Mental health Archives | Page 2 of 23 | South Western Sydney PHN

28 April 2026

The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration has provided information about Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) requirements.

It is a requirement for GPs to include the number of sessions in any psychologist referral to avoid any assumptions.

If the number of sessions is not written down, the psychologist needs to contact the referring GP, which can cause a delay to the patient accessing care as well as additional administrative burden.

A patient can continue the same MHTP indefinitely, with the GP updating the original plan over the years if appropriate.

In a calendar year (1 January to 31 December), your patient can receive the following services:

up to 10 individual Medicare-rebated mental health services for psychological therapy or focused psychological strategies
up to 10 group therapy services (involving four to 10 patients as part of psychological therapy or focused psychological strategies)

If there are remaining unused sessions, referrals can be carried over into the next calendar year.

If you have any questions, phone 03 8699 0978 or email gpmhsc@racg.org.au.

This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 29 April 2026. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

02 April 2026

If you have a lived or living experience of suicide, you’re invited to express your interest in joining the South Western Sydney Suicide Prevention Lived Experience Advisory Group (SWS SPLEAG).

The new specialist advisory group will provide organisations, services and initiatives in South Western Sydney with access to expert and timely consumer and carer advice related to suicide prevention.

Drawing on lived experience perspectives, the group will strengthen the development, co-design and continuous improvement of suicide prevention services, ensuring they are responsive, effective and sustainable in meeting community needs. 

SWSPHN is forming SWS SPLEAG in collaboration with Lifeline, Roses in the Ocean and South Western Sydney Local Health District.

Who can apply?

You’re eligible to join if you’re an adult living, working or studying in South Western Sydney who has a lived or living experience of suicide, including people who:

have experienced suicidal thoughts
have survived a suicide attempt
have supported a family member, friend or loved one experiencing suicidal distress
have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide

We strongly encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQI+ communities, men, young people and older adults.

What’s in it for you?

an opportunity to use your experience to improve suicide prevention in your community
specialist training provided by Roses in the Ocean
remuneration for your time, skills and expertise

What will the group do?

The advisory group will guide and influence suicide prevention work across the region.

This may include:

shaping and co-designing services supporting best practice in community and clinical settings
informing workforce planning and recruitment
helping create safe, supportive environments for people with lived experience

Expressions of interest to join SWS SPLEAG are now open.

Express your interest

If you need support completing your application, please contact Roses in the Ocean at workshops@rosesintheocean.com.au

23 March 2026

The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration has developed a new suite of resources to assist GPs in providing inclusive, trauma-informed and culturally safe care to patients from diverse backgrounds.

Developed in collaboration with GPs, a carer representative and a consumer representative the resources are designed to support mental health treatment plans, offering practical tips to build trust, ask sensitive questions respectfully and recognise when to proceed with caution.

The five resources cover Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, veterans, refugees, LGBTQIA+ and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Explore the resource hub

This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

16 March 2026

Organisations looking to deliver culturally responsive low intensity mental health services across the South Western PHN region are now invited to express their interest.

SWSPHN is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) to service Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and/or culturally and linguistically diverse populations with locally-relevant low intensity mental health support services that meet the needs of consumers within these cohorts, who are unable to access mainstream services or for whom services do not meet their needs.

Services delivered through this funding opportunity will complement the new national Medicare Mental Health Check In Service (MMHHCI service) being rolled out in 2026.

Interested parties may apply for one or both priority population cohorts. If applying for both, separate responses are requested for each target community, and it should be clear in your response which community you are applying to service.

Procurement overview

Expressions of Interest are now open and can be submitted via the application form at the bottom of this page including all relevant attachments. Applications close 5pm, Thursday, 23 April.

Successful providers will operate within a stepped-care framework to offer brief, structured and evidence-based low intensity mental health interventions. Services will be tailored to meet the specific needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse and/or Aboriginal and Torries Strait Islander backgrounds.

Background

The Medicare Mental Health Check In (MMHCI) service is a national service providing guided and self-guided cognitive behaviour Therapy (CBT) programs.

