Mental Health and Wellbeing Services at Bendigo Health welcome consumers (patients), families and carers who are engaged with our services. We recognise that every consumer, carer and family's personal experience is different.
We recognise the invaluable benefits of working together with consumers, families and carers, and we welcome your participation.
We support consumers, families and carers by providing relevant information about our service and Victoria's Mental Health and Wellbeing System.
We strive to provide the best possible services for our consumers, families and carers. We appreciate your feedback and any suggestions you may have to help us continue to provide the best possible services. You can provide feedback to us at any time.
This page has resources and programs specific to patients, family and carers that you may find helpful.
If you require support at any stage, have questions, or would like paper copies of any information or the survey, please ask staff for assistance.
Victoria's Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 has certain requirements for state-funded mental health and wellbeing service providers, like Bendigo Health. The Act promotes good mental health and wellbeing for all Victorians.
The Act has principles that require mental health and wellbeing service providers to:
The principles apply to all mental health and wellbeing service providers.
The Act uses terms and language that have specific meanings. These terms might mean different things outside of the Act.
Consumers receiving mental health and wellbeing services have rights that are set out in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022.
Even if you are receiving compulsory treatment, you have the right to be involved in decisions about your assessment, treatment and recovery. You should also be supported in making and participating in these decisions.
Your views and preferences should be respected at every stage of your care.
Independent Mental Health Advocacy has made a tool to help you know more about your rights and options if you are receiving compulsory treatment. The tool will help you make a self-advocacy plan to speak up about your views and preferences.
After you make your plan, you can print it and email it to yourself so that you can refer to it if you need to. You can ask staff for support with printing or emailing it to yourself, or you can ask for a paper copy to fill out.
You can access the tool here: Consumer Self-Advocacy Tool
Families, carers and supporters of people with mental health challenges also have rights in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022. This includes dependent children of people with mental health challenges.
It is important that you know your rights and options in the Act as a family member, carer or supporter. It is also important that you know the rights and options of the person you are supporting.
Tandem is the peak body for mental health carers in Victoria. Tandem has made a helpful information kit for families, carers and supporters to help you understand your rights and options while supporting a person with mental health challenges.
You can access the information kit here: Tandem Information Kit for Families, Carers and Supporters
We have a dedicated, specialist team to support and advocate for children and young people, from birth to age 25 years, who are affected by a family member with mental health challenges. We recognise that the rights and needs of children and young people are different to adult family members, carers and supporters.
We want to ensure that children and young people feel safe and their wellbeing is considered at every stage of their family member's mental health journey.
The Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness team includes a coordinator and two child and young person development workers, who provide individual and group supports to children, young people and their families. The Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness team also supports the clinical teams to include children and young people's needs and opinions when decisions about treatment and recovery are being made.
You can ask staff to refer you or a child to the Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness team for supports, or you can reach out by phone or email.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission was created to make sure mental health and wellbeing services are safe for everyone and provide good quality services.
Consumers, families, carers and supporters can contact the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission if they think a provider is not following the principles of the Act. They can also contact the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission if they want to make a complaint about a mental health and wellbeing service.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission can support people to make a complaint and will try to fix problems they have with the provider.
You can access the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission website here: Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission or call 1800 246 054.
100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550
03 5454 6000
