Introduction
Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) commissions a wide range of health services and initiatives to meet the diverse needs of communities in our region. For the most part, we do not deliver services but, rather, provide funding for services.
We are one of 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Australia working to improve the care and support people receive from health services.
EMPHN’s Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (MH&AOD) work involves commissioning mental health, alcohol and drug, and suicide prevention services in the east and north east of Melbourne.
These services focus on people across the lifespan, from child and youth, adult, and healthy ageing in our community.
Our work also encompasses service system improvements across our catchment. Foremost among these improvements is our ‘stepped care’ approach, which recognises that people have different health care needs at different times. Stepped care is about providing the right service at the right time, with the level of care matched to the individual’s needs.
In simple terms, our work includes:

Narelle Quinn
Executive Director, Program Delivery and Service Enhancement
Email: comms@emphn.org.au
EMPHN SupportConnect (formerly Mental Health Referral and Access team)
- Email: supportconnect@emphn.org.au
- Phone: (03) 9800 1071
- Fax: (03) 8677 9510