The Allan Labor Government is marking the one-year anniversary of Australia’s first dedicated public women’s mental health service, highlighting the significant support it has provided to hundreds of women throughout its inaugural year.
Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt, alongside Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor, visited the Women’s Recovery Network (Wren) at the Albert Road Clinic in St Kilda to celebrate the success of the free, statewide service. The facility offers both in-patient and in-home care for women facing complex mental health challenges, including trauma, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and perinatal concerns.
The Women’s Recovery Network (Wren) is specifically designed to address the mental health needs of women in a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment. The service provides tailored treatment plans supported by a multidisciplinary care team, including clinicians, therapists, and peer workers with lived experience of mental healthcare.
Wren operates across two locations: the Melbourne service, based at the Albert Road Clinic, and a regional service in Shepparton. The Melbourne facility offers 24 inpatient beds and six Hospital in the Home beds, while the Shepparton site provides two inpatient beds at Shepparton Private Hospital and three Hospital in the Home beds.
The service is delivered through a collaboration between Alfred Health in Melbourne and Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton, with Ramsay Health Care serving as a private partner. Wren was co-designed with input from women with lived experience of the mental health system, ensuring that the service provides gender-specific, trauma-informed care tailored to the unique needs of women.
The establishment of Wren was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, which identified a gap in services that addressed gender-based harm and abuse. In response, the Labor Government invested $100 million to create the service. This investment is part of a broader $6 billion commitment to overhauling Victoria’s mental health system, marking the largest funding injection in the state’s history.
The Wren service is also a cornerstone of Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan 2023-27, underscoring the government’s commitment to improving mental health care for women across the state.
Minister Stitt’s Remarks
Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt emphasized the importance of the service, stating, “Women’s health matters, and women’s safety matters – which is why we developed this service, to focus specifically on the needs of women.” She highlighted the positive impact of the service in its first year, noting that hundreds of women have received crucial support for acute mental health challenges, with the flexibility to choose how they receive care.
Member Taylor’s Comments
Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor praised the service’s role in the community, adding, “This service in the heart of inner Melbourne is an example of the meaningful steps we have taken to ensuring women can access the dedicated care and treatment they need to live a full life.”
The Women’s Recovery Network’s success in its first year underscores the growing recognition of the need for specialized, gender-sensitive mental health services, setting a model for similar programs across Australia.
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