Mental Health Victoria has responded to the Disability Royal Commission's issues paper on the experiences of First Nations people with disability.

The fourth Mental Health Sector Forum, hosted by the Victorian Healthcare Association and Mental Health Victoria, to draw on New Zealand's experience of implementing major mental health reforms.

Mental Health Victoria has welcomed the appointment of Deputy Premier James Merlino as the new Victorian Mental Health Minister.

Mental Health Victoria has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today of $21 million in funding to ensure mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) services, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, have increased COVID safe protections in place.

The mental health impact of corona virus has been immense and although state and federal governments have moved quickly, there is still much to do. MHV CEO, Angus Clelland, describes some of the silverlinings of this pandemic for mental health, including the uptake of telehealth. 

MHV has provided input to the National Disability Insurance Scheme on the role of support coordination. Support coordination is of high importance to a large proportion of NDIS participants with psychosocial disability and improvements are needed to ensure this role better meets their needs.  

Mental Health Victoria has submitted its formal response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability issues paper on restrictive practices.

In the submission, MHV has drawn attention to the systemic and structural drivers of the use of restrictive practices in the mental health system. With over a dozen recommendations, the submission argues that we can avert the use of restrictive practices by creating a mental health system that is able to provide safe, effective and holistic care to people with mental health issues.

Read the full submission here.