Victoria will establish a $6 million mental health centre for emergency service workers, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Emergency service personnel such as paramedics, police, firefighters and search and rescue workers will be able to access the centre with a GP referral, Mr Andrews says.
"Through the work that they do, through the fact that they run towards the danger and they deal with the most complex people often at their lowest point, it does take a real toll," he told reporters on Thursday.
The centre would be delivered by Phoenix Australia, which conducts research into and advises on policy around post-traumatic stress.
The announcement came two days after the release of the final report of a royal commission into Victoria's mental health system.
It found the system had catastrophically failed, was inadequate for current pressures let alone future demands and needed to be completely rebuilt.
Getting paramedics to take the lead in responding to mental health crises, as opposed to relying on police, was one of the royal commission's more than 65 recommendations.
"We need to be much less law and order focused. This is not a police issue, this is a health issue," Mr Andrews said.
"There will always be, sadly, some cases where police will need to be there. But that shouldn't be the first call."
The premier also said a working group would be established between Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority triple-zero service to work out the finer details.
Other reforms include rewriting the Mental Health Act, creating a mental health and wellbeing commission and a chief officer for mental health.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian Associated Press
