More psychologists to reduce Victoria’s mental health waiting list

Up to 2 million additional mental health appointments will be available to Victorians under a Liberal and Nationals plan to slash waiting times for mental health support.
Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy today announced a Mental Health Workforce Strategy which could see up to 200,000 more Victorians able to access timely mental health support every year.
“There’s a critical shortage of psychologists. Staff are overworked, they are fatigued, one third are are closing waiting lists to new patients and Victorians aren’t able to access appointments for up to a year,” Ms Kealy said.
“People need mental health support now, not when they get to the top of a waiting list months later.
“Labor was warned three years ago in the Royal Commission into Mental Health’s interim report that it must prioritise building Victoria’s mental health workforce.
“Yet there are currently more than 6000 mental health job listings online today because Labor has failed to act.”
The Liberals and Nationals will fund an additional 750 psychology supervisors in Victoria and launch a new matching service to help psychology graduates to find the right supervisor for them, across all parts of Victoria.
“Those additional supervisor positions will increase Victoria’s capacity by adding up to 1,300 new psychologists over the next two years,” Ms Kealy said.
“We need innovative solutions to fix the mental health crisis, and only the Liberals and Nationals have real solutions that will rapidly build Victoria’s mental health workforce.”
The workforce strategy also includes recognising counsellors as mental health practitioners, which would unlock an additional 2000 practitioners able to deliver mental health support in our schools.
“Labor voted against making those changes last year, then introduced a carbon copy less than a year later,” Ms Kealy said.
“Daniel Andrews has been dragging his feet when it comes to fixing Victoria’s mental health crisis, offering band-aid solutions and ignoring the mental health workforce.
“The Liberals and Nationals will establish the nation’s largest worker recruitment drive with more scholarships on offer, extra training places opened for psychologists and psychiatrists and relocation incentives to join the workforce.”