The creation of a facility such as the Hamilton centre was a key finding of Victoria’s mental health royal commission
to help tackle the issue of the two sectors operating independently of each other. That separation has led to people experiencing addiction being turned away from traditional mental health services, leading to patients falling through the cracks.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundupThe addiction and mental health centre will be run by Turning Point – Australia’s leading addiction treatment and research centre – and is named after the founding director of the organisation, Margaret Hamilton.
The clinical director at the $21.5m Hamilton centre, Dr Shalini Arunogiri, said staff would listen to patients about barriers they have previously faced in getting help.