Recommendation 31

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission highlighted the enormous contributions made by families, carers, kin and supporters. Their roles are crucial to both the people they support and for the functioning of the mental health system.

This recommendation aims to ensure system-wide involvement of families, carers, kin and supporters and the necessary steps to better support and recognise them.

The Royal Commission recognised that the current system does not provide adequate or holistic support to families, carers, kin and supporters.

Families, carers, kin and supporters of someone living with mental illness or psychological distress can experience distinct challenges, including:

• managing crises
• stigma and isolation
• supporting care planning
• needing to maintain high vigilance to prevent self-harm.

Families, carers, kin and supporters face a complex system, often with no clear access or help with navigation for their own support needs.

Lack of information and referral makes it difficult for carers to access support for themselves in their role of caring for loved ones. This can lead to carer burnout, and puts families, carers, and supporters at risk of developing their own mental health challenges.

What we've achieved

Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect

• Established eight new Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres, which are now operational across Victoria. As first-of their kind, they provide free services to those who are supporting people living with mental health and substance use challenges or psychological distress. There is a significant peer workforce comprised of nearly 90 per cent designated lived and living experience roles delivering a peer-led service model.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres have been co‑designed and are now led by people with lived experience. They offer a new and supportive way for people to access mental health and wellbeing help in Victoria.
• Each centre provides a warm, welcoming space built around peer support. The service is free, easy to access, and available to families, carers, kin, and supporters of all ages. You do not need a referral from a doctor or health professional.
• Families, carers, kin, and supporters can work with staff to identify their needs and be connected to support that is right for them.
• You can find out more about Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres, including where centres are located, on the Better Health Channel website.
• Funded the Family and Carer Research Advocacy Network report, Changing Lives: The Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centre family carer lived experience workforce story, to provide evidence-based advice for improving how family carer lived and living experience is recognised, supported and embedded across the Connect centres.

Statewide peer call-back service

• Families, carers, and supporters play a vital role in caring for people who are experiencing suicidal behaviour or recovering after a suicide attempt. While this support is invaluable, it can also place significant emotional strain on those providing care. It is important that families, carers, and supporters are supported themselves during these difficult times.
• The co-design of a new statewide peer callback model of care has also been completed, marking an important step toward improved support for families, carers, supporters of suicide attempt survivors, those experiencing suicidal distress, and people bereaved by suicide.

What we're doing

Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect

• We are continuing to strengthen how the service model is delivered and to raise awareness of it in the community. This includes building strong partnerships with other services so people can get the right support more easily.
• The Connect Development Group is a governance group made up entirely of lived experience leaders and has further developed the Connect Service Development Framework to support a consistent statewide model. This work focuses on volunteering, advocacy, and how the Carer Support Fund is delivered.
• There is a strong focus on using data and evidence to support the ongoing delivery and improvement of the model. In 2025, the Family and Carer Research and Advocacy Network (FaCRAN) at RMIT University completed a research study into the Connect centre workforce. The study produced 46 recommendations, published in the Changing Lives report . An implementation committee has been established to coordinate and oversee how these recommendations are addressed.
• An evaluation is underway to understand how the Connect centres were established and the early impact of this new, peer‑led model. The evaluation looks at benefits for both the community and the lived and living experience workforce, with findings expected in September 2026. Together with the FaCRAN recommendations, this work will help demonstrate the value of peer‑led services in meeting the needs of families and carers in their own right.

Statewide peer call-back service

• Following the co‑design process, work will continue to establish a new statewide peer call‑back service. This service will support families, carers, kin, and supporters of people who are experiencing suicidal behaviour, as well as people who have been bereaved by suicide.
• The service will connect people with peers who have lived experience, offering a safe space to be heard and to talk about what they are going through. It will also provide practical information and guidance about available support services and resources.
• In the interim, Victorian family, carers, and supporters can access support through the national Peer Care Companion Warmline Service delivered by Roses in the Ocean.