The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System was launched in April 2019.

The Network welcomed the opportunity to provide a written submission to the Royal Commission.

A responsive and gender sensitive health system is required if we are to meet women’s mental health needs.

We thank all of those who contributed by participating in our survey.

Our submission provided a strong case for:

• safer inpatient units
• prioritising women’s services development in rural and regional areas
• the importance of acknowledging  trauma history as a central focus for recovery
• advocating education systems that integrate gender sensitive practice learning at its core
• promoting a holistic mental health system that responds to the intersectionality of health issues such as homelessness, aging, gender identity discrimination and stigma, cultural need, family violence and trauma history.

To read more of the WMHNV Submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System please click here.

A joint submission has also been undertaken with the Women with Disabilities Victoria.

We thank the WDV for preparing this submission; jointly written by the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Disability Resource Centre, Disability Justice Australia and Women’s Mental Health Network Victoria.

The joint submission focused on many areas including:

• Intersectional disadvantage – the impacts of both gender and disability, including high rates of trauma experience by women with disabilities.
• The need for trauma-informed care and practice.
• The rates of violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability and how this impacts mental health.
• Accessibility of Victorian mental health services.
• The role of social inclusion, peer support and community participation.
• Gaps between the NDIS and other mental health services.

To read the submission click here.

We also thank the Women’s Health Victoria for their submission. To read more click here.

The submissions and witness statements have now closed.

The Royal Commission will deliver an interim report by November 2019 and a final report by October 2020.

For further information about the royal commission go to The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System