For years, frontline mental health workers have spoken about how Victoria’s mental health system doesn’t deliver for consumers, particularly those presenting with co-occurring instances of mental health and substance use issues. Consumers deserve a holistic, integrated, and responsive service system, delivered by qualified, skilled, and supported mental health and alcohol and other drug practitioners whether they enter via a Mental Health service or an AOD treatment service.

We are calling on the Victorian Government to implement the lessons of the COVID-19 Pandemic as outlined in the Canberra Drug Policy Series discussion by members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and to do this through:

• Prioritising public health
• Listening to and acting on evidence
• Working with our most vulnerable
• Mobilising political will and engaging the community

These lessons are easily transferable to drug and alcohol policy, and we believe will go a long way to ensuring our mental health workforces and alcohol and drug workforces are well-supported and well-funded into the future.

Read our full plan below, which is being presented to Victorian Government MPs in the coming weeks.