What the Royal Commission said
The Royal Commission recommended the Victorian Government:
- act immediately to ensure compulsory treatment is used only as a last resort
- set targets to reduce the use and duration of compulsory treatment on a year-by-year basis
- set expectations when commissioning mental health and wellbeing services to provide non-coercive options for people living with mental illness or psychological distress
- ensure the Mental Health Improvement Unit within Safer Care Victoria works with services to ensure compulsory treatment is used as a last resort.
What are the opportunities?
The Royal Commission identified opportunities to improve the quality and safety of mental health and wellbeing services.
This includes measures to reduce compulsory treatment and promote and protect human rights.
What are we doing?
Safer Care is establishing a mental health improvement program in January 2022. It will include the work of the Chief Mental Health Nurse and focus on:
- increasing consumer leadership and participation in all activities to reduce compulsory treatment
- support the design and implementation of local programs, informed by data, to reduce compulsory treatment, and
- make available workforce training on non-coercive options for treatment that is underpinned by human rights and supported decision-making principles.
Reviewed 10 October 2024