Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
Level 26, 570 Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000 

18 June 2024

Victorian State Budget 2024 – 2025: Sector concern over youth mental health inaction 

Dear Commissioners,

As an alliance of Youth Mental Health professionals, we write to support the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (MHWC) Commissioners response statement to the 2024 – 2025 Victorian State Budget.  

We share the broader mental health sector’s disappointment, concern and confusion about the slow down and lack of transparency on implementing the remaining Royal Commission recommendations. That said, we do acknowledge the budget provides some investments in youth mental health – such as eating disorders, and Youth Prevention and Recovery beds.  

We commend the MHWC for holding the government to account on its promise to implement all 65 Royal Commission recommendations. Specifically, the delay of the lived experience recommendations – critical to Victoria’s mental health reform pathway. Alongside this, we ask the Commission to raise with the Victorian government the urgent need for youth-specific mental health supports. Namely, the stark absence in the budget of:

  • The promised 500 supported housing places for young people experiencing mental ill health and housing insecurity or homelessness – recommendation 25. Committed to in full in March 2021, this commitment is now overdue, 
  • No significant investment in youth mental health services. 
  • No specific investment in the promotion of good mental health and prevention of mental ill-health among young people. 

In the face of an alarming increase in youth mental ill health, and a housing crisis that disproportionately effects young people, we are keen to understand the government’s plan for young people, including: 

  • a timeline for implementation of recommendation 25 
  • the launch date of the first Statewide Plan for the Promotion of Good Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Prevention of Mental Illness 
  • planned additional investments. 

We look forward to hearing from the Commission the government’s response on these critical mental health reforms.  

Yours Sincerely, 

On behalf of the Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Community of Practice *

Mary Nega
CEO Youth Affairs Council Victoria

* The Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Community of Practice is a coordinated group of youth mental health policy experts and practitioners convened by Orygen and the Youth Affairs Council Victoria. Signatories to this letter are: Batyr; Centre for Multicultural Youth; headspace national; Koorie Youth Council; Live4Life; Melbourne City Mission; Orygen; The Push; Prevention United; Rainbow Network; Reach; Youth Affairs Council Victoria; Youth Disability and Advocacy Service.