Thank you for your interest in participating in this project to help design new service experiences for young people and adolescents accessing inpatient mental health services. Before diving in, let's learn more about what it's about, who we want to talk to and how you can contribute.

A quick note:

This project is about inpatient mental health service experiences.

We appreciate that some of you might not be in the space to read or think about an experience at an inpatient mental health service. Please only continue if it feels right for you. You can find information about support services here.

What is this project about?

Impact Co. is working with the Victorian Department of Health to speak with young people and adolescents with lived experience of accessing inpatient mental health services to understand what an ideal service experience would look and feel like. Impact Co. will also be speaking with family members, carers and supporters for adolescents and young people with this experience. Area Mental Health Services and relevant community-based services will also be involved in this project.

Impact Co. is developing a report from all these perspectives that will be submitted to the Department of Health Victoria. The Department of Health Victoria will use this information to help them develop two statewide service frameworks that will guide how inpatient mental health services are provided to young people and adolescents in Victoria in the future.

The project is related to Recommendation 21 from the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System which recommended new models of multidisciplinary care for bed-based services for young people.

Who do we want to hear from?

  • Young people aged 18 - 25 with lived experience of accessing inpatient mental health services
  • Adolescents aged 12 - 17 with lived experience of accessing inpatient mental health services
  • Family members, carers, supporters and kin of young people and adolescents with this experience. This includes young family member (eg: siblings)

Recruitment and engagement support is being provided by Satellite Foundation, Tandem, VMIAC and other partners.

What does involvement look like?

  • Reading the information outlined in this Project Information Sheet
  • Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) form
  • Participating in a short phone call with the Project Team to confirm key details about the project and provide an opportunity for you to ask questions
  • Attending a 2 x hour online briefing session to meet other participants and ask questions about the project
  • Attending 2 x 3-hour online workshops to explore key questions about what future youth and adolescent inpatient mental health services should look and feel like

The workshops will be run by Impact Co. and a team of experienced facilitators who have lived experience accessing these services. Many people on the facilitator team are also young people aged between 18 -25. Peer workers will be in every session to provide additional support as we know these conversations can bring up challenges. All workshops will be online and will be held in the late afternoon and evening.

You will be paid $185 for each online session attended. Payment will be administered by gift cards. Impact Co. will also provide gift cards that can be used to purchase dinner or food for the 2 x 3-hour online workshops.

Want to take part?

Young people, adolescents, family members, carers and supporters are invited to submit an expression of interest form before midday Monday 17th March.

Click here to complete the EOI form

Impact Co. wants to make sure the voices, experiences and perspectives of adolescents and young people are at the centre of the project. We encourage adolescents and young people of all backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability, neurodivergent people and culturally and linguistically diverse people. We encourage adolescents aged 12 - 14 to submit an EOI. There will be opportunities for adolescents in this age group to participate in interviews outside the workshops.

ICYAMHS and community-based services have been invited to participate separately from an EOI process. If you are from an Area Mental Health Service or a community-based service that would like to be involved in a workshop please email youthengagement@impactco.au with your name, role, organisation and interest before midday Monday 17th March.

EOIs are now closed. Updates to the project progress will be shared on this webpage.