Who we are
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (MHWC) is an independent statutory body established under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act, 2022 (the Act).
The MHWC promotes, supports and protects the rights of consumers, families, carers and supporters.
The MHWC is led by Chair Commissioner Treasure Jennings, and three other Commissioners – Annabel Brebner, Jacqueline Gibson and Kathleen Maggie Toko.
Read more about the Commissioners.
What powers do we have
As an independent body, the MHWC has the powers necessary to perform its functions under the Act. These functions include dealing with complaints, initiating investigations, conducting inquiries, sharing data, reporting on the performance, quality, and safety of Victoria's mental health and wellbeing system, and making recommendations to the Premier, Minister, and heads of public service bodies.
More information about the Act.
What we do
Under the Act, the MHWC has the following functions and powers:
- Hold the government to account for the performance, quality and safety of Victoria's mental health and wellbeing system.
- Design and deliver initiatives that create awareness of people with lived experience and their unique experiences, including promoting the role of families, carers and supporters of persons living with mental illness or psychological distress.
- Handle complaints about Victorian publicly funded mental health and wellbeing services, which include mental health and wellbeing services run and delivered by a public hospital in Victoria.
- Elevate lived experience leadership, and support effective participation of people with lived experience in decision making processes.
- Lead and support initiatives to prevent and address stigma related to mental illness.
- Monitor and report on the performance, quality and safety of the mental health and wellbeing system.
- Report on the use of restrictive interventions in mental health and wellbeing services.
- Monitor and report on the progress to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the Victorian community.
- Monitor and report on the progress of implementing the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system.
- Promote effective complaint handling by mental health and wellbeing service providers.
- Make recommendations to the Premier, Minister and heads of public service bodies.
- Promote and support compliance with the Act and report significant breaches of the Act to the Health Secretary.
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