Dr Skye Kinder, Vice-President of the Rural Doctors Association of Victoria, said country people were missing out on mental health services compared to Melbourne residents.

Despite an increase in funding following the Royal Commission into mental health, Dr Kinder was concerned country areas were missing out.

"When you look at the breakdown of where that money goes, frequently the regions come up short," Dr Kinder said.

"It's important, as the Royal Commission recommendations are implemented, that we have regional representation in all of those discussions."

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A specialists shortage beyond Melbourne is a major problem, said Life Supports Counselling's Mahlia Price.

"Therapists might want to set up their practice in a place where they've got a bigger population of help-seekers," she said.

Metro regions have advantages for specialists, Ms Price said.

"They're closer to peer support, supervision, professional development, and resources."

Dr Kinder said a lack of rural training also stopped professionals coming to the country.

"It's a common problem that people frequently do have to relocate to Melbourne to complete some or all of their training requirements and that has been the case in mental health, particularly in Ballarat," she said.

Professor Leah Brennan, coordinator of Latrobe University's Master of Professional Psychology degree, said once people leave regional areas, they tend to stay in the city and overhauling training in country areas could make a difference.

"If you can train mental health practitioners locally, they're much more likely to stay local," she said.

Professor Brennan also hoped that those based in urban areas studying her course would be lured to the country.

"Working rurally, students get exposed to a broader range of cases," she said.

Australian Psychological Society CEO Dr Zena Burgess said financial incentives were needed to attract therapists to the regions.

"The government needs to offer things like zone allowances, incentives to do three-month placements, access to funded professional development," said Dr Burgess.

"Australia has seen incentives work very well for trainee doctors. The APS is pushing for the same for psychologists," she said.

Ms Price said technology was an immediate fix to the problem of inaccessibility of services.

"The silver lining from this pandemic is that we've been able to prove telehealth works really effectively and, the research says, just as effectively," she said.

"The Mental Health Productivity Report said we're getting the same outcomes through an online setting as we are in face-to-face."

Ms Price said telehealth could change attitudes towards regional areas.

"Maybe we will see those professionals want to move to regional areas and live that regional dream because they know they can support, face-to-face, clients there," she said.

Dr Burgess also supported telehealth to increase accessibility to help.

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"If someone is struggling to get an appointment with a psychologist in their local area, it opens them up to booking an appointment with a psychologist anywhere around the country," Dr Burgess said.

Dr Kinder said technology has a place in patient care, but was not convinced that it could replace face-to-face consultations.

"We should not stop trying to fix the workforce maldistribution by replacing it with telehealth," Dr Kinder said.

"I think young people, and adults for that matter, in regional areas deserve access to the same types, and quality, of mental health care as people in the city."

Christine Morgan, CEO of the National Mental Health Commission, said much had been done from the start of the pandemic to address the mental health crisis.

"Substantial support to current and new mental health services has been provided to meet this need head on," she said.

"The commission is monitoring closely the mental health and wellbeing of each community so that governments can be aware and respond when there is increased need."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the state government was spending a total of $3.8 billion dollars on mental health, $700 million earmarked for regional Victoria.

Dr Kinder was adamant rural areas were being disadvantaged by unequal distribution of funds.

"We need to prioritise funding mental health, particularly for the regions, because that has frequently been the major barrier to implementing service," Dr Kinder said.

Experts agreed more needs to be done when it comes to improving services for those living in rural areas. Professor Brennan said it's time country people got a fair go.

"It's not okay for rural people to have lower standards of care."

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