To prevent duplication, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing mandates SWSPHN must re-prioritise planning and commissioning localised low intensity mental health services to meet the needs of consumers who are unable to access mainstream services or for whom the service does not meet their needs.

Online information session

An information session took place on Wednesday, 25 March, from 10am via Zoom. The information session included an overview of the EOI, outline the outcomes sought, the process for submission and to allow potential respondents to ask questions. See below presentation and Q&As.

Information session slideshow (PDF)
Information session questions and answers (PDF | updated 7 April 2026)

Key dates

EOI open	16 March 2026
Information session	25 March 2026 @ 10am
Last queries	20 April 2026 @ 5pm
EOI closes	23 April 2026 @ 5pm
Evaluation period	24 April 2026 – 28 May 2026
Successful applicants notified. Contract negotiations commence	May 2026
Contract execution	June 2026
Unsuccessful applicants notified	June 2026
Full implementation and service delivery commencement	1 July 2026

How to apply

Respondents must submit their EOI through this website by filling in the application form linked on this page and attaching relevant documentation including the completed Activity Work Plan and Budget templates, as well as copies of certificates of currency for relevant insurances.

Other important documentation to note before applying:

EOI Tender Document

Example of Commissioned Services Agreement (CSA)

All Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 5pm, Thursday, 23 April 2026.

Culturally responsive low intensity mental health services EOI

Tip – have this information handy before you begin your application:

details and copies of your certificates of currency for your public liability, professional indemnity, cyber security and workers compensation insurances where applicable
download and complete these documents: Activity Work Plan [Word doc], Budget Template [Excel]
contact details of two professional references
be prepared to answer two free-text questions to describe your relevant skills and experience and readiness to take part in the program view these questions beforehand [txt]

Questions and enquiries

Any questions relating to this EOI can be emailed to tenders@swsphn.com.au. Questions and answers will be published on this webpage at the end of each week.

Enquiries regarding this EOI can be directed to Pritika Desai, Commissioning Manager, on 4632 3000.

05 February 2026

SWSPHN-funded You in Mind services are now open to accepting new referrals in Camden, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Bankstown and Fairfield.

The program temporarily ceased accepting new referrals in these LGAs in December.

The You in Mind program is designed to support people in underserviced and hard to reach communities, who have a mild to severe mental health issue, are over the age of 12 years, and are experiencing barriers to accessing support through the Medicare Better Access initiative.

It provides free psychological therapies and non-clinical peer support.

It is recommended that if a patient is able to engage with Better Access, this is the preferred service for them. More information about the Better Access Initiative is available online. To gain access to this initiative, patients will need to make an appointment with their GP for a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

GPs can refer into You in Mind through SWSPHN’s Mental Health Central Intake.

Referral instructions for GPs

Find out about You in Mind

13 January 2026

Do you have a lived experience of mental ill health? Are you passionate about ensuring local mental health services are relevant to local need?

Your experience matters and we want to hear from you.

SWSPHN is currently seeking expressions of interest for consumer or community representatives to be a mental health consumer voice while working closely with our staff on Our Experience Matters (OEM) Reference Group.

OEM is made up of people with living or lived experience of mental ill health, their family, friends and carers as well as those who have been bereaved by suicide.

If you are passionate about improving the primary care services available to South Western Sydney residents, you are invited to express your interest to join OEM by completing the form below.

What’s expected of you:

Consumer and carer representatives will work closely with staff members to improve the safety, access and quality of services by offering their advice and experience.

Meetings are held quarterly on a Monday, from 10am to 11.30am. Attendance can be online or face-to-face at the SWSPHN office in Campbelltown. The next meeting is Monday, 9 February 2026.

In return members are remunerated for their time and expertise at a rate of $150 per hour.

If you have any questions, please call Luke Swain on 4632 3023 or email luke.swain@swsphn.com.au for more information.

