Wimmera regions calls for mental health facility as demand soars
Horsham needs a mental health facility. The Wimmera region has some of Victoria's worst suicide and mental illness rates.
The Wimmera region in western Victoria has some of the worst mental health crisis rates in the state. The region has no overnight mental health facility.
Residents needing emergency care must travel to Ballarat, two hours away. Stacey Kelly, a Horsham mother of three, travels five hours round trip on public transport for treatment she cannot access locally.
About 400 Wimmera residents are admitted to Ballarat Hospital every year for mental health issues. Emergency room visits for mental health are 2.15 times higher in Horsham than Victoria's average.
After hours, patients with mental health crises at the local emergency room get phone advice from Ballarat. There is no specialist there.
Horsham Rural City Council says the gap is urgent and the region is being left behind.
Why it mattersPeople in crisis cannot get the care they need when they need it. Travel worsens mental health and family stability.
AustraliaThousands of Victorians in the Wimmera region face barriers to mental health treatment; a local facility would cut travel costs and keep families intact during treatment.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 d ago
