New Mental Health Stepped Care Service now accepting referrals

New Mental Health Stepped Care Service now accepting referrals

02 July, 2018

People across Melbourne’s outer east will now have greater access to mental health services with service provider Mentis Assist opening its doors on 2 July 2018.

Offering a new Mental Health ‘Stepped Care’ Service for people of all ages, Mentis Assist is being funded by the Australian Government through the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) to deliver a range of specialised mental health services to individuals living or working in the Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges areas.

Federal Member for Casey, Tony Smith MP, said the $1.3 million initiative aims to help meet the demand for mental health support in our community.

“We know a significant number of people in our community will experience a mental health issue at some time in their life and many more will be indirectly impacted,” he said.

EMPHN CEO, Robin Whyte, said the service is flexible and provides a range of options to suit the person’s individual circumstances, recovery goals and preferences.

“The Mental Health Stepped Care Service offers individuals with the flexibility to ‘step up’ or ‘step down’ their level of support depending on their mental health needs at any given time,” she said.

Mentis Assist CEO, Terry Palioportas, said the service will help those who may have otherwise slipped through the cracks due to disadvantage.

“There are many who have not been able to access services due to socio-economic factors, who will now be able to receive local, personalised care to help them on their road to recovery and wellbeing,” he said.

People of all ages who live or work in Melbourne’s eastern region (Knox, Maroondah, Yarra Ranges), who are not able to afford or access similar services, may be eligible to receive the Mental Health Stepped Care Service.

Services will include group and individual psychological intervention, suicide prevention services, care coordination, dual diagnosis services, and online support.

Care teams consisting of experienced mental health clinicians, including counsellors, psychologists, mental health nurses, and social workers will assess needs and collaborate closely with consumers and their carers or families to tailor collaborative care plans to individuals.

Referrals to the service can be made by anyone including GPs and other health providers, schools, social services, other organisations, or people or their carers can refer themselves.

The service will be accessible from four main sites:

  • Ringwood – 92B Maroondah Hwy
  • Healesville – Community Link, 110 River St
  • Sites in Boronia and Knox to open soon

To refer to the service:

This initiative is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the PHN program.

Media enquiries: Claire James, EMPHN Marketing and Communications Manager, claire.james@emphn.org.au 0425 887 397.

Eastern Melbourne PHN is a Primary Health Network funded by the Australian Government to improve the care and support people receive from health services. We aim to improve the health of our community by ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. www.emphn.org.au

Mentis Assist is a registered NDIS provider and has been providing specialised mental health support for over 30 years.