Victoria is facing a mental health crisis.

Every year, 1.2 million people across the State experience mental health issues and as many as 20,000 attempt to take their own life.

Police are often the first point of call – with family members and individuals calling 000 when they need help.

But the police aren’t mental health professionals. People need a trained expert to talk to – that’s where I come in.

My name is Suzanne and I oversee a vital callback service run by Victoria Police and SANE Australia.

When a police officer meets someone that needs mental health support, it’s me they contact. 

For the past 8 months I’ve worked with Vic Police to provide a mental health outreach service to thousands of people across Victoria. But the Andrews Government has put a stop to it, leaving Police unsupported & thousands of people at risk. 

I’ve been a Psychologist for 16 years and I know how difficult it can be for people to access the help they need. The reason our service works, is that we don’t wait to hear from people, we reach out to them directly based on Police referrals. We make calls to people who have never, and probably would never, access services. 

Every day my team reaches out to people across the State who are vulnerable and at risk.

It can be a tough job, but it’s the relief and sense of hope that I hear in people’s voices towards the end of each call that keeps me going. I know each and every call has the potential to save a life. That’s why I do this job. That’s why I’m so passionate about this service.

My team and I have run this service on top of our normal duties at SANE Australia for the past eight months with no funding support from the Victorian Government. I am proud to say it has been one of the most successful police mental health outreach programs to date.

But despite the Premier’s 10-Year Mental Health Plan committing to ‘better address the needs of people with mental health problems who become involved with the justice system at all points of contact’,  the Andrews Government has not provided funding for this critical service. 

For me, the most devastating part is knowing that every day vulnerable Victorians are falling through the cracks because of bureaucracy. That’s why we need your public support in demanding the Andrews Government stick to their election promises.

Without this callback service Police are left feeling helpless… unable to refer people to the support they so desperately need. Victorians feel vulnerable, forgotten and at risk; and we feel frustrated, as all Victorians affected by mental illness deserve professional support.

On the program’s last day of operation in February, my staff responded to a referral from Victoria Police - reaching out to a young man who was planning on taking his own life. A trained helpline professional was able to counsel him and connect him to the support services he needed. For $75 this Victorian man’s life was saved.

Join us in demanding the Andrews Government reinstate and fund this vital callback service so we can ensure that thousands of vulnerable Victorians get the help they deserve at the time when they need it most.

To talk to a mental health professional (weekdays, 9am-5pm AEST) call the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 7263.