New Vic strategy – because mental health matters
‘Because Mental Health Matters – Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009–2019’ was recently released by Lisa Neville, Minister for Mental Health.
The strategy has been developed through extensive consultation with those who live with mental illness, their families, friends, carers and those who work to support them.
The strategy is about ensuring all Victorians have the opportunities they need to maintain good mental health while also supporting those with a mental illness to access high quality, timely care and live successfully in the community.
Of particular interest is Reform Area 5 Specialist Services: Meeting the needs of adults and older people with moderate to severe mental health problems.
This section proposes that the entry into specialist aged persons mental health be raised from 65 years to 70 years, it also proposes to assist older people with emerging or existing mental health problems by enhancing aged persons mental health services capacity to provide secondary consultation, training and short-term shared care to primary health services and mainstream residential aged care facilities.
Over time, the aim is to develop new and expanded alternatives to inpatient care for adults and older people with severe mental illness, including greater access to sub acute prevention and recovery care services and intensive in-home treatment and support for older people.
A copy of the strategy can be downloaded from http://www.health.vic.gov.au/
