Australian mental health services

You may not know how to access mental health services or be unsure what support you need. If so, don’t worry. A good place to start is to:

• call a mental health telephone service — also known as a “front door” service
• talk to your general practitioner (GP)

You don't need a referral to use these services. These services can:

• diagnose and treat some mental health conditions
• help you understand options for care near you
• help you access the most appropriate care for your circumstances
• help communicate with other mental health professionals to coordinate your care

They can help you access care by referring you to services such as:

• your local doctor or health service
• a Medicare Mental Health centre
• another mental health service that's available in your region

You can read more about talking to your doctor about mental health. 

Mental health telephone services

In Australia, you can call Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212 for advice and to get connected (Opens in new tab) to local mental health services. Check the operating times (Opens in new tab). The Medicare Mental Health (Opens in new tab) website provides information on how to navigate the mental health system, live well and find help.

Most states and territories also have a mental health telephone triage service or a “front-door” service. You can call them to get help for yourself or someone else. They are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can find contact information for mental health services in each state below.

• Australian Capital Territory (Opens in new tab) — 1800 629 354
• New South Wales (Opens in new tab) — 1800 011 511
• Northern Territory (Opens in new tab) — 1800 682 288
• Queensland (Opens in new tab) — 1300 642 255
• South Australia (Opens in new tab) — 13 14 65
• Tasmania (Opens in new tab) — 1800 332 388
• Victoria (Opens in new tab) — 1300 651 251 (for crisis support) or 1300 60 60 24 (for nursing support)
• Western Australia (Opens in new tab) — 1800 676 822 (PEEL) or 1300 555 788 (Metro)

If you live in Victoria, you can also visit the mental health services directory (Opens in new tab) on the Department of Health (Opens in new tab) website.

The mental health care you receive will depend on your circumstances.
The mental health professionals involved in supporting you will work together to triage your care. This means that they will recommend and organise care based on what you need. You may receive help from mental health services for:

• emergency care 
• specialist care 
• care in the community

Remember — your care is your choice. Your doctors should give you all the information you need to make decisions about your care.

In some situations, care may be given without a person’s consent. This should only happen if the person is at serious risk of harm to themselves or others with no safer way to help them. Read more about recovery and mental health.

It’s important to get help if you are having suicidal thoughts, or you notice suicide warning signs in someone else. Speak to someone, such as a:

• family member
• friend 
• doctor

You can call Lifeline (Opens in new tab) on 13 11 14 for help and support.

You should get emergency mental health care if you or someone else is having a mental health crisis. This is when someone is in immediate danger of hurting themselves or others. A crisis is an emergency.

Mental health professionals are clinicians who have training and experience in providing mental health support. There are different mental health professionals you can see.

To see a mental health professional, you don't always need a referral from a doctor. However, you need a referral to get a Medicare rebate (refund).

To get a referral, speak to your doctor or a mental health telephone service. 

Your doctor can also help prepare a mental health treatment plan. This plan can help you manage the costs of mental health appointments. You can read more about this at the end of this page.

Mental health professionals may include:

• psychiatrists
• psychologists
• mental health nurses
• occupational therapists
• social workers

If you see a psychiatrist in a public hospital or community health service, you usually won't have to pay. But there is usually a significant waiting period.

In rural or remote Australia, mental health services may be more limited. This might include mental health care at a general practice. If you cannot see a mental health professional in person, you can have a video or telephone consultation. These can also be covered by Medicare.

Find out more about mental health professionals here.

Community mental health services can support your mental health outside of a hospital or a clinic. They can also assess people experiencing mental health problems.

Community mental health services are not standard across Australia. The services available to you may depend on where you live.  

Community mental health services generally involve different mental health professionals, who often work together in teams. Some teams have peer workers. These are people who have experienced mental health problems and recovery.

Community mental health services may have specialised teams for people who have certain cultural backgrounds, symptoms or conditions.

How can community mental health services help?

In life, you may find yourself suddenly struggling, or your mental health may worsen suddenly. Community mental health care can help when you need support straight away. Some teams provide psychiatric care for a mental health crisis.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can support people with mental health conditions that greatly impact their everyday lives. This support includes helping you find meaningful employment and activities. It also involves helping with the challenges of daily living.

