers are at the centre of service planning, design and delivery.
• engaging sector stakeholders, and working together, to develop and publish the first mental health and wellbeing service and capital plans. These will be completed by the end of 2022.