The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for mental health in Victoria.

Bendigo Community Health Services welcomes the opportunity to participate through this official submission.

Below are some of the areas that we believe warrant urgent consideration by the commissioners:

• mental health issues regarding resettled refugees in regional centres
• dual diagnosis (MH/AOD)
• consideration of the "missing middle" i.e. those who are falling between the gaps due to not being at the higher levels of acuteness and not meeting eligibility requirements for services funded to work with people with mild mental health presentations (especially those between 12 – 25 years)
• underfunded work with children around emerging mental health issues, and
• GP’s in Schools program.

Summary of recommendations

1. More funding for work with children around their developmental stages, safety, resilience and wellbeing pertaining to emerging mental health issues.
2. More collective focus is required on dual diagnosis.
3. Increase access to effective mental health services and supports for young people across all stages of mental ill-health.
4. Improved tailored support responses for margionalised minority populations such as the refugee community.
5. More funding needs to be put into health promotion and early intervention instead of tertiary services always having the majority.

You can read our complete submission here: pdf BCHS submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health July 2019 (4.62 MB)