Where can I access community mental health services?

You can access community mental health services in several ways:

• at hospital outpatient clinics
• at community mental health centres or clinics
• in a person's home
• online
• via telephone

You may also get community mental health services at a residential unit. This includes:

• rehabilitation
• treatment
• extended care in a domestic-type environment

This can help you move from being an inpatient in a hospital to living in the community. It also assists with independent living skills. A community service may help you avoid admission to hospital in the first place, or provide respite care.

Some mental health services specialise in certain mental health problems. They may be for serious mental health problems or designed for specific groups of people.

Specialist mental health services can include community services.

Specialist services might be available for people living with:

• eating disorders
• drug and alcohol abuse
• personality disorders
• postnatal depression
• early psychosis
• complex needs, such as homelessness

Some services help different groups of people, like:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• children and adolescents
• war veterans
• refugees
• older people
• families

Sometimes you may need a stay in hospital for treatment. This usually happens in a psychiatric unit. These units are available in major public hospitals, as well as some public and private psychiatric hospitals.

These hospitals have a range of specialist mental health professionals.

If you need to stay in hospital for mental health treatment, how long you stay may depend on the care you need. You may stay in hospital for a day, a week or two, or longer.

People are usually admitted to a public psychiatric unit through the hospital emergency department or a community mental health team.

Your doctor or a psychiatrist can help admit you to a private psychiatric hospital.
Occasionally, a person may need to stay at a mental health unit by law. This is for their own safety or for the safety of others. For this to happen, a doctor must make the case to a tribunal. The person has a right to legally object to staying at the hospital.

Medicare pays for all or part of the cost of seeing doctors.

If you have a mental health treatment plan, or if a psychiatrist or paediatrician refers you, you can get a Medicare benefit for eligible:

• psychologists or psychiatrists
• occupational therapists
• social workers

There is often still a gap to pay.

A mental health treatment plan helps pay for up to 10 appointments with a mental health professional each calendar year. Your doctor can help develop this plan. They must also give you a referral to see a mental healthcare professional. After 6 appointments, you must see your doctor again to be covered for further sessions.

Find out more about paying for mental health services.

In Australia, there are different mental health services available to suit your needs.

Online or remote support

There are non-Government organisations that offer free or low-cost mental health advice, counselling and online programs. These services can help people who have difficulty accessing face-to-face services or who prefer to be anonymous.
Organisations that provide mental health support include: 

• headspace (Opens in new tab) (for people aged 12 to 25 years and their families) — call 1800 650 890 or chat online
• Beyond Blue (Opens in new tab) (anyone feeling depressed or anxious) — call 1300 22 4636 or chat online
• Black Dog Institute (Opens in new tab) (anyone affected by mood disorders) — online help
• SANE Australia (Opens in new tab) (people living with a mental illness) — call 1800 187 263 or chat online
• This Way Up (Opens in new tab) (anyone with stress, anxiety and depression) — online courses
• MindSpot (Opens in new tab) — call 1800 61 44 34 or complete an online screening assessment

You can view a list of other mental health telephone helplines and resources. 
You can also ask the health professionals involved in your care about virtual care or telehealth options.

Support for carers

If you care for someone with a mental health condition, you may need support of your own. It is important to look after yourself. This way, you can continue to support your loved one.

You can visit the Carer Gateway (Opens in new tab) website for support and advice.

You can read more about supporting someone with a mental illness, and what help is available.

Languages other than English

For mental health information in languages other than English, you can visit the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (Opens in new tab) website. This includes a glossary of terms you may see when accessing mental health services. It is available in:

• Arabic (Opens in new tab) 
• Assyrian (Opens in new tab)
• Dari (Opens in new tab) 
• Farsi (Persian) (Opens in new tab)
• Karen (Opens in new tab) 
• Khmer (Cambodian) (Opens in new tab) 
• Vietnamese (Opens in new tab)

Medicare mental health has information on support for people from multicultural backgrounds (Opens in new tab).

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

If you are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, there is support available.

You can call 13YARN (Opens in new tab) to speak with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

You can real about social and emotional wellbeing (Opens in new tab) or find a health service near you (Opens in new tab) on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website.

Medicare mental health has information on support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Opens in new tab).

You can read more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and social and emotional wellbeing.