Mental health Archives | Page 12 of 22 | South Western Sydney PHN

02 March 2023

Searching for help online is the first step for many people. You might be deciding whether to ask for professional help, or you are looking for ways to self-manage an issue you are experiencing.

The three online mental health sites reviewed here hold trusted, government-approved and funded mental health advice and services and are free to access.

Head To Health

Head To Health is a nationwide mental health resource provided by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.

Head to Health can help you find online mental health services from some of Australia’s most trusted mental health organisations.

Head To Health is a good place to:

Find ways to live a more meaningful life
Learn what to expect from receiving professional help, including what to bring to your appointment, questions to ask etc
Find the right support choice for your concern
Learn more about your diagnoses

Use the Head to Health chatbot to guide you to the solution you are looking for.

Watch this introduction to Head To Heath

Whether you are trying to improve your own sense of wellbeing, looking for help with something that is bothering you, or helping someone you care about, Head to Health is a good place to start.

Visit Head to Health

Headstart

Headstart is a mental health resource connecting you with local service providers and to help you learn more about a condition.

When you first visit the Headstart website you select your suburb. You then get service recommendations available to your region, including services available nationally.

Headstart offers four ways to look for support:

Answer a few questions to be guided to finding support, including if you are looking for yourself or someone else.

Go straight to support options based on your

Identity: For example: age, gender, cultural background, sexual identity
Condition: For example: anxiety, eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Challenging situation: For example: addiction, trauma, grief, domestic violence

Services recommended on Headstart are free or low-cost. They are government-funded or accredited to National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS) or similar.

Watch this introduction to Headstart:

Headstart is made possible by the following Primary Health Networks (PHNs) through funding provided by the Australian Government under the PHN Program.

South Western Sydney PHN

Central Eastern Sydney PHN

Western Sydney PHN (WentWest)

Northern Sydney PHN (Sydney North Health Network)

Visit Headstart

Embrace – multicultural mental health

Embrace focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds throughout Australia.

Factsheets are available in 31 languages with information on a range of mental health conditions. Through the Embrace website, you can find community organisations to connect with, mental health services and information on how to access them.

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health is run by Mental Health Australia with funding provided by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Visit Embrace

02 March 2023

GPs and other health professionals can refer patients to SWSPHN’s commissioned mental health services through SWSPHN Mental Health Central Intake.

Central Intake ensures that when patients are referred to our commissioned services, there is a standardised initial assessment which supports the treatment choices for that patient.

Find out more:

About making a referral

About Central Intake

For support making a referral, phone SWSPHN Mental Health Central Intake on: 1300 797 746.

16 February 2023

If you’re worried about your mental health and not sure where to begin, the Headstart website is an easy-to-use way to find the help that’s right for you.

Headstart’s comprehensive database of local services connects users with service providers or information specific to your mental health needs, location, cultural background or gender identity.

Headstart marks its one-year anniversary

South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) launched Headstart one year ago, in January 2022. In the past 12 months, more than 17,000 people have visited the website to find trusted, free or low cost, mental health services.

Feedback from visitors to the website includes:

“I like how Headstart is region-focused and user friendly.”

“This website is an amazing start on building a collaborative resource on mental health services. It is sorely needed.”

Headstart South Western Sydney gives information relevant to the local government areas of Bankstown, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee. It filters services based on a person’s demographics and mental health needs.

Find support to manage conditions like:

anxiety and/or depression
eating disorders
personality disorders

Find support for challenging situations like:

grief and loss
domestic and family violence
gambling concerns

Headstart brings information about local services into one, easy-to-search platform and includes contact details and referral pathways for those services.

SWSPHN Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said one of the biggest obstacles to accessing support for mental health concerns was not knowing where to get help.

“Who do you ask? What sort of treatment do you need? Are there local services available? How do you access those services? It can be overwhelming taking that first step towards finding help,” Dr McDonald said.

“Headstart simplifies the process of finding the right help for you. By answering a few questions, Headstart will help you navigate to the local, phone and digital mental health service, which will best meet your need.”

Headstart continues to evolve

Work is underway on creating:

a page for people with an intellectual disability
new pages and resources for social prescribing, including a page for ‘loneliness’ and ‘community connections’
new support pages, including counselling and therapy, support groups, self-help, and education and training

Visit headstart.org.au

Find out more about SWSPHN’s initiatives for mental health support

14 February 2023

People in our region at risk of suicide will have improved access to appropriate, safe and timely care with the recruitment of a lead agency for SWSPHN’s Clinical Suicide Prevention Service for the first time.