What our members say about OEM:

“I believe that each person has a right to realise their full potential, take control of their lives through recovery. The OEM committee is an important link towards this” – current OEM member

“I also like to be involved in the OEM committee as it gives me insight into updated practices, service interventions and support which I can share throughout the community” – current OEM member

21 November 2025

Support the people who use your organisation become aware of the FREE Medicare Mental Health phone service.

By displaying a poster in your organisation’s foyer or waiting room, and having a supply of flyers and/or wallet cards to hand out, you will be helping your customers, students or patients who may be dealing with mental health illness learn of this vital, free service.

SWSPHN are accepting orders from local organisation to receive free printed collateral.

Digital assets also available

Download email banners, social tiles and website banners here:

See and download digital assets

Place your order for your free printed collateral by COB Monday, 15 December 2025.

Your order will be delivered before Christmas. This offer is only available to deliveries based in South Western Sydney. If your organisation is not open during the delivery period, your items will be delivered early in the new year.

11 November 2025

A mental health condition is a health issue just like any other. However, dealing with mental health conditions can be overwhelming to patients and their loved ones.

Parenting and mental health are deeply connected – for many parents, mental health can impact parenting and parenting can impact mental health.

Circumstances of parents can have a great impact on the immediate emotional and social wellbeing, and the future mental health outcomes for children. Children need age-appropriate education and support to understand and cope with a parent’s mental illness and this can significantly prevent or minimise the impact on them.

GPs, often the first point of contact for family health, play a vital role. By linking parents with the right support services and providing age-appropriate support to children they can help prevent or minimise the impact of parental mental illness on children.

Resources for GPs and other health professionals:

Emerging Minds
Emerging Minds – GPs resources
SWSLHD Family Focused Recovery (formerly Children of Parents with Mental Illness) – phone 9780 2777
NSW Health Family Focused Recovery Framework

This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 12 November 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

04 November 2025

SWSPHN’s HEAL program and the importance of health literacy in successfully promoting physical activity, were highlighted at the WSYD Moving Symposium 2025 at Western Sydney Conference Centre, Penrith on Thursday, 30 October.

The symposium brought together more than 250 leaders, health practitioners and community voices under the theme Accelerating action – tackling inactivity and inequity, to urge cross-sector collaboration in unlocking healthier, more active lifestyles for all communities.

SWSPHN staff including Nisha Nair, Alyssa Horgan and Luke Swain (pictured) attended the event, with Nisha joining a panel focused on Embedding physical activity into health systems, where she discussed our HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Lifestyle) program.

HEAL is an eight-week evidence-based program designed for people who have, or are at risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, to improve their health through better nutrition, increased physical activity and long-term behaviour change.

During the panel discussion, Nisha gave HEAL as one example of a SWSPHN initiative which promoted physical activity saying there is capacity for the program to be scaled through joint collaboration.

“HEAL facilitates collaborative opportunities through providing templates for communication, options for the exercise components which can be adapted based on the group of participants and opportunities for health education,” she said.

“We have commissioned service providers within our region to run the HEAL program for our community, and we are hoping to support over 200 people within our region.

“Embedded within the program are opportunities for facilitators to collaborate with GPs and other relevant health providers involved in the care of the participants. We’re looking to explore different versions of HEAL for different population groups to expand the impact of the program.”

Penrith Deputy Mayor Garion Thain opened the event, which included an address by State Health Minister Ryan Park, and 40 speakers from health, local government, sport, academia and community sectors, covering Local Active Partnerships, systems leadership, community-led solutions and new opportunities for collaboration.

When asked about building the capability of the health workforce to champion physical activity – particularly for those who may not see it as ‘their role’ – Nisha spoke about how building opportunities to showcase the impact of those roles could result in ‘lightbulb moments’.

“I was at a youth refugee expo a few weeks ago, where we had a push up competition to build awareness of the impact of physical activity,” she said.

“As language was a barrier with some of the interactions at the event, we saw the impact volunteer interpreters made with bridging that health literacy gap.

“Not only did having interpreters help with building that awareness of physical activity with participants, they saw attendees taking flyers not only for themselves but for their siblings and parents.

“I saw the lightbulb moment in the volunteers’ heads – that sense of contribution they felt in that moment.”

