Status: In progress
What the Royal Commission said
In its final report, the Royal Commission noted that:
- the current mental health system is not equipped to handle mental health emergencies
- police are often the first responders to mental health crises
- police-led responses can lead to poor outcomes for people in crisis
- police are not clinicians. Their involvement can increase trauma and stigma. Victoria Police has recognised this.
- we need to create better processes to support people having mental health emergencies.
The Royal Commission recommended that Victorians who need mental health support should be assessed by mental health services. They will receive support in more appropriate settings instead of in hospital emergency departments.
New training for paramedics and police will help to improve emergency responses.
What we've achieved
- The Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 introduced guiding principles for emergency responders to support a least restrictive, health‑led response to mental health crises.
- We have worked closely with Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police to develop new protocols when supporting people experiencing mental health crises. The protocols clarify the roles, responsibilities and procedures for police, paramedics and mental health clinicians. This will enable paramedics to provide a health-led response, including transporting patients to designated mental health services, ensuring people in crisis receive support from health clinicians rather than primarily police.
- While this longer-term reform work continues, the Telehealth Prehospital Response of Mental Health and Paramedic Team (TelePROMPT) service delivered by Eastern Health connects paramedics with mental health clinicians in real time, to better support people experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Data‑sharing arrangements with Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, and Triple Zero Victoria have been set up to allow for better understanding of how often mental health crises occur and how emergency services respond. The data provides a clear starting point to track progress and measure improvements over time.
- We are working closely with partner agencies, including Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, and Triple Zero Victoria, to continue to improve how mental health crises are responded to across Victoria. This work supports the delivery of Royal CommissionRoyal Commission Recommendation 8, recommendation 9 and recommendation 10.
- People with lived and living experience, First Nations communities, community organisations, and service providers have all contributed to this work to date. Their input is continuing to help ensure these new services are well connected, meet community needs, and provide clear, practical advice to government.
What we're doing
- We are continuing an agreed, phased approach to rolling out new and enhanced services linked to Royal Commission Recommendation 8, recommendation 9 and recommendation 10.
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