People with mental health issues are not only at much greater risk of experiencing chronic physical illness, but are also 50% less likely to receive treatment for their physical health concerns.
Just as psychosocial support services will incorporate a focus on staying physically well, EMPHN’s other commissioned services will also take an integrated approach to ensure that consumers with mental health issues will receive support for their physical health needs.
EMPHN’s Preventative Health Initiative (PHI) is delivered by Neami National. The program provides access to one-on-one consultations with a Registered Nurse, with mental health understanding, and addresses five physical health areas: breast cancer screening, bowel cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, influenza immunisation, and smoking cessation.
The Preventative Health Initiative, taking a mental health focus, also supports people with:
- improving health literacy
- attendance at appointments (for physical health needs)
- service coordination to achieve health goals
The Preventative Health Initiative will support mental health consumers to build personal capacity and confidence in addressing their physical health needs. The program also strengthens the mental health and primary health sectors’ ability to provide whole-of-person care and undertake care coordination to ensure services work together on behalf of consumers.
EMPHN Mental Health SupportConnect team
- Email: supportconnect@emphn.org.au
- Phone: (03) 9800 1071
- Fax: (03) 8677 9510