Delivering quality and accessible mental health care in the primary health sector is an important responsibility for Western Victoria PHN (WVPHN). Many people in our region face complex and diverse mental health challenges. Our role is to partner with primary health providers to deliver the best available support and services.
Our work in mental health care
WVPHN works to deliver primary mental health and suicide prevention services in western Victoria in line with the following Federal Government mental health care objectives:
- Appropriately supporting people with or at risk of mild to moderate mental illness through the development and implementation of low intensity mental health services
- Supporting region specific, cross-sectoral approaches for children and young people with, or at risk of mental illness, including those with severe mental illness being managed in primary care
- Addressing service gaps in the provision of psychological therapies for people from under-serviced population groups
- Commissioning primary mental health care services for people with severe mental illness being managed in primary care, including clinical care coordination for people with severe and complex mental illness
- Encouraging and promoting a regional approach to suicide prevention and
- Enhancing and better integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health services at a local level.
We commission services and oversee projects in collaboration with community and health care services which directly respond to local mental health needs. Each commissioned service or activity aims to:
- Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of primary mental health and suicide prevention services for people with or at risk of mental illness and/or suicide in western Victoria and
- Improve access to and integration of primary mental health care and suicide prevention services to ensure people with mental illness receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
Joint Regional Mental Health Foundation Plan
This Foundation Plan reflects the input of those who contributed to our consultation process and is strongly aligned with current reforms. It describes joint planning priorities and key activities to support them. While our priorities may need to change as reforms progress, we are confident our collaborative approach can guide work on the next stage of planning and help deliver better services for people in the western Victoria region. View the plan: Joint Regional Mental Health Foundation Plan
Mental health services redesign
As part of WVPHN’s commitment to supporting the delivery of patient-focused health services across our region, we undertook a far-reaching process to redesign services we commission including mental health support services. The new service model – titled StepThru Care – was introduced 1 July, 2023.
More information
Contact WVPHN Mental Health Team: