Regional mental health services have seen an escalation in demand over the last decade and with the impacts of drought, bush fire, floods and a global pandemic, mental health services have been stretched to breaking point.
The Murray Primary Health Network (PHN) works to provide better health services to the 100,000 square kilometres of Victoria's vast regional communities covered by the Murray PHN.
It is primarily funded by the federal government and tackles identified national objectives and local priority areas.
It is investing $4.8 million across the Murray Goulburn region to help people living with severe mental illness by providing psychosocial recovery services to vulnerable people living with severe mental illness and who are unable to access help through the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The services will support people with one-on-one support to manage their daily living needs.
"Mental illness is a significant health issue for our communities and one that's growing, and we need the type of services to respond to those emerging and escalating needs," said Matt Jones, the CEO of Murray PHN.
The right help when they need it
Tegan Williams, the regional manager of Wellways which is on the frontline providing the support, said the funding means better access to more communities and in some areas will remove the need for waiting lists.
Mr Jones echoed that need for support saying "life is made so much harder when people are dealing with severe mental illness," he said.
Ms Williams said early access is key to supporting acute mental illness.
"I think it's really important for people to reach out and get support early to reduce the impact on their mental health," Ms Williams said.
"We work with participants and their families to focus on hope rather than illness."
If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulty help is available by visiting www.wellways.org or calling 1300 111 400.
