Victoria Police welcomes the commencement of the State Government's provisional payments pilot which will cover the cost of crucial mental health treatment for its employees.
Under the 12-month pilot, Victoria Police employees will be able to access payments for reasonable medical treatment and services while their compensation scheme claim is being assessed.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the pilot will make a significant difference to employees experiencing work-related mental health issues.
"Our people are confronted with distressing and complex circumstances on a daily basis," Chief Commissioner Ashton said.
"The sad reality is many of our members will experience mental health issues in some way or another throughout their career.
Living with mental health issues should not be seen as an inevitable outcome of policing and people can recover from it if they receive the appropriate level of support.
"The provisional payments will ensure our people can access vital mental health treatment straight away without worrying about costs or for their claim to be approved."
Chief Commissioner Ashton said the pilot will complement a range of other initiatives Victoria Police is introducing to support its employees experiencing mental health issues.
This includes the new Bluespace website which will assist current and former Victoria Police employees and their families in need of mental health support.
"While we know it's important to get treatment for mental health injuries, we also know 61 per cent of our employees prefer to manage their problems on their own rather than seeking help," Mr Ashton said.
"The new Bluespace website will provide current and former employees and their families with direct access, anytime anywhere, to information on mental health and wellbeing issues, and the support services that are available to help them."
Current and former police and their families can access mental health and wellbeing support via https://www.bluespacewellbeing.com.au/.
The provisional payments pilot will commence on 17 June 2019 and will cover mental-related medical expenses for up to 13 weeks once a claim is submitted.
