Driving reform, inspiring change: Wellways to lead Government’s workforce transformation efforts in Victoria

Wellways will play a key role in the implementation of the Victorian Government’s mental health reform workforce development strategy. In May and June 2024, Wellways will host information forums for mental health services in Shepparton and support forums across the rest of Victoria to help promote activities regarding workforce reform and transformation.

We know that changing the mental health system means changing everything that influences and impacts it – including how the mental health workforce works with all parts of the mental health system.

The Victorian Royal Commission into Mental Health recognised this and proposed in its final report that our workforce should be:

• big enough, diverse, and spread out evenly across the state.
• provided with the right support structures to deliver quality work.
• prepared with the right skills and capabilities needed for the future.

In response, the Victorian Government created "Our Workforce, Our Future," a framework outlining principles and skills necessary for safe working environments. It guides our practice to enhance outcomes for individuals, families, caregivers, and supporters affected by mental health issues.

If you work in a Victorian State funded mental health program, you can register to join a forum near you.

Register now

The forums will kickstart the formation of Local Implementation Teams (LITs), responsible for planning and executing the workforce strategy. LITs will include key members from state-funded mental health and wellbeing programs.

Wellways’ commitment to driving the implementation of workforce skills and capabilities growth is deeply rooted in our identity and history in grassroots advocacy for mental health reform.

We understand that this requires a total system overhaul; a challenge Wellways CEO, Laura Collister, sees as something that can only be addressed through strong and unified partnerships.

“To truly reform the mental health system, we must honestly and objectively examine every aspect of the sector, including how our workforce operates,” Ms. Collister says.

“I feel privileged that Wellways has once again been chosen to spearhead reform efforts and to collaborate with our partners, drawing from our 40 years of experience as a trusted national mental health and disability service provider. We share a mutual aspiration to both influence and be influenced in our workforce transformation. This demands vulnerability, openness, and occasionally facing challenges head-on—something we must tackle together to bring about the much-needed changes people deserve.”