Secretary's forward
I am pleased to present Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing services annual report 2022–23 to the Victorian Parliament and community.
This report focuses on Victoria’s state-funded mental health and wellbeing services and the people who accessed these services for treatment, care and support in 2022–23.
For the past seven years the department has presented the Mental health services annual report. This year we are including ‘wellbeing’ in the title to represent the shift in the role and structure of the system as the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System intended. Mental health and wellbeing does not refer simply to the absence of mental illness but to creating the conditions in which people are supported to achieve their potential. Our vision is that Victorians are the healthiest people in the world as highlighted in the Department of Health strategic plan 2023–27.
Prioritising mental health and wellbeing is essential to achieving this bold and ambitious goal, because Victorians deserve nothing less.
This report highlights progress over the past year in implementing the 74 recommendations from the Royal Commission’s interim and final reports. A significant milestone in reform was achieved when the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 passed Victorian Parliament in September 2022 for commencement from 1 September 2023. The legislation contains new rights-based objectives and principles to drive the highest possible standard of mental health and wellbeing for Victorians.
The legislation also supports establishing new entities including the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, which will help drive system transformation.
Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system responded swiftly to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities devastated by the flooding events in northern Victoria in late 2022. Events such as these have significant and ongoing impacts on the livelihoods and wellbeing of affected communities. For this reason, the Victorian Government immediately directed $4.4 million to a range of targeted local and statewide supports and has funded the development of a Five-year framework for mental health and wellbeing disaster recovery and resilience in Victoria.
My deep thanks to everyone who has worked with and supported the mental health and wellbeing of Victorians in 2022–23. This includes our workforce and people with lived and living experience – consumers, carers, family members and supporters – who are central to all our work. A sincere thanks also to clinicians, care professionals and health services for their ongoing commitment to reforming Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system.
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Contact email: DSO.MentalHealthWellbeingDivision@health.vic.gov.au
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- Date published
- 26 Dec 2023
Reviewed 27 December 2023