Latest GetUp! Campaign: Victorian Mental Health Reform

Mental ill health is the leading killer of Australians under 44 - yet we have a huge shortage of mental health services as a nation and here in Victoria.

In many ways Victoria has led the way on mental health in recent years. But still half those suffering mental illness in Victoria do not receive appropriate care -- and most who miss out have disorders classed as severe.1 There simply aren't enough beds in hospitals or rooms in social housing and there isn't enough support for families and carers.

This week, the new Victorian State Parliament sits for the first time. Let's ensure mental health reform is at the top of their agenda from day one.

Mental health organisations from across the state - carers associations, patient support networks and healthcare professionals - are urgently gathering petition signatures to present to the incoming Government. Let's add thousands more signatures this week to show the Government and the media that these groups are not alone! Can you join them before the petition is delivered to Parliament?

www.getup.org.au/campaign/VICmentalhealth

During the state election campaign, Ted Baillieu's Coalition made a commendable commitment to increase mental health funding by $108 million.2 But underfunding remains the fundamental problem with the mental health system in Victoria. Mental ill health accounts for 14% of the burden on our state health care system, but receives just over 8% of funding.3

Mental illness doesn't just affect individuals -- it is crippling whole families across Victoria. Here's what Janet4, a carer for her son, told us:

"Our son has had schizophrenia for 25 years. He lives alone in a caravan park, frightened and paranoid. He should have somewhere decent to live, something to do and a supportive network of friends. We do our best to keep an eye on him; but this is difficult without help as we are old now and exhausted from years of caring for him. We worry constantly about what will happen to him when we are gone."

Families all over Victoria are experiencing similar heartache. Mental illness is the single largest contributor to the disability burden and demand for services continues to grow each year. Please add your voice to those of carers, patients and healthcare professionals before they deliver a petition to the incoming Victorian Government:
www.getup.org.au/campaign/VICmentalhealth

Together, we helped make mental health a national priority last year. Over 100,000 GetUp members joined Australian of the Year, Prof. Patrick McGorry, and former Government mental health advisor Prof. John Mendoza, in one of our largest ever petitions: demanding an end to the inequality between physical and mental healthcare.

We gathered at hundreds of candle-light vigils across the country. We chipped in to run national TV ads. We faxed, emailed, called and visited our representatives tens of thousands of times. In 2011, let's keep up the campaign; it starts this week with a petition to the new Government in Victoria. Please click here to add your name.

Thanks for taking action,
The GetUp Team.


Thanks to our friends in the mental health sector who began and support this 'lifting the lid' petition: Victorian Mental Health Carers Network, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, MIND, Mental Illness Fellowship, WISHIN, NEAMI, EACH, Mental Health Research Institute, ARC, ADEC, CCNV, VADA, and Sane Australia .

1 Improving mental health outcomes in Victoria: The next wave of reform, Boston Consulting Group, 2006.


2 Coalition announces $108m mental health plan, 16 November 2010, ABC News.


3 Victorian State Government Budget Papers 2010-2011.


4 Name changed for privacy.