MORE mental health services are set to be established in Frankston.
The state government has named Frankston one of six “priority sites” for mental health services statewide. The area had one of the highest per capita suicide rates from 2011 to 2020.
A statement from the state government read that the “Department of Health will immediately investigate options to establish services within each priority region. This will involve a consultation process with established local providers. The first of these local services would open from mid-2022, with all six of the initial services open by the end of 2022.”
“The new services will work to a ‘how can we help’ model, helping people seamlessly access the right support for them, close to home, across a transformed mental health and wellbeing system. They will operate in partnership with reformed, area-based adult and older adult mental health and wellbeing services, and specialist statewide services – ensuring the right level of care is available at the right time.”
Mental health minister James Merlino said the commitment was “the very first step to implement the ambitious agenda set out in the [Royal Commission’s report]. It will take time, but these new localised mental health services will provide better coverage and easier access to services for Victorians, no matter where they live.”
“This is all about treating people early in the community, rather than too late in hospital,” he said.
