Dr Margaret Grigg appointed to Expert Advisory Group to develop new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act

The Department of Health is developing a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act to reset the legislative foundations for Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system.

Repealing the current Mental Health Act and replacing it with a new one is one of the 65 recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. To support the design and delivery of the new Act, the Department of Health has established an Expert Advisory Group featuring ten experts from diverse backgrounds.

The Expert Advisory Group members are:

• Mr Michael Gorton AM (Chair), Principal, Russell Kennedy Lawyers and Board /Chair, Alfred Health
• Dr Margaret Grigg, CEO, Forensicare
• Dr Anoop Lalitha, Director of Clinical Services, Ballarat Health Services
• Dr Chris Maylea, Deputy Chair, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council Committee of Management
• John Foley, Board member, Tandem Carers
• Kristen Hilton, former Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner
• Laura Collister, CEO, Wellways
• Professor Lisa Brophy, La Trobe University, community member, Mental Health Tribunal
• Nerita Waight, CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
• Sandra Keppich-Arnold, Director of Mental Health and AOD Operations, Alfred Health

These members bring diverse expertise across multiple spaces, including lived experience, human rights, legal and non-legal advocacy, health law, health service governance and clinical mental health service delivery.

The new Act will:

• promote good mental health and wellbeing for all people in Victoria
• reset the legislative foundations for the mental health and wellbeing system
• support the delivery of services that are responsive to the needs and preferences of Victorians
• put the views, preferences and values of people living with mental illness or psychological distress, families, carers and supporters at the forefront of service design and delivery.

Public engagement

A paper will be made available on the Engage Victoria website between 7 – 27 June 2021.

It will provide an overview the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act and its proposed content.

The Royal Commission provided detailed policy directions on many aspects of the new Act in its recommendations and report. This paper will seek feedback on topics where additional input is required to ensure the Royal Commission’s directions are appropriately reflected in the new Act and can be effectively implemented in practice.

If you’d like to provide feedback we recommend you visit the Engage Victoria website to review the paper.

The Royal Commission has recommended that Mental Health and Wellbeing Act be passed no later than mid-2022.