Partially delivered and in progress.
What the Royal Commission said
The Royal Commission recommended that the Victorian Government build on new ways of funding and monitoring mental health and wellbeing services.
It also recommended empowering the Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards to:
- run one trial project in each region where one or more providers deliver a range of services for people who need ongoing, intensive treatment, care, and support
- run trial projects in each region for people who need short-term support, including those in the “missing middle” (people whose needs are not fully met by current services)
- evaluate these projects to see what works best and use this information to expand successful approaches to new providers or partnerships, tailored to community needs and for people of all ages
- monitor provider partnerships using a shared set of measures, with a focus on improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
The Victorian Government should also work with Regional Boards, the Commonwealth Government, and Primary Health Networks to better coordinate funding and planning of services. This approach should:
- build on joint planning already happening between the state and Commonwealth governments
- make use of existing agreements, including the Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement 2020–2025.
What are we doing?
Updated commissioning models for mental health services are being developed through the National Health Reform Agreement.
This agreement is between the Commonwealth Government and all state and territory governments. It sets out the future direction of Australia’s public hospitals and health system, including how services are funded.
Local Health Service Networks (LHSNs) were established in July 2025 are responsible for supporting collaborative care for their community, as close to home as possible.
Each Network will develop a Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Collaboration Plan to improve access to services and strengthen transitions between primary, community and acute care. While Networks are being implemented, work to establish Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards has been paused to ensure future planning reflects this new structure.
Updated