The Victorian government will pour $200 million into expanding mental health services at 1800 government and low-fee non-government primary schools across the state.
The Victorian government has announced a $200 million expansion of mental health counsellors in primary schools.
The funding announcement will be used to scale up a pilot program operating at 100 Victorian schools and employ a mental health and wellbeing leader at each school by 2026.
The announcement comes as the state government prepares to introduce a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act to Parliament on Tuesday.
James Merlino,who is Victoria’s minister for both education and mental health,said some schools would use the funding to bolster existing mental health support roles,while others would create new positions from scratch.
He said the mental health and wellbeing leaders would be trained teachers,who would receive support and guidance from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne.
“It’s about the trust and confidence that children and young people at school have with the teachers and staff,” he said.
“Having the confidence to have the conversation,talk about mental health and then through that trusted adult in the school support the child,including referring[the child] to other services.”
According to the state government,about half of all cases of anxiety,mood,impulse control,and substance use disorders manifest by the age of 14. Students struggling with their mental health also lag behind their peers throughout most of their schooling.
“We know that more than half of all mental health illnesses manifest by the age of 14. Imagine if we can identify and intervene early in grade two,three,four,five and six,” Merlino said.
James Merlino,Victoria’s minister for education and mental health.Chris Hopkins
The new legislation will be used to create regional mental health and wellbeing boards in the state and establish a new mental health and wellbeing commission with the power to investigate complaints and hold the government to account.
Under the legislation,a new advisory body called Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Victoria will be created with the power to commission specialist services for mental health.
Merlino said the legislation was “another key plank” in the government’s reform of the mental health system,which was being rebuilt “from the ground up”.
“I can tell you today that we have funded an additional 2500 mental health workers,we are making progress on 90 per cent of the Royal Commission’s recommendations,and ... we are delivering a brand new mental health and wellbeing bill,” he said.
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System found people continued to have their human rights breached through compulsory treatment,seclusion,and restraint – treatments which it insists must be curbed or stopped.
The inquiry,which published its made 65 recommendations to improve the state’s mental health system,including the creation of a new mental health act and independent authority to hold the government to account.
A first reading of the bill will take place on Tuesday,with a second reading expected to occur on Thursday.
Meanwhile,Victorian schools will be required to provide extra support to vulnerable students - including children who are unable to live at home,international students and LGBTIQ+ students - under expanded child safety laws that take effect next term.
In an Australian first,Victorian schools also will be required to create culturally safe environments for Indigenous students.
Child Safe Standards require all Victorian schools to ensure child safe environments,manage the risk of child abuse and respond to allegations of child abuse. They were introduced in 2016 following the state’s Betrayal of Trust report on sexual abuse.
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