Grand Pacific Health began delivering the service at the beginning of this year.

The service is designed to respond to the critical needs of people at low-to-medium risk of suicide following a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis, offering accessible and sensitive individual psychological therapy services.

It is for people who:

Have continued suicidal ideation after discharge from acute services
Present at a GP clinic after a suicide attempt
Present to a GP with persistent suicidal ideation

Several service provider organisations, from sole trading clinicians to larger mental health organisations, had been funded to provide the service since its establishment.

The service has provided care across the region since July 2017, with 1,336 referrals to the service and 6,453 hours of service delivered.

Of the clients referred, 59 per cent are female, 57 per cent are people aged between 14 and 35 years and 17 per cent are clients born in countries other than Australia.

Grand Pacific Health, with its team of qualified and experienced mental health professionals, has now been commissioned as the service’s lead agency to streamline referrals, ensuring a more efficient response to the urgent needs of people at risk of suicide.

SWSPHN CEO, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said the commissioning of Grand Pacific Health as lead agency was an opportunity to continue the good work of the service.

“This new lead agency approach to the Clinical Suicide Prevention Service will provide greater assurance that people in crisis will be seen promptly no matter where they live in South Western Sydney,” he said.

GPs can continue to refer patients to the service through SWSPHN’s Central Intake.

If you, or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, talking about self-harm, or is noticeably in serious distress, call triple (000). Alternatively, contact the NSW Mental Health Access Line on 1800 011 511.

Find out more

03 February 2023

Find out how to register and use the free interpreting services for mental health service providers commissioned by PHNs.

From 1 February 2023 all mental health services commissioned by Primary Health Networks (PHNs) may apply to access free interpreting services funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).

The Australian Government is investing $7.8 million over two years (2022-23 to 2023-24) to ensure interpreting services for mental health service providers commissioned by PHNs are available. Language services are designed to ensure that people with limited or no English language proficiency can access the services and programs they need, removing a significant barrier faced by Australians from multicultural backgrounds when accessing mental health support.

How to register for TIS National

To access TIS services, mental health service providers register for a client code via the TIS National website.

TIS Online

You’ll be asked to complete an online registration form.

For the first four questions of the registration form, answer as follows:

Category — choose ‘Commonwealth Government Agency’
Sub-category — choose ‘Other Commonwealth Government agency’
Name of organisation or agency — enter the name of your organisation/service
Section name — enter ‘PHN-Funded Mental Health Program’

TIS National will email you the unique client code once your application is complete. You will also receive a welcome email containing your account details and information on how to use the services.

Services who provide mental health services through different government programs, you need to register a separate client code for each one.

How to access TIS National

TIS National provides access to the following interpreting services:

Immediate phone interpreting (131 450)

ATIS automated voice-prompted immediate phone interpreting

Pre-booked phone interpreting

On-site interpreting

Video remote interpreting

Once you have a client code, you can book an immediate phone interpreter by calling TIS National on 131 450 or make a booking through your TIS Online account (onsite, pre-book phone interpreting and video interpreting can only be booked via TIS Online). You should use phone interpreting services unless there’s a genuine need for an on-site interpreter. Providers will need to quote their unique client code when booking an interpreter.

A guide to TIS National services ebrochure

Download TIS’s guide for different service types and help with deciding the most suitable format for your client. Interpreters are available in more than 160 languages.

TIS National promotional materials catalogue

For more information visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website

Find out more

Souther Western Sydney PHN mental health services providers.

02 February 2023

NewAccess is designed to give you the skills to manage everyday life stresses such as work, study, relationships, health or loneliness.

The program is confidential and free of charge to you.

It was developed by Beyond Blue and is delivered in South Western Sydney by One Door Mental Health.

An Arabic-speaking coach is available to support multicultural communities.

Hear from Mireille below:

Find out more

Make an inquiry

12 December 2022

The holiday time can bring on feelings of stress and anxiety. Gift-giving, financial burdens, social situations, family dynamics and memories may add to this stress. Some people find this feeling unbearable.

It’s important to remember there is help available if you, a friend, or a family member is finding it hard to manage your mental health during this time.

SWSPHN encourages people living in South Western Sydney to give Head to Health a call. It is a free service designed to provide mental health support to anyone who needs it.

When you call Head to Health you will be connected to a trained professional who will assist you in finding the right care for your situation.

Call 1800 595 212 for free support.

Head to Health is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm (except public holidays ie 26 and 27 December 2022 and 2 January 2023).

Learn about Head to Health

Access Headstart

If you, a friend or family member is in crisis, the following services are available:

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
NSW 24 Hour Mental Health Access Line 1800 011 511
Lifeline 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

23 November 2022

Flex Allied Health is running Project Emerge’N’See which provides free mental health webinars to people living and/or working in our region!

The project is funded by a Mental Health Recovery Grant, an initiative of SWSPHN funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

It aims to promote good mental health and wellbeing to anyone affected by COVID-19, natural disasters, economic stresses or any other issues affecting their mental health.

The webinars are held every Thursday, from 7pm to 8.30pm.

They are run by Flex Allied Health’s psychologist, with guest speakers from its allied health team to develop a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

Visit Eventbrite to reserve your spot!

15 November 2022

One of SWSPHN’s core functions is to work with community, service providers and others to design and commission a range of mental health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) services tailored to the unique needs of the South Western Sydney community.

SWSPHN’s Mental Health Central Intake Line exists to ensure that when GPs and other healthcare providers refer patients to these commissioned services, there is a standardised initial assessment which supports the treatment choices for that patient.

We take a closer look at the Central Intake Line – 1300 797 746 – in this month’s Under the Microscope.

Stepped care approach to providing mental healthcare

Stepped care is a model of evidence-based mental healthcare delivery where the service intensity is matched to individual need/severity of the mental illness, ensuring the right service is delivered at the right place, at the right time.

The ideal intervention is the least intensive and least intrusive.

Importantly, the decision is driven by a person-centred, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Patient outcomes are monitored so that patients can step-up or step-down between services as appropriate. Learn more about the mental health services we commission

The stepped care approach is underpinned by 10 comprehensive key principles for effective and inclusive service provision. Learn more about the 10 principles

The Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) has been developed to support a stepped care model in primary care. It is a useful tool to support GPs and other clinicians in recommending the most appropriate level of care for a person seeking mental health assistance.

Learn more about the IAR-DST and view available IAR workshops

What does our Central Intake team do?

SWSPHN’s Mental Health Intake Officers are available to liaise with GPs and other health professionals to discuss and review SWSPHN mental health and AOD referrals. This includes providing information on the different services available and eligibility requirements, who can refer and how they refer. The Intake Officers provide support over the phone and answer queries via email if appropriate.

Once a referral has been received, the Intake Officers ensure all the information needed is provided, before processing and allocating the referral.

Referrals are processed within three business days and allocated to the appropriate mental health service providers. The service providers then contact the patient within five business days of notification and an appointment is scheduled within one month. This timeframe can vary depending on the volume of referrals and service capacity.

How do you refer your patients to our commissioned services?

There are two ways GPs can refer their patient to a SWSPHN-funded mental health service.

Use the Mental Health Central Intake template within your practice software. The Central Intake team will forward the referral to the appropriate service or service selected by the GP.
Complete the online Mental Health Smart Referral Form (please note, this form is not compatible with GP software). Appropriate documentation must be attached to both faxed referrals and online referrals made through the smart form.

Where possible, GPs are asked to send a copy of the Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) for their patient with the referral. This will enable the patient access to the full number of sessions corresponding to the service.

Access the Adult Mental Health Treatment Plan
Access the Child Mental Health Treatment Plan

Clinical Suicide Prevention Service referrals

GPs can refer to the Clinical Suicide Prevention Service by completing the SWSPHN Clinical Suicide Prevention Referral Form. Referrals to the service are treated with priority and processed within 24 (business) hours of receipt, with the patient receiving a call from a clinician within this time frame.

Submit these forms to HealthLink: swsphnmh; fax: 02 4623 1796.

For support making a referral, phone SWSPHN’s Mental Health Central Intake on: 1300 797 746.
It is important to note, this is not a crisis service. In an emergency, please call 000 (Triple 0).

15 November 2022

The National Suicide Prevention Office has launched public consultation on a scoping paper for the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) was created in early 2022 with the responsibility for working across governments, portfolios, and sectors to drive the development of a nationally consistent and integrated approach to suicide prevention. 

The development of a National Strategy is an immediate priority for the National Suicide Prevention Office. The strategy will form the basis for the coordinated action which is required across all governments, portfolios and communities to create an Australia where no person feels driven to suicide.

The NSPO has committed to ensuring the voice of lived experience of suicide is central to the development of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

To have your say on the scope for the development of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, click here.

Expressions of Interest now open for National Suicide Prevention Strategy Working Groups

The NSPO is also seeking expressions of interest from individuals to join the working groups that will inform the development of the Strategy in greater detail. Please review the Terms of Reference and complete the EOI nomination form click here.