14 September 2021
Mind welcomes and is proud to be a participant in the Victorian government’s 20 new pop-up community mental health services to support Victorians’ mental health through the pandemic.
Mind and other trusted community health providers will provide 93,000 hours of wellbeing checks and counselling to thousands of Victorians needing support through these services, which will open progressively from the end of September across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Announced today by Minister for Mental Health James Merlino, the pop-up clinics are part of a $21 million investment in community support programs to address the impact the pandemic is having on the mental health and wellbeing of the Victorian community.
Mind will be delivering services for these pop-up centres across a range of Melbourne LGAs and regional areas including Whittlesea, Darebin, City of Yarra, Bendigo, Latrobe and Albury Wodonga.
This support will also help to reduce the burden on Emergency Departments already under great pressure from the pandemic. It will provide more effective, efficient and personalised support for people struggling with their mental health.
The Victorian government is supplementing these pop up services with a range of dedicated supports for specific groups who may be at higher risk of isolation or mental health concerns as a result of the pandemic.
“The range of services announced today will make a big contribution to helping Victorians with the stressors the pandemic is causing in the community,” says Mind CEO Gill Callister PSM.
“From unemployment, isolation and extended home-schooling for young people – the pressures of lockdown are creating a variety of mental health problems that are best treated in a community setting.”
“Mind thanks the Minister and the Victorian government for listening to our concerns about the impact the pandemic has had on the Victorian community and embracing our recommendation of more local, accessible and equitable mental health and wellbeing services in the community.”
“It is another sign the Victorian government has truly heard the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and is on the path to building a more holistic community focused mental health system for the people of Victoria.”
The Victorian government has advised that a dedicated triage and referral hotline and website will be established in the coming days, so people can start booking appointments.
For more information please contact Max McLean, Communications Manager at Mind Australia on 0497 333 545 or at [email protected]