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Feedback sought for Victorian mental health reform
What you need to know
- The Victorian Government is planning to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people from diverse communities, which includes people with disability.
- A Community Toolkit allows providers to gather feedback, ideas and experiences from their networks. The deadline is 18 January.
- NDS are also creating, with VALID, a series of online focus groups of people with intellectual disabilities and their carers to gather ideas and experiences of the mental health system and suggestions for reform.
- This is part of NDS’s engagement with the Victorian Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing team to advocate for the disability sector and contribute to reform.
Actively engaged with Victoria’s mental health reforms, NDS has been gathering sector input on needs, gaps and improvements to the system that will appropriately support people with disability. There are two opportunities for members to have their say.
Community Engagement Toolkit
The Victorian Government is developing their Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing ten-year framework, a plan to improve the mental health and wellbeing of diverse communities, including people with disability.
Victorian people and organisations can help design the framework through its Diverse Communities Mental Health and Well Being Toolkit.
It contains a questionnaire to gather information, experiences and suggestions from your networks and contribute to the reform process. You can choose to answer all or some of the questions.
You can get the toolkit in other languages and an accessible format by contacting hwd.diversity@health.vic.gov.au.
We encourage NDS members to complete and submit the toolkit by Wednesday 18 January.
VALID focus groups
NDS is one of several organisations working with the Victorian Department of Health to ensure the disability sector contributes to the mental health and wellbeing reform. As part of this, NDS is working with the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID) to understand how mental health services can be improved for people with intellectual disability.
We invite members to encourage participants or their carers to join a series of online focus group conversations, led by VALID, about mental health for people with intellectual disability. The sessions will explore what good mental health means for people with intellectual disability and how the system can be more responsive, accessible, safe and inclusive.
Groups will be limited to six people or fewer and participants will be paid.
In all sessions, mental health and safety of participants will be a priority.
Service providers with interested participants or carers should contact Jon or Zoe at VALID about the process and eligibility.
Email: jon@valid.org.au or zoe@valid.org.au or call (03) 9416 4003.
As a member of the Diverse Communities Working Group, NDS can assist with any questions about the consultations.
For any enquiries, please contact Deniz Akin, Senior Policy and Project Officer, submit enquiry/feedback, show phone number