Mental Health Support & Resources

Emergency Support

If life is in danger:

000

If there is the threat of harm or danger to you or someone else.

Stay calm, don't shout, speak slowly and clearly.
Tell the operator where the danger is — give an address or location.

Lifeline

13 11 14

A national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

"We exist so that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone."

Public Health Services & Information

Find your nearest CATT

Crisis Assessment & Treatment Team

Crisis assessment and treatment teams (CATT) are based at your nearest local major hospital, and provide help during a mental health emergency.

Made up of psychiatric nurses, social workers psychiatrists and psychologists, they respond to urgent requests to help individuals experiencing a mental health crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CATT’s also work with other services including the police, ambulance, alcohol and drug services, child protection and community services where required.

CATTs are known by different names in various states, but they perform essentially the same role:

CATT in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT
acute care teams (run by each health district) in Queensland and NSW
the Acute Community Intervention Service in Victoria
the Mental Health Triage Service in South Australia, and
the Mental Health Emergency Response Line in Western Australia

Better Access: details

Better Access initiative

This initiative gives Medicare rebates to eligible people so they can access the mental health services they need.

Support is available from eligible general practitioners (GPs) and other medical practitioners, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists.

Eligible people can receive up to 10 individual and up to 10 group allied mental health services each year (this number has increased to 20 during the COVID-19 pandemic).

Helplines

Suicide Call Back Service provides support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal.

1300 659 467 (24/7)

beyondblue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma.

1300 224 636 (24/7)

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25.

1800 55 1800 (24/7)

Blue Knot Foundation Helpline (formerly ASCA Professional Support Line) provides help, information, support or referral for adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse and their partners, family, friends, colleagues.

1300 657 380 (9am-5pm / 7 days)

Butterfly Foundation’s National Helpline, ED HOPE, is a free, confidential service that provides information, counselling and treatment referral for people with eating disorders, and body image and related issues.

1800 33 4673 (8am-midnight / 7 days)

eheadspace provides mental health and wellbeing support, information and services to young people aged 12 to 25 years and their families.

1800 650 890 (9am-1am / 7 days)

MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online support and information service.

1300 78 99 78 (24/7)

QLife provides nationwide telephone and web-based services to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people of all ages.

1800 184 527 (3pm-12am / 7 days)

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) provides a national telephone information, counselling and referral service

1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Mon-Fri)

SANE Australia provides support, training and education enabling those with a mental illness to lead a better life.

1800 18 7263 (10am-10pm Mon-Fri)

Open Arms — Veterans and Families Counselling provides free and confidential, counselling and support for war and service-related mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and anger.

1800 011 046 (24/7)