Mental health improvement program

About the program

The Mental Health Improvement Program (MHIP) was established from the 2021 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System to support reform in mental health and wellbeing services. It is part of a broad reform program that began in 2021.

To implement key reforms, the MHIP partner with mental health and wellbeing services to improve the quality, safety, and experience of care for people who access and work in Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing services.

The MHIP work under the guidance of Victoria’s Chief Mental Health Nurse, and work closely with: 

• the Victorian Department of Health
• the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist
• consumer and carer advocates
• peak bodies and community groups.

Who we work with

Working together, the MHIP team and clinical, non-clinical and Lived and Living Experience workforce teams in mental health and wellbeing services around Victoria put reform in action through strong partnerships with each other and with consumers, families, carers and supporters.

As of 2024, the MHIP are working with 34 teams across 15 mental health and wellbeing services in Victoria to support them as they lead change across 4 reform initiatives. The number of partnered mental health and wellbeing services will increase over time to include all services in Victoria.

Key reform initiatives

The MHIP collaborate with mental health and wellbeing services to support them lead change across 4 key initiatives:

How we support mental health and wellbeing services

Building service capability

We support mental health and wellbeing services to build workforce confidence and capability to make quality improvements and deliver meaningful and lasting reform. Leveraging the expertise and knowledge of people who work in mental health and wellbeing every day, the MHIP support mental health and wellbeing services to create and test localised changes and improvements across 4 reform initiatives within their own settings.

Test, scale and spread

We partner with mental health and wellbeing services to test improvements. This builds evidence for what improvements can be successfully introduced to more services across Victoria.  This is the test, scale and spread approach, where:

1. Changes are designed and tested in a safe and supported way at partnered services 
2. Successful improvements are spread widely across Victorian services.

Elevating Lived and Living Experience voices

We look to elevate the voices of consumers, their families, carers and supporters.  This ensures that improvements are shaped by the perspectives of those who have experienced the service. 

Lived and Living Experience perspectives, including workforce members, are embedded across the MHIP, and are part of the design and implementation teams.  The MHIP partners with consumer and carer advocates, peak bodies and community groups. Consumers and families, carers and supporters are active members of the MHIP Advisory Groups and Committees.

Resources

Fact Sheet: Victoria’s Mental health Improvement Program

This fact sheet summarises the work of the Mental Health Improvement Program in supporting mental health and wellbeing reform.

Fact Sheet: Creating lasting improvement in mental health and wellbeing services

This fact sheet explains the how the Mental Health and wellbeing program is helping to build the capability and confidence of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing workforce to make lasting and impactful change. 

Fact Sheet: Elevating consumer voices: Lived and Living Experience participation in the Mental Health Improvement Program

This fact sheet explores the impact of Lived and Living experience in shaping mental health and wellbeing reform.

Contact us

If you would like more information about the MHIP, please email Mentalhealthimprovement@safercare.vic.gov.au.

Learn more

Hear more about the MHIP and the ways we partner with mental health and wellbeing services around the state on reform.

The Mental Health Improvement Program

Learn more from our partners on the progress we are making together

Our partnerships

Hear how Lived and Living Experience perspectives are shaping mental health and wellbeing reform.

Elevating Lived and Living Experience Voice