The value of timely, affordable mental health support challenges with accessibility, equity and affordability of mental health services across rural and regional Australia are well known, long standing and are only becoming more prevalent. Latrobe Health Services is reshaping what support can look like to ensure that everyone can easily reach and use health services when needed, regardless of background or circumstances.
Latrobe Health is supporting Phoenix Australia, the National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health, to operate a Trauma Psychiatry Clinic providing bulk-billed psychiatric assessment and treatment initiation services to trauma-impacted regional and rural Victorians. As of November 2025, the Trauma Psychiatry Clinic has seen 361 individuals and provided over 2,090 bulk-billed appointments saving patients over $300,000.
The need is profound:
- 87% met diagnostic threshold for PTSD.
- 17.2% had made plans to end their life at least sometimes.
- 15% have thoughts to hurt themselves most of the time.
Follow-up survey results found:
- 60% lost their PTSD diagnosis.
- 73% experienced a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms.
- 83% agreed or strongly agreed they could better self-manage their mental health due to the clinic.
A patient shared,
I was so nervous to speak with a psychiatrist, I’d never done that before. But thanks to your clinic and your clinicians I have been able to talk about all this stuff for the first time and can now talk about it more openly with others. I feel very supported by your team and I’m so thankful. Still a long way to go for me, but we’re on a good track now.
Latrobe Health’s support has contributed to workforce development, with five psychiatrists trained in trauma and rural practice, while equipping hundreds of GPs across the region with research-backed management plans. The referral wait time has dropped dramatically to three weeks – compared to six months for state-level services – ensuring timely care that is both accessible and life-changing.
This initiative is more than just numbers; this bold partnership is a blueprint for bridging the health equity gap for regional and rural Australians.
