By Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker
THE state government is shutting down Victoria's only 24-hour mental health helpline, provoking outrage from mental health providers.
The move is detailed in a leaked departmental email obtained by The Age, which states that the ''decision is based on a government commitment to consolidate investment in the front end of the mental health service system''.
The mental health phone service receives about 800 calls a month.Credit: Sylvia Liber
The government said that Victorians who wanted to call the advice line - which handles an estimated 800 calls every month - would be ''directed to an appropriate service'' once the service is shut down in March.
The mental health advice line has been running since 2009 and is manned by mental health practitioners, who advise callers about where they should go to get support and treatment.
It was set up by the previous government as part of a multimillion-dollar strategy to improve the state's struggling mental health system.
Colin Fryer, who chairs the mental health Carers Network, said shutting down such a vital service was ''an extreme disappointment'' and one which may leave some mentally ill Victorians stranded when they most need help.
''A lot of people have used the service and it is such an important first point of contact. There is no other service like it which runs 24 hours a day,'' he said.
The manager of family services for the Arafemi mental health service, Helen Kane, also attacked the decision to shut down the advice line, claiming it had been done to save money and would leave distressed Victorians without access to out-of-hours advice.
''It was a brilliant creation. There has been no consultation behind the decision to shut it down. The concern is that this is a really good service and no one checked to see how it was working on the ground before deciding to close it.''
But a spokesman for Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge said the 24-hour phone line service was underperforming.
''The Mental Health Advice Line has not met expectations since it started in 2009, averaging just over 800 calls per month, compared to other services such as Lifeline, with almost 10,000 monthly calls,'' he said.
Opposition mental health spokesman Gavin Jennings, said the move to shut down the service would ''compound existing stresses on frontline mental health services''.
''People struggling with a a mental health issue have enough barriers to accessing care without losing an important service. The government has provided no additional resources and is relying on generic services to pick up the slack.''
One of the Baillieu government's election pledges involved spending more than $100 million on improving Victoria's mental health system.
The revelation of the helpline's closure comes after The Age exposed in recent months alleged clinical failings regarding the deaths of 36 psychiatric inpatients in recent years. It has also exposed several attempts by health services to conceal information about inpatient deaths and sexual assaults from police and families.
For help call Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, or Lifeline on 131 114.