Premier gets first look at Victoria's newest youth mental health service

Premier gets first look at Victoria's newest youth mental health service

5 April 2022


The Premier of Victoria, the Hon Daniel Andrews MP, and the Victorian Minister for Mental Health, the Hon James Merlino MP, toured the new Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) service during a visit to Orygen today.

They had a first look at the 20-bed facility, designed to provide recovery-focused treatment and around-the clock clinical care for young people, ahead of its official opening next month.

Mr Andrews said YPARC was about giving young people care they had never had before.

“This is one of many missing parts to our broken mental health system. Today is about marking the latest development to try and connect different services and build a system that makes people well.

“This is about the right care in the right place at the right time. Filling this gap is incredibly important.”

The visit to Orygen’s Parkville site also focused on the new Orygen HOPE service as part of the Victorian Government’s implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system.

HOPE is for young people experiencing self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The service provides clinical and psychosocial support for eligible people for a three month period.

The Premier also received an update on the youth hospital in the home program – Orygen at Home – which is funded by the Victorian Government.

The service offers an alternative to hospital inpatient admission, providing young people and their families with intensive support in their home environment. 

Young people considered eligible for Orygen at Home usually present at a level of acuity that would require inpatient admission. 

The program provides daily in-home visits by qualified and skilled allied health clinicians, consultant psychiatrists and youth and family peer support staff. 

Orygen undertook an in-depth co-design process with young people in partnership with YLab and a co-design process with families and carers in partnership with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation in order to develop a new model of care for the program.