The Nationals Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has in Parliament highlighted the plight of Mallee residents struggling with mental illness.
Ms Benham is urging the Minister for Mental Health to provide a timeline on when the Mental Health Local will be upgraded from the current Telehealth model to a desperately needed walk-in service.
“What we need is a wrap-around, walk-in mental health service, and we need it now,” Ms Benham said.
“The peak body for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Victoria, Mental Health Victoria, has said ‘substantial reforms recommended by the Royal Commission have been missed in this budget, raising concerns about the status of their progress’ and this is certainly true in the case of services in Mildura.
“Having access to a Telehealth service is good, but on its own it’s not enough and it’s not equivalent with the kind of services our metro counterparts can readily access.
“Mallee residents are being told to wait eight to 12 weeks for an appointment with a psychologist or a counsellor – imagine being in the midst of a mental health crisis and being told to just ‘hang in there’ for three months.
“It’s not good enough, and it’s absolutely less than what we deserve.”
Ms Benham said the Allan Labor Government has ignored regional Victorians in the budget once again and left Mildura residents suffering with mental illness out in the cold.
“This budget goes in the face of the Royal Commission for Mental Health Reform in this state, and I ask the Minister to take action as a matter of absolute urgency,” she said.
