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# Cutting the red tape for mental health support
- URL: https://www.courier.net.au/cutting-the-red-tape-for-mental-health-support/
- Published: 2026-10-27T13:32:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-27T13:32:00.000Z
- Author: Louis Mayfield
- Tags: Partner content, Free to read

It doesn’t need to be the worst day of their life when somebody walks into the Mt Barker Medicare Mental Health Centre, but it often can be.

That has been part of what clinical team leader Maureen Germein has learned since the centre launched last year.

Fortunately, the centre offers walk-in consultations with no referral required as part of the model of care Ms Germein helped develop with Summit Health.

The centre design is welcoming and not like the normal clinical settings people may have previously experienced. People are greeted by staff and more often than not that will be one of the peer workers. 

“We’ve got a couple of different lenses in that greeting, and from there we work out what the next best steps are for that person,” Ms Germein said.-

“It might be continuing to see two people from the multi-disciplinary team, it might be a warm referral to our Alcohol and Other Drugs worker ... (or) the clinical team might continue that conversation on their own.”

A range of support and programs are offered by the centre, including both immediate and short-to-medium-term care.

Support can take the form of a four-session distress tolerance program, a crisis brief intervention program, or a six-session anxiety and depression program.

“For some people they may just need to feel heard and listened to in a single session, while others it might be connecting them to other services or supporting them through one of our ongoing programs,” Ms Germein said.

The collaborative treatment offered by the centre is what sets it apart, Ms Germein said, including its strong relationships with other services in the community, including Carers SA.

“We will refer to lots of our partners when needed ... we had Carers SA here recently talking about all the programs that they deliver, so we can have those cross referrals both ways,” she said.

“Two of our key partners are the SA Ambulance Service and SA Police, who can refer directly – we meet regularly with them.”

The Centre also works closely with the Mount Barker Community Mental Health team, Mount Barker Hospital and other community and health services across the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, as well as out to Murray Bridge and surrounds.

To ensure the support offered evolves with the needs of the community, the centre is providing a more transparent treatment process – note-taking by the clinical team is now available for Visitors to take home with them.

“It often might be a summary of what’s been said, and if someone is going back to their GP they might want some support to know what questions to ask,” Ms Germein said.

“We know not everybody retains information, particