- Published:
- Friday, 23 September 2022 at 3:59 am
Governance
As a new public entity, the Centre needs a suite of governance policies which outline the accountabilities and responsibilities in the operation of the Centre. The Board prioritised a first tranche of polices that:
- established the Centre’s governance framework
- established the Centre’s integrity framework
- were a requirement under s81 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
The Board approved the following governance policies:
- Audit and Risk Committee Charter
- Board Charter
- Board Meetings and Decision Policy
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Dispute Resolution Policy
- Gifts Benefits and Hospitality Policy
A copy of the Board Charter is available on our interim webpage. Further policy development will be progressively undertaken in both governance and operational areas.
Statement of Priorities
Under the Centre’s establishment legislation, the Board has to prepare a statement of priorities for the Centre for each financial year. The statement includes the objectives, priorities and performance outcomes to be met by the Centre. It must be submitted to the Minister for Mental Health for approval by 1 October.
The Board considered a draft statement of priorities which was approved and will be submitted to the Minister for Mental Health. Once approved by the Minister, the statement will be published on our interim website.
Centre partners
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommended that the Collaborative Centre provide a range of services for the care, treatment and support of adults and older adults. Alongside these services, the Centre will also undertake research into new treatments and models of care and support.
Under the Centre’s establishment legislation, the Centre must enter into an agreement with at least one mental health service and one academic institution to provide these functions. The Board discussed how to select these partners and agreed on a two-stage process. A Board sub group was established to further develop the process.
Co-Director recruitment
The Board commenced planning for the recruitment of the Centre’s Co-Directors. The Centre’s establishment legislation stipulates that the Board must appoint:
- one person who has worked in academia in the field of mental health and/or clinical practice
- one person who has experienced mental illness or psychological distress and has demonstrated the ability to apply this experience to improve systems or develop policy.
The Board agreed to appoint an executive search firm to assist with the recruitment process.
Terry Laidler
Chair
Maria Katsonis
Deputy Chair
Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing
23 September 2022
Updated