Victorian mental health report released today in historic parliamentary sitting

The Royal Commission into Victoria's broken mental health system will hand down its long-awaited final report this morning. The findings will be released during a historic joint sitting of parliament after its release was delayed by a month due to the coronavirus. The Royal Commission was called in 2018 and has held public hearings and responded to submissions from hundreds of Victorians. The inquiry heard Victoria spent less per capita on mental health than any other state or territory and more than 100,000 Victorians suffering mental illness could not get access to specialist care. The interim report released in November 2019 described the system as “broken,” making nine recommendations including adding a new tax to fund a boost to the mental health workforce. Anyone who may be feeling distressed can contact the following organisations for support. SANE Helpline 1800 18 72 63 Lifeline 131 114 Beyond blue 1300 22 4636