Victorians facing homelessness and chronic addiction deserve the best care and that's why the Allan Labor Government has partnered with the Salvation Army to open a new health clinic in the city.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt today joined Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army, Major Brendan Nottle, to officially open the new service at the Salvation Army's Bourke Street location.
Operated by the Salvation Army, in partnership with cohealth and Alfred Health, the $2.9 million clinic will reduce drug harms and give more people the medical and mental healthcare they need.
For more than 100 years, the Salvation Army has supported some of the most vulnerable people in the CBD from their Bourke Street site - and this new clinic continues that legacy with a modern, integrated model of care.
The new clinic will make it easier for Victorians including those with complex needs to access services including primary care, pharmacotherapy and addiction medicine, social services navigation, and mental health care, referrals, psychiatric assessment and support.
Operating five days a week, the clinic offers walk-in appointments, as well as referrals from outreach teams, other CBD support services and through engagement with people using other Salvation Army services.
The clinic is one of several key initiatives to tackle drug harm in Melbourne's CBD as part of the Labor Government's $95 million Statewide Action Plan - including delivering a new Community Health Hub at 244 Flinders Street.
Other initiatives include expanded outreach in the city, Footscray and St Kilda and a new program providing intensive case management for the most vulnerable CBD drug users.
The Statewide Action Plan is already making an impact since its announcement last year - including appointing Victoria's first Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser, the development of Victoria's first statewide drug harm reduction strategy and expansion of the Take Home Naloxone program.
As stated by Premier Jacinta Allan
"Victorians struggling with addiction deserve care and support - not judgement and stigma, and our new Bourke Street health clinic will deliver exactly that."
As stated by Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt
"This new clinic will help us reach those who are too often faced with barriers when trying to access care or social services - offering the support they need in the one location."
As stated by Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army City of Melbourne Major Brendan Nottle
"We welcome the Allan Government's investment in our Bourke Street hub. Because we know initiatives like these genuinely help keep people alive."
