Families across central Victoria with children aged 0-11 years will now have access to a one-stop shop for mental health care and health and wellbeing support under a major initiative announced on Wednesday.
Bendigo Community Health Services has been named as the lead agency for a new Loddon Mallee Infant, Child and Family Health Wellbeing hub.
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The hub is one of three across Victoria announced today by the state and federal governments.
The hub will deliver a range of specialist medical and allied health services such as paediatricians, psychologists, parenting support and speech pathologists under one roof.
The hub will also provide free assessments for development issues and autism.
Bendigo Community Health Services executive leader Better Health Graem Kelly said as the lead agency, BCHS would work with service providers across the region to advance and grow support services for children and their families.
"Demand for our paediatrics, mental health and family services exceeds our capacity, with all of our teams having significant case loads," he said.
"The essence of the hub is that it's not only about the services we provide, but how we partner and collaborate with other agencies to ensure we can provide the best paediatric, mental health and family case management support across our region.
"We aim to extend the access opportunities for families across the Loddon region."
The hub will be also designed in consultation with local communities, people with lived experience as well as Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations, to ensure service offerings are tailored to local needs and build on existing services and capacity.
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The hubs follow key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System and the National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, responding to the need for a renewed focus on early intervention and age-appropriate care to meet development and mental health challenges in younger children.
Victorian Mental Health Minister Gabrielle Williams said 'for too long, there has been a gap in getting younger children the age-appropriate care they need for their wellbeing'.
"These hubs will help deliver the care families need, when they need and closer to home," she said.
"Demand for mental health support has surged to record levels across the country over the past three years, with young Australians in particular experiencing higher rates of psychological distress," Assistant Federal Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Minister Emma McBride said.
"The federal government is proud to work side-by-side with the Victorian Government to deliver critical, community-based support through these Health and Wellbeing Hubs."
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