Recommendation 07

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission recommends that the Victorian Government:

1. Ensure mental health and wellbeing services provide three ‘needs identification and initial support’ functions:
   1. access and navigation support
   2. initial support discussions
   3. comprehensive needs assessment and planning discussions
2. Ensure these functions are delivered based on a philosophy of ‘how can we help?’ to enable people to be supported from their fist to their last contact with mental health and wellbeing services.

What are the opportunities?

In conjunction with Recommendation 6, there is the opportunity to ensure:

• Consumers, families and carers tell their story once, and experience a ‘warm referral’ as they move through different levels of the system.
• Consumers, families, carers are supported to access the right services when they need them, and in their own communities.
• Mental health and wellbeing services are integrated and seamlessly connect consumers through different system levels.
• Access policy and updated triage guidelines are appropriate for all ages and diverse communities, and supports consumers to receive timely treatment, care and support at the required level of intensity.

What are we doing?

A new mental health and wellbeing access policy

We are developing a new access policy for Local Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, and Statewide Mental Health and Wellbeing Services. The new access policy will support consumers, families, supporters and carers to access the right services, when they need them, and in their own communities.

Mental health and wellbeing services will provide coordinated care and support consumers, families, supporters and carers as they access services and move through different levels of the system.

Updated mental health triage guidelines

We will also be working with partners across the sector to update the triage guidelines used by public mental health and wellbeing services in Victoria The existing guidelines have been in place since 2010 and will be updated to reflect contemporary best practice.

The refreshed guidelines will be appropriate for all age and diversity cohorts and support matching of consumers with the right services, at the time they are needed.