What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC

An overview of what happens when you make a complaint with the MHWC.

This page gives you an overview of what you can expect when you make a complaint with the MHWC.

Our services are free. We can arrange for an interpreter to take a complaint in your language or via the National Relay Service if you have a hearing impairment.

How to make a complaint:

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: our role.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (MHWC) is an independent statutory authority established under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (the Act).

The MHWC promotes, supports and protects the rights of consumers, carers and families.

The MHWC deals with complaints from consumers, carers, families or supporters about their experiences at public mental health and wellbeing services funded by the Victorian Government. We also promote effective complaint handling by public mental health and wellbeing service providers.

Our role also includes conducting investigations and inquiries, sharing data and reporting on the performance, quality and safety of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system.

Click on this link for more on how we decide to handle complaints.

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: Contacting us.

If you, or someone you care for has concerns about your experiences at a Victorian public mental health and wellbeing service or would like further information about how we can help you, you can call us on 1800 246 054 (free call) between 9.00 am – 4:30 pm to speak directly to one of our Resolution Officers (ROs).

You can also email help@mhwc.vic.gov.au or go to our complaints page to fill out an online complaint form. If you would like to stay up to date on our campaigns and projects, you can sign up for our mailing list.

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: Services we can receive complaints about.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (MHWC) deals with complaints about Victorian publicly funded mental health and wellbeing services. These include mental health and wellbeing services run and delivered by a public hospital (Vic).

If you, or someone you care for, has concerns or feedback about an experience at a public mental health and wellbeing service, you have the right to make a complaint.

You can make the complaint to the service directly or you can contact the MHWC and make a complaint about the service to us.

Every publicly funded Victorian mental health and wellbeing service must have its own process to help you speak up about your concerns. We can also support you to do this if you would like our help.

If you’re unsure about who to make a complaint to, you can contact us on 1800 246 054 or email help@mhwc.vic.gov.au. Our Resolutions Officers can let you know if we can assist with your concerns. They will also let you know who to contact if another organisation is more appropriate to deal with your concerns.

Read more about the Mental health and wellbeing services we can take complaints about by visiting this page. 

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: Privacy.

The MHWC is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal and health information. We must comply with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 and other relevant privacy laws when dealing with your information.

Read more here. When you make a complaint with us we will not disclose your personal or health information in a way that identifies you unless you consent, or we are authorised or required to do so, by law. Read more about our privacy policies.

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: Handling your complaint.

When you contact us to make a complaint, we will try to help you to resolve your concerns quickly. For example, by speaking with a staff member at the service about your complaint if you agree to this, and then asking them to contact you about your concerns.

If we can’t resolve your concerns quickly, and if there are more steps that the MHWC can take, we will talk to you further about other options. Our Resolution Officers may help you to progress your concerns through a more formal resolutions process. Read more about our complaints handling process.

If you, or someone you care for, has had a negative experience while receiving mental health assessment or treatment, you can make a complaint directly to the service or you can contact the MHWC. Find out more about making a complaint with the MHWC.

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: Making a complaint as a carer, family member or supporter.

The MHWC can take complaints from carers, family members and supporters about their own experiences or on behalf of a consumer. Depending on the nature of your concerns, we may require consent from the consumer. You can contact us to discuss your concerns, request information, advice or assistance, give feedback or get involved in our projects.

What happens when you make a complaint to the MHWC: The 4 As model of complaints resolution.

While dealing with your complaint, with your consent, we may assist you in communicating directly with the service regarding your concerns or arrange a meeting between you and the service. This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the details of the complaint, explore resolution options, and outline the next steps.

In considering the outcomes you are seeking; you may want to think about the 4 As of complaint resolution. The 4 As of complaint resolution are the positive outcomes that can result from people’s complaints about Victorian public mental health and wellbeing services.

The 4As are:

  • Acknowledgment
  • Apology
  • Answers, and
  • Action.

Find out more.

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