Quick Links
Mental Health Information and Training
Alternative models of mental healthcare
Advocacy and Peer-Support Organisations
Peer warm lines
Crisis and Suicide Support
Peak Mental Health Organisations
Mental Health Information and Training
Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
A range of resources related to mental health in the emergency department.
Black dog Institute
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/education-services/health-professionals/
Evidence-informed workshops, resources and networks developed for Australian health professionals with an interest in mental health.
Emotional CPR
https://www.vmiac.org.au/emotional-cpr-training/
Emotional CPR (eCPR) is designed to teach people how to assist others through an emotional crisis. eCPR is based on the principles shared by a number of support approaches: trauma-informed care, personal recovery approaches, counselling after disasters, peer support, and cultural and social atunement.
Equally Well
https://www.equallywell.org.au
Equally Well has been established to support those with mental illness live longer and have a good quality of life. Resources have been collected, collated and curated to assist consumers, carers, professionals and service providers
Foundations for Building Trauma Awareness
This training program utilises current research to provide an understanding of trauma, the impacts of trauma on all aspects of life and subsequently the coping mechanisms formed in response to trauma.
Lived Experience Australia
https://www.livedexperienceaustralia.com.au
Lived Experience Australia supports a highly skilled workforce through provision of quality research, training, and resources for consumers, carers, clinicians and service providers for improved, inclusive and responsive mental health services across Australia.
Mental Health Professional Online Development (MHPOD)
The MHPOD Learning Portal is an evidence-based online learning resource for people working in or connected to mental health service delivery.
Open Dialogue in Australia
Open Dialogue is a philosophical/theoretical approach to people experiencing an emotional crisis as well as a way of structuring mental health services to be more responsive to people’s needs.
Primary Health Networks (PHN) collection of primary mental health care resources
The documents in this collection aim to help Primary Health Networks (PHNs) who are implementing primary mental health care reform activities. The documents provide clarity in core issues, set out expectations and provide best-practice examples.
Safewards
Safewards is a big and important study with seriously major implications for policy, services, education and practice.
The Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL)
The Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL) is the central agency for public mental health workforce development in Victoria.
Orygen Training for Mental Health Clinicians
https://oyh.org.au/training-resources/training-mental-health-clinicians
This training has been developed specifically for mental health clinicians working either within the public mental health service sector, or equivalent settings.
Alternative models of mental healthcare
Brook RED
https://www.brookred.org.au/our-programs
The RED House is an active recovery space where people can stay while working on specific recovery goals.
Safe Haven Café
https://www.bettersafercare.vic.gov.au/improvement/projects/mh/safe-haven-café
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne established Safe Haven Café to provide a non-clinical, therapeutic space where people seeking mental health care, respite and support outside of normal business hours could comfortably connect with mental health professionals, peer support workers and volunteers.
Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC)
https://www.neaminational.org.au/find-services/umhcc/
The Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) provides high-engagement support in a calm, “lounge room like” space to help with your urgent mental health needs.
Advocacy and Peer-Support Organisations
BEING – Mental Health Consumers
BEING – Mental Health Consumers is the independent, NSW peak organisation speaking with and for people with lived/living experience of mental health issues and emotional distress.
CoMHWA (Consumers of Mental Health WA)
https://comhwa.org.au/getting-help
CoMHWA is the independent, state-wide, peak body for people with lived/living experience of mental health issues (consumers).
Flourish
Flourish works with mental health consumers to ensure that their rights, responsibilities and opinions are respected by policy makers, service providers and the Tasmanian Community.
Just Listening Initiative
https://www.justlistening.com.au
A free community space creating connection for a person in distress, crisis, suicidal or with an important story to share. A safe, therapeutic environment for people in emotional crisis as a meaningful alternative to other services.
LELAN (The SA Lived Experience and Leadership and Advocacy Network)
LELAN has particular expertise, networks and partnerships that centre the lives, perspectives, wisdom, recovery and hopes of people with lived experience of distress and/or mental health issues.
Mind Recovery College
https://www.mindaustralia.org.au/mind-recovery-college
At Mind Recovery College courses are delivered by facilitators who use their own lived experience of mental health, wellbeing and their personal recovery journey to inform their teaching.
Northern Territory Lived Experience Network
Northern Territory Lived Experience Network provide a collective and independent voice for people with lived experience of issues related to mental illness and suicide in the Northern Territory.
Peer Zone
Leaders in peer-made resources for people with mental distress and their supporters.
Roses in the Ocean
https://rosesintheocean.com.au/
Australia’s leading lived experience of suicide organisation, Roses in the Ocean exists to save lives and to reduce emotional distress and pain.
The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC)
VMIAC is the peak Victorian non-government organisation for individuals with lived experience of mental health or emotional issues. VMIAC offers information, mutual support and self-help, individual, group and systemic advocacy, research and evaluation, and education and training.
Peer warm lines
Brooke Red
https://www.brookred.org.au/phone-line
Tel: 07 3343 9282
Brooke Red Warm Line is somewhere to call when you need to connect with a peer worker to have a chat and work out some strategies to get you through the evening and night.
Lived Experience Telephone Support Service (LETSS)
https://www.letss.org.au
Tel: 1800 013 755
The LETSS support workers will provide non-clinical mental health support which helps people in times of distress, offers an alternative to attending emergency departments, and assists with access to appropriate in-hours services provided by state, Commonwealth or non-governmental organisations.
SP Peer CARE Connect
https://rosesintheocean.com.au/sp-peer-care-connect/
Tel: 1800 777 337
SP Peer CARE Connect is a suicide prevention ‘warmline’ call-back service, and has been created by Roses in the Ocean to provide a safe place for people with a lived experience of suicide to connect with others with a similar lived experience of suicide.
Wellways Helpline
https://www.wellways.org/our-services/helpline-1300-111-500
Tel: 1300 111 500
Helpline is for people experiencing issues with their mental health and wellbeing. It provides support to individuals, families, friends and carers as well as professionals and the community.
Crisis and Suicide Support
State crisis numbers
NSW – 1800 011 511 – Mental Health Line
VIC – 1300 651 251 – Suicide Help Line
QLD – 1300 642255 – 1300 MHCALL – Mental Health Access Line
TAS – 1800 332 388 – Mental Health Services Helpline
SA – 13 14 65 – Mental Health Triage Service
WA – 1800 555 788 (Perth metro area) or 1800 676 822 (Peel area) – Mental Health Emergency Response Line
NT – 1800 682 288 – Northern Territory Mental Health Line
ACT – 1800 629 354 or (02) 6205 1065 – Access Mental Health
General crisis and suicide support
Lifeline
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Tel: 13 11 14
Lifeline connects people in Australia with care by providing services in suicide prevention, 24-hour crisis support and mental health support. The website offers online chat and information resources.
QLife
https://qlife.org.au/
1800 184 527
QLife provides Australia-wide anonymous, LGBTI peer support and referral for people wanting to talk about a range of issues including sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships.
Queerspace
https://www.queerspace.org.au/contact/
(03) 9663 6733
Queerspace is an LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service established in 2009 by LGBTIQ+ communities for LGBTIQ+ communities. queerspace has a focus on relationships, families, parenting and young people and offers co-located services across the north-west metropolitan region of Victoria.
Rainbow Door
https://www.rainbowdoor.org.au
1800 729 367
Rainbow Door is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, Gay , Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls) helpline providing information, support, and active referrals to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family.
Switchboard Victoria
http://www.switchboard.org.au
1800 184 527
Switchboard Victoria provides peer-driven support services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people, their families, allies and communities.
Suicide Prevention Australia
http://suicidepreventionaust.org/
Suicide Prevention Australia provides national leadership for the suicide prevention sector in Australia. It builds and facilitates partnerships to reduce the stigma around mental illness and suicide, and to assist the healing for people with lived experience of suicide attempts and suicide.
Suicide Call Back Service
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Tel: 1300 695 467
Suicide Call Back Service is a nationwide service providing 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people affected by suicide.
Life in Mind
https://www.lifeinmindaustralia.com.au/
Life in Mind is a national gateway connecting Australian suicide prevention services to each other and the community. Through the Life in Mind online portal, the project aims to reduce suicidal behaviours and suicide rates, as well as improve communications surrounding suicide attempts, response to suicide and its impacts.
Peak Mental Health Organisations
Mental Health Australia (MHA)
MHA is an Australian non-government organisation which represents and promotes the interests of the national mental health sector and is committed to improve mental health for Australians. It represents mental health consumers, carers, special needs groups, clinical service providers, public and private mental health service providers, researchers and state/territory community mental health peak bodies.
Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHIMA)
MHIMA is an organisation which aims to assist in building the capacity of Australia’s multiculturally and linguistically diverse communities and to make strategic-level contributions to national, state and territory governments regarding mental health reform strategies and research and evaluation. Its website contains information and resources including mental health organisations and translated information and language services.
Complaints Commissions (Health and Mental Health)
Health Complaints Commissions (all states and territories)
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/
ACT Health Services Commissioner: (02) 6205 2222
Mental Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria): 1800 246 054
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission: 1800 043 159
NT Health and Community Services Complaints Commission: 1800 806 380
QLD Health Quality and Complaints Commission: 1800 077 308
SA Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner: (08) 8226 8666 or 1800 232 007
TAS Health Care Complaints Commission: 1800 001 170 or 1300 766 725
VIC Health Services Commissioner: 1800 136 066
WA Health and Disability Services Complaints Office: [email protected]
Offices of the Public Advocate
The Office of the Public Advocate is an organisation empowered by law to promote and protect the rights and interests of people in the community who suffer from a condition or situation that makes them potentially vulnerable to abuse, exploitation or neglect, and also aims to eliminate such abuse, exploitation and neglect. The Office offers an advice service, community education, opportunities to volunteer, and information about guardianship and administration, powers of attorney and medical consent.
ACT: http://www.publicadvocate.act.gov.au/
Queensland: http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/public-advocate
South Australia: http://www.opa.sa.gov.au/
Victoria: http://www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au/
Western Australia: http://www.publicadvocate.wa.gov.au/