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Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation

Home Services & Departments Mental Health Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation

As part of this transformation journey, we regularly seek the experiences, input, and feedback of community members, to ensure the outcomes we design meet the needs of our region.

When opportunities to engage in the transformation process arise, we'll list them here. 

In 2021, the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System delivered its final report outlining the changes needed to create a future mental health and wellbeing system that provides holistic treatment, care and support for all Victorians.

It made 65 recommendations – all of which have been adopted by the Victorian Government – with the aim of rebuilding the state's mental health system. The recommendations are broad and complex, but the main findings are simple: our current overburdened and understaffed mental health system is failing Victorians. This is especially true for people in regional areas.

CLICK HERE to read more about the Royal Commission and its recommendations. 

As part of the response to the Royal Commission, the Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 replaced the Mental Health Act 2014 and sets the foundations for reformed mental health and wellbeing. It applies to state-funded mental health and wellbeing service providers, including Albury Wodonga Health.

CLICK HERE to read more about the Act.

 

 

Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) is transforming the way we deliver mental health for our community.

In response to the 2021 Royal Commission into Mental Health and Wellbeing, Albury Wodonga Health are redesigning our service, so it is recovery oriented, trauma informed, culturally sensitive, family inclusive and gender and sexuality affirming. These changes will improve our processes, operations, programs, and outcomes to ensure that consumers, carers, families, kin, and community members are at the heart/centre of our service.

The AWH transformation journey will include working with consumers, carers, families, kin, community members and staff to design a mental health service that is contemporary and progressive which meets the needs of consumers, carers, families, kin and community members.

The transformation of AWH Mental Health and Wellbeing service is being delivered via eight priority deliverables, along with four additional projects that support better outcomes for consumers, carers, families, kin, community members. These priorities respond to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (2021) and the AWH Strategic Plan.

We have eight priority deliverables in the Albury Wodonga Health Transformation Project.

PRIORITY DELIVERABLE

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Embed lived experience in leadership, design and delivery of Area Mental Health and Wellbeing services.

By embedding lived experience and codesign into our Mental Health services, we’re ensuring the outcomes provided reflect the real needs of our community.

Lived and living experience is a term that is used to recognise individuals who have experienced mental ill health, psychological distress, alcohol and other drug use, eating disorders, suicidality and trauma, and their families, carers, kin, and support persons.

Establish two Area Mental Health streams:

·         Infant, Child and Youth for ages 0-25

·         Adult and Older Adult for ages 26 and older

This will ensure tailored, responsive, and relevant care is provided to different age groups, catering for their different needs.

Expand core clinical services.

AWH will deliver a broader range of mental health and wellbeing services to our region, in line with community needs. This will support better outcomes for our consumers, families and carers. 

Deliver more clinical activity outside standard business hours.

This will make it easier for the community to access mental health treatment, care and support at times that are more convenient for them. 

Enhance opportunities for Primary and Secondary consultation and develop models of shared care.

AWH supports and works alongside the other health professionals who care for those living with mental illness such as GPs, social care services, and other health providers.

Form a partnership with a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) provider of wellbeing services.

Partnering with other NGO providers of wellbeing services to support what matters to people living with mental illness and their families and carers together.

Improve integrated mental health and alcohol and other drugs treatment, care and support for people living with mental illness and substance use or addiction.

Creating an integrated care model means better wrap-around treatment, care and support for consumers experiencing co-occurring mental health illness and alcohol and other drug dependence. 

Support the new Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing services.

Working with the Adult & Older Adult Locals to support the delivery of seamless mental health and wellbeing support for the community.


In addition to the eight priorities, Albury Wodonga Health is also delivering these four projects:

  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Digital Services pilot.
    A trial program to pilot the delivery of mental health and wellbeing services digitally to improve access for the community, especially in rural and remote areas.

  • Build a collaboration framework to be trialled with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Digital Services pilot.
    A shared approach will be developed to support the design and delivery of mental health and wellbeing services through input from consumers, carers, and the community.  

  • Implement the new Victorian Mental Health Act.
    Integrating the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act into mental health and wellbeing operations, ensuring human rights principles underpin the delivery of mental health and wellbeing treatment, care and support. 

  • Mental health workforce development.
    Supporting mental health workforce navigation, early career workforce development, marketing and advertising of roles, and a strategic workforce plan.   


Transformation takes time and it takes collaboration to generate meaningful results. Staff at AWH are working on these priority deliverables to ensure the outcomes provide what our region needs.

Transformation of mental health and wellbeing services will be ongoing. The initial phase of AWH’s Transformation work will progress to mid 2025, with multiple aspects integrating into ongoing services, staff recruitment and support into the future. At times we will seek the input and feedback of our community to help design the best solutions for our Mental Health Transformation projects, and we would love to hear from you if you’re able to contribute.

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We, Albury Wodonga Health, acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and to leaders emerging.

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