MENTAL Health Minister Mary Wooldridge launched Victoria Legal Aid's expanded mental health services during a visit to Bendigo on Wednesday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Wooldridge said a $1.3 million investment by the state government would expand VLA's legal services for people with mental illness into growth areas and regional Victoria.
"VLA provides specialist legal advice to people with a serious mental illness on a wide range of issues, as well as assisting with Mental Health Tribunal representations," Ms Wooldridge said. "This investment will enable VLA to assist people in at least 300 additional hearings of the new Mental Health Tribunal and to expand their services into growing areas of need such as Dandenong, Geelong and Bendigo."
VLA managing director Bevan Warner and VLA mental health and disability advocacy program manager Christopher Povey spoke at the launch along with a consumer who shared her personal story.