The Victorian Department of Health is offering ten grants of up to $2,717 to public mental health services to meet the cost of study for Psychiatric State Enrolled Nurses (PSENs) who require study leave to undertake a clinical placement.

The grants are administered by the Australian College of Nursing on behalf of the Victorian Department of Health.

This grant is a commitment of the Victorian Government to provide financial support to services for backfill arrangements for PSENs undertaking clinical placements.

To be eligible to apply for a grant, applicants (Victorian public mental health services) must apply on behalf of an enrolled nurse who is:

• Registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident or New Zealand citizen
• Employed or commencing employment at the service
• Enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing course within 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023.

All courses must be undertaken with an accredited Australian tertiary institution.

These are competitive grants and will be awarded on the recommendation of the independent selection panel. The panel’s assessment will be based on how the PSEN’s Line Manager or Director of Nursing addresses the following:

1. Evidence of PSEN’s commitment to continuing to work in mental health
2. Evidence of the mental health service’s support for the PSEN (for example, assistance with fees, additional study leave, etc)
3. Provide rationale as to how the PSEN’s workplace has a significant workforce shortage,
4. Whether the PSEN has previously received funding for study leave.

Applicants who employ Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander PSENs are encouraged to apply.

Please note that a weighting system will be applied and applications from regional and rural services will be considered as a priority group.

The grants are worth up to $2,717 and are considered a contribution towards the cost of backfill arrangements for PSENs undertaking clinical placements. The grants are paid directly to the employer and not the individual recipients.