The Royal Commission into Victorian mental health services made 74 specific recommendations for reforms, and the Victorian Government committed to these in 2021. Details of the reforms can be found here. Some reforms have already occurred, while others have not.
VMIAC and Mind Australia are interested in hearing from consumers who have experienced mental health services before and after the reforms. This may also include experiences of choosing not to access or not being able to access these services. Findings from this study will be used to inform VMIAC’s advocacy efforts, and results may also be reported in academic publications, relevant conferences, and other presentations.
Our research involves a structured online survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. You will be asked several questions about your experience related to the recommendations put forward in the reforms from Victoria’s Royal Commission into mental health services.
Participants can also choose to take part in a 2 hour focus group or a 1 hour interview, led by peers with lived experience. Those who participate in either the focus group or interview will be reimbursed $180 in recognition of their time and expertise.
Participation in any of the above is completely voluntary. We’re looking for responses until the end of April.
All of your answers will be kept anonymous, and the information you provide will be kept entirely confidential. We are gathering this data solely for the purposes of research and advocating for people with lived experience of mental health challenges, and any data will be de-identified.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Helena Roennfeldt from Mind Australia’s Research and Advocacy team: helena.roennfeldt@mindaustralia.org.au. This project has human research ethics approval from The University of Melbourne (Project ID: 2025-34146-74200-3).