Bendigo Community Health Services Executive Leader Better Health, Graem Kelly, said as the lead agency, BCHS will work with service provders across the region to advance and grow support services for children and their families.
“Demand for our paediatrics, mental health and family services exceeds our capacity, with all of our teams having significant case loads,” he said.
“The essence of the hub is that it’s not only about the services we provide, but how we partner and collaborate with other agencies to ensure we can provide the best paediatric, mental health and family case management support across our region.
“We aim to extend the access opportunities for families across the Loddon region.”
The hub will be also designed in consultation with local communities, people with lived experience as well as Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations, to ensure service offerings are tailored to local needs and build on existing services and capacity.
The hubs follow key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, responding to the need for a renewed focus on early intervention and age-appropriate care to meet development and mental health challenges in younger children.
Making the announcement today, Victorian Minister for Mental Health, Gabrielle Williams, said ‘for too long, there has been a gap in getting younger children the age-appropriate care they need for their wellbeing’.
“These hubs will help deliver the care families need, when they need and closer to home,” she said.
Assistant Federal Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, said ‘demand for mental health support has surged to record levels across the country over the past three years, with young Australians in particular experiencing higher rates of psychological distress’.
“The Federal Government is proud to work side-by-side with the Victorian Government to deliver critical, community-based support through these Health and Wellbeing Hubs.”
