Tuesday, 2 May 2023

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (15:53): It was absolutely wonderful to be down last week in Sunshine for the official launch of the Brimbank mental health and wellbeing local. This hub is being run by Cohealth and is one of the first of six new local mental health and wellbeing hubs that are currently up and running across Victoria, with 50 to be up and operating by 2026. I had the pleasure of joining Cohealth’s CEO Nicole Bartholomeusz and director of mental health transformation Suzanne Dick for a tour of this wonderful facility and a look at the services that are being provided to my local community and to folks across the broader Brimbank community. These hubs are operating as a one-stop shop for people looking to access mental health services but who are unsure where to look. We know from the royal commission that these local hubs should serve as a front door for people seeking a transformed mental health system. As soon as they walk in they get the help that they need and they very much deserve, and for sites like these anyone over the age of 26 can now walk in and get the help that they need free of charge and without any referral or appointment required. Folks in Brimbank can find this location at the Cohealth centre on Dickson Street, right across the road from the train station in Sunshine, and as for the rest of the Laverton electorate, I look forward to seeing more of these hubs, including one in Trug, open.