Thursday, 5 February 2026

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:25): Last week, alongside the Minister for Youth, Minister Suleyman, I announced a $33 million investment to keep young people connected to their families, schools, communities and services and away from the justice system. We know that most young people who engage in offending have complex and intersecting needs, and preventing crime often starts well before a young person’s first offence. It is why $26.7 million of investment will expand the community forensic youth mental health service, which supports some of Victoria’s most vulnerable and at-risk youth. This means more clinical assessments, treatments and assertive outreach to young people at high risk of offending so they can get the targeted early intervention mental health care that they need.

We are investing $280,000 to embed a culturally appropriate youth outreach clinician in the Melton and Wyndham community support groups to deliver integrated mental health and alcohol and other drug care tailored for multicultural and multifaith youth. We are also investing $300,000 over two years to establish a youth mental health collaborative in the western and north-western suburbs of Melbourne, bringing together a range of mental health and wellbeing services to strengthen referral pathways and access to health and AOD care for young people, particularly those at risk of offending. We will also invest a further $400,000 to expand the important work of Project Sunrise, a fantastic, culturally tailored AOD support group for young people.

These investments will give young people earlier access to the right supports, from specialist mental health care to culturally informed family assistance and early intervention, helping to keep kids on track and have a bright future. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to meet some of these young people and to see the difference that these programs are making.