Women with serious mental health issues are falling through the gaps due to state government budget cuts, according to a western suburbs service provider.
McAuley Community Services for Women lost $36,000 of annual funding last August as part of a shake-up of the sector.
Chief executive Jocelyn Bignold said unless the funding was urgently returned more women at risk of family violence and homelessness would be turned away.
“A lot of people are now missing out on services, especially women,” she said.
“We’re supporting them through fund- raising but are worried about what is still to come.”
Ms Bignold said the funding cuts would ultimately cost the state government more money by placing pressure on already strained health services.
“We can prevent people going to hospital because they can come to us. Women living with a mental illness look at our place and feel safe.”
Ms Bignold also hit out at the federal government for dragging its heels on signing the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.
“It’s shocking when we consider the amount of need out there and the cumulative impact of cuts,” she said.
“Women’s Health West is reporting a 200 per cent increase in the level of demand, [and yet] we are seeing police family violence positions cut out of the sector, material aid getting cut and legal aid getting cut.”
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland has used State Parliament to call for a reversal to the cuts to women’s agencies.
“Women fleeing violence at home go to these women’s services for housing support but are then quickly identified as also needing mental health care due to the trauma they have endured,” she said.
“During the election, Labor committed to re-fund three important mental health community support services, none of which provide tailored support to women.”
A spokeswoman for Minister for Mental Health, Martin Foley, said the government understood that women had special needs in terms of mental health and required sensitive services that accommodated these needs.
“We know the previous government botched the recommissioning of mental health services which took place last year,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are examining the effects of this and will work with the sector to ensure that all Victorians have access to high-quality mental health services.”
She said the government was developing a 10-year plan for mental health.
