Legal aid

DANDENONG will receive more legal help for people with mental illness.
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) will extend its services for people with a mental illness after receiving an extra $434,000 in State Government funding each year for two years.
Civil justice, access and equity director Kristen Hilton said the cash would help people in at least 300 more Mental Health Review Board hearings, and extend services into growing areas of need including Dandenong.
“Understanding your legal options is vital if you are a person receiving compulsory treatment for a mental illness, whether that is in a psychiatric hospital or in the community,” she said.
“But up until now, people living in some parts of the state have struggled to get legal help at Mental Health Review Board hearings where their treatment is reviewed.
“We can help them to put forward their views about their treatment, be legally represented at hearings, and get support to understand the system.”
Ms Hilton said recent research showed people with a mental illness were twice as likely to experience legal problems, and often found it hard while they were unwell to resolve them quickly.