Thursday, 22 February 2024

Ministers statements: mental health

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:24): I rise today to talk about the Allan Labor government’s commitment to growing, developing and supporting our hardworking mental health and addiction workforce. I will just take the opportunity to thank the thousands of professionals around our state who dedicate their working lives to providing the expert care that vulnerable Victorians need to transform their lives. Yesterday I was able to confirm the 20 successful recipients of scholarships to study specialist mental health care at the Hamilton Centre, giving them the skills they need to work with people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug issues. We know for many Victorians with these frequently co-occurring issues it can be really difficult to access specialist care that meets all of their needs. That is why these scholarships are so important. They are helping expand a much-needed specialist workforce that can provide holistic and integrated care for Victorians. Commencing this month, 20 professionals will complete the graduate certificate of addictive behaviours, which is being delivered in partnership with Monash University. Located across the state, the recipients include people with a variety of experience levels and professions, including nursing, social work, psychology, psychiatry and occupational therapy.

This small but important initiative is one component of the more than $600 million that the Allan Labor government has invested in our hardworking mental health workforce since we handed down the royal commission. These investments are helping grow the mental health and alcohol and other drug workforce, ensuring an inclusive, safe and responsive mental health and wellbeing system for all Victorians.