Reducing compulsory treatment
Reducing compulsory treatment was a key recommendation of the 2021 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
Compulsory treatment is the mandatory treatment of individuals who are assessed as living with a mental illness or experiencing psychological distress. For more information, see Compulsory assessment and treatment.
The MHIP works with mental health and wellbeing services to:
- find strategies to reduce the use and duration of compulsory treatment in Victoria
- ensure compulsory treatment is used as a last resort
- improve the experience of care, quality and safety for consumers.
This initiative emphasises the importance of consumers making decisions on their care in partnership with their families, carers, supporters, clinicians and mental health teams.
How the MHIP supports services
As of 2024, the MHIP have partnered with 6 mental health and wellbeing services to test and design strategies to reduce compulsory treatment. The scope of the initiative includes:
- relational interventions
- supported decision making
- working with beliefs and cultures around compulsory treatment use.
We work with mental health and wellbeing services to build their confidence and capability for quality improvements through implementation planning, coaching, tools and sharing improvement science methodology.
Lived experience perspectives
People with lived experience as a consumer, family member, carer or supporter are crucial to shaping reform and informing how the MHIP and mental health and wellbeing services improve the care and safety outcomes in Victoria.
We work to ensure Lived and Living Experience voices and perspectives are included to inform the workforce, and in community mental health and wellbeing teams who will test improvements.
Status
The MHIP work towards reducing compulsory treatment in Victoria is ongoing and we will support more mental health and wellbeing teams throughout 2025.