WSYD Moving is a health-promotion charity. The symposium marked the official launch of the WSYD Moving Systems Leadership Course, a first-of-its-kind program designed to build capacity and strengthen collaboration across sectors.

WSYD Moving Convenor David Burns said physical inactivity cost the Western Sydney region more than $1.5 billion every year.

“We can’t solve this alone — it requires all of us working together. The symposium is a key event to bring parts of the system together, build relationships, and help to systemise approaches that enable communities to reduce inequity in access to more active lifestyles.”

Find out more about HEAL

Find out more about WSYD Moving

17 October 2025

South Western Sydney welcomed the official opening of Australia’s 50th Medicare Mental Health Centre – a new service at Campbelltown supporting people experiencing mental health concerns – on Friday, 17 October.

SWSPHN is funding Grand Pacific Health and its partners Odyssey House NSW, Relationships Australia NSW and Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, to provide free, walk-in mental health and wellbeing support for Campbelltown and surrounding areas.

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, joined Macarthur MP Michael Freelander, Werriwa MP Anne Stanley, State Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson, State Camden MP Sally Quinnell, Campbelltown Mayor Darcy Lound, and representatives from SWSPHN, Grand Pacific Health, its partners and the community for the service’s official launch.

Medicare Mental Health Centres offer a welcoming place where everyone can access free and confidential mental health information, services and supports from multidisciplinary care teams over extended hours.

Services are free and you don’t need an appointment or referral.

The support offered includes:

immediate help and follow-up for people who are in distress
support for people with mental health concerns
support for carers and families of people experiencing mental health distress
help connecting people with other services to support them in the future, from health to mental health, and social supports like housing and employment

SWSPHN Acting Chief Executive Officer, Amy Prince (pictured right), said there were high levels of psychological distress in South Western Sydney, with an estimated 221,864 people or 19.8 per cent of the region’s population likely experiencing a mental illness in the 12 months to June 2024.

“The prevalence of mental illness in our region is expected to increase within the next 10 years, and Medicare Mental Health Centres are playing a key role in improving access to appropriate care,” she said.

“Many people experience mental health challenges. This centre will ensure any resident can walk in and receive support, without a referral and at no cost.

“SWSPHN is pleased to see the opening of a second Medicare Mental Health Centre in our region, at this site in Campbelltown which is easily accessible by public transport and newly fitted out to meet the needs of our community.

“We’re also looking forward to again working closely with experienced mental health service provider Grand Pacific Health, which delivers SWSPHN-funded headspace centres at Oran Park, Edmondson Park and Liverpool, and Medicare Mental Health Centres across four other sites in NSW.”

Grand Pacific Health Chief Executive Officer, Adam Philips, said his organisation was thrilled to be able to continue supporting the Campbelltown region.

“This is the fifth Medicare Mental Health Centre we’ve launched,” he said. “We really believe in the model of care and look forward to offering integrated, wrap around care for anyone who comes through the door.”

Campbelltown is the second Medicare Mental Health Centre site in South Western Sydney.

It complements the SWSPHN-funded Liverpool Medicare Mental Health Centre at 203 Northumberland Street, Liverpool which opened in 2023. In the last financial year alone, the Liverpool centre provided support to more than 800 people.

Access support from Campbelltown Medicare Mental Health Centre

The Campbelltown Medicare Mental Health Centre is at Suite 5.05, 8 Dumaresq Street, Campbelltown.

People who need support, can drop into the centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm.

People who are not able to visit the centre in person can call 1800 595 212 to speak to an experienced professional to receive advice or a referral to a service which meets their needs, from 8.30am to 5pm weekdays (except public holidays).

Access more information and mental health resources

Find out more about Medicare Mental Health Centres in South Western Sydney on the SWSPHN website.

Find digital mental health resources from trusted providers on the Medicare Mental Health website

Pictured cutting the ribbon, from left, Sally Quinnell, Rose Jackson, Emma McBride, Darcy Lound, Anne Stanley, Michael Freelander and Amy Prince.