MacKillop Family Services (MacKillop) welcomes the final report and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and commends the Victorian Government for its commitment to implement every recommendation in the report.
For close to 25 years, MacKillop has supported vulnerable children and families through early intervention programs, out of home care services, education programs and disability support programs. In this time, MacKillop has witnessed how the prevalence of mental health issues and intergenerational trauma has escalated to create a crisis situation within our community.
CEO of MacKillop, Dr Robyn Miller, provided a witness statement to the Royal Commission drawing on more than 35 years working in the field of Child Protection and Family Support.
“In the past year alone, MacKillop has cared for over 1,200 children and young people living in out of home care. These young people have experienced loss and trauma beyond most peoples’ understanding,” she said.
“A recently-completed deep-dive case review of all of the young people in our residential care program in Victoria revealed that 87 per cent of the young people had experienced family violence in their childhood, and 80 per cent had mental health issues. Clearly more needs to be done to address the challenges these young people face in accessing appropriate services.”
MacKillop is also a strong advocate for ensuring all services working with people living with a mental illness adopt a trauma-informed framework, and for more investment in evidence-based early intervention programs so that transgenerational patterns can be disrupted and positive pathways supported.
“Effective early intervention programs are critical to empower the next generation of children and young people to avoid cycles of chronic mental illness, homelessness, unemployment, substance misuse, and low educational attainment,” said Dr Miller.
“I commend the exceptional work of the Commission in shaping reform of the mental health system, and MacKillop is committed to continuing to work with service users, government, other agencies and the community to implement its recommendations.”
“We know that creating real change takes sustained, concerted and cohesive action and a multi-agency approach. The findings of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System provide a once in a generation chance to work together to transform the mental health system and create better outcomes for the most vulnerable Victorians.”
