Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Ministers statements: youth mental health

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:26): I rise to update the house on the work that our government is doing to give young Victorians the mental health care they need when they need it. We know that 75 per cent of diagnosable mental illness first emerges before the age of 25. That is why the Allan Labor government has not wasted a day in working to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people. We are delivering a youth prevention and recovery care centre in every region, which will see YPARCs in Heidelberg, Traralgon, Shepparton, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Dandenong, Frankston and Parkville. We have established three new infant, child and family locals in partnership with the Commonwealth to support infants, children and their families to access a range of health and wellbeing services. We have established the Child and Youth HOPE program, which provides targeted support for children and young people who have attempted suicide, have suicidal ideation or have self-harmed. We know that for some people being at home is the best place to receive support, so we have delivered youth hospital in the home beds in a range of different settings. And following recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, we have established the Parkville youth mental health and wellbeing service for the north-west.

Importantly, there are also foundational reforms underway and commencing as part of the royal commission’s 10-year reform program, including infant, child and youth age streaming and improving Headspace integration. This is in addition to the $200 million schools mental health menu, providing targeted mental health support to students when and where they need it most, and work is underway on a new social media safety program, Safe Socials. We are giving young Victorians the confidence that when they need mental health support, there are local services that will give them the tailored mental health care that they need close to home.