Today Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly welcomed the announcement from the Premier and Deputy

Premier that the Victorian Budget 2020/21 will include $868.6 million to ensure Victorians have the

mental health support they need as we get on with fixing a broken system.
This includes funding the rollout of the interim recommendations from the Royal Commission into

Mental Health, including $492 million to deliver 120 mental health beds in Geelong, Epping, Sunshine

and Melbourne. This is an addition to the 24 Hospital in the Home beds announced earlier this year

bringing the total to 144.
An additional $18.9 million is provided for 35 acute treatments beds for public mental health patients

in private health services.

The Budget invests $21.4 million to support the state-wide expansion of the Hospital Outreach Post Suicidal Engagement (HOPE) service, with individual, intensive, and one-on-one support for Victorians

as they rebuild their lives. Completion of the state-wide rollout will deliver services in Albury-Wodonga, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Broadmeadows, Box Hill, Clayton, Epping, Heidelberg, Mildura,

Parkville, Shepparton, and Warrnambool.
As we begin the work to rebuild our system, learning from the lived experiences of Victorians is vital.

Its why $2.2 million will help design the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and

Wellbeing, a new centre dedicated to bringing together the experts on our mental health system

researchers, academics and those whove experienced it firsthand.
A further $16 million will help those same Victorians use their own very real and personal experience

to support and champion for others in need with new training positions, education, and

opportunities for employment. This includes $7.3 million for a service designed and delivered by

people with lived experience.
The Budget also includes $8.7 million to establish a residential mental health service, specifically

designed and delivered by those with lived experience. This service will deliver short-term care and

support in a residential community setting, designed as a true alternative to acute hospital-based care.

The Budget includes additional training opportunities to support students and job seekers looking to

pursue a career in the mental health sector. It includes $1.9 million for allied health, nursing, and

medical undergraduates to work part-time in community mental health settings while completing

their studies. A further $3.1 million will support experienced general nurses to retrain as mental health

nurses; and $7.7 million for specialist training roles in child and adolescent psychiatry to address the

shortage of trained psychiatrists in these roles, including in regional areas.
A further $7.7 million in funding is provided to begin to address workforce shortages in the mental

health sector, to support future expansion of the workforce. This includes funding to increase the

annual number of junior medical officer psychiatrist rotations, graduate nurses and postgraduate

mental health nurse scholarships.
The Budget also delivers $20 million towards upgrading state-owned facilities across Victoria. The

Budget will also deliver an extra 19,000 hours for community mental health support

Supporting the mental health of our young people will remain critical as we begin our recovery, with

this years Budget investing $47.8 million dedicated to early intervention support for young people

recognising that sometimes the most important help is the earliest help, as well as $7 million to

support critical research into youth mental health and operations at the Orygen centre.
Quotes attributable to Member for Tarneit, Sarah Connolly
As we recover from this pandemic, we cant lose sight of what matters most the health and

wellbeing of our families, friends and communities.