A Liberal and Nationals government will commit to get mental health reforms back on track and address the growing Victorian mental health crisis.
The latest Kids Helpline Impact Report revealed the mental health service responded to 128,998 contacts in 2025 at an average of 353 per day.
Alarmingly, counsellors were required to undertake 5,190 crisis interventions, the second-highest number in the past decade and a 350 per cent increase since 2018.
This week, it was revealed the Allan Government again rejected Kids Helpline’s $4.5 million funding plea, despite the 2021 Royal Commission’s clear recommendation that government work with helpline services to connect vulnerable Victorians with the care they need.
Victorian Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said a Liberal and Nationals government would get Victoria’s mental health reform back on track.
“While Labor has walked away from the Royal Commission’s blueprint, the Liberals and Nationals are committed to mental health reforms that Victorians can access the mental health support they need, when they need it, and ensuring frontline mental health services and workers have the support they need,” Ms Kealy said.
“The blueprint has been laid out to fix Victoria’s mental health system but it has been abandoned by the Allan Labor government. When face-to-face mental health support isn’t available, services like Kids Helpline are left to manage the surge in demand.”
The report found the number of young people requiring immediate intervention was approaching COVID-era levels, with counsellors contacting emergency services or child protection authorities an average of 14 times every day because a young person was at immediate risk of harm.
Ms Kealy said the increase in young people seeking crisis support should raise serious concerns about access to care in Victoria.
“Young Victorians are reaching out to Kids Helpline in numbers not seen since COVID. This funding request would a relatively small spend in the grand scheme of the mental health reform that is required but the government won’t even meet that,” Ms Kealy said.
“You have to question Labor’s priorities when money is being spent on machete bins, while at the same time Premier Allan refuses to fund a youth mental health service for a fraction of the cost.”
Victorian families continue to face significant barriers accessing specialist mental health care, with children and young people experiencing lengthy waits to access Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS).
As demand continues to grow, more young people are turning to crisis services when earlier intervention and treatment should be available.
“The demand for mental health services is at a worrying level right across the state,” Ms Kealy said.
“But the supply sadly is not there because of a Labor government that does not prioritise its spending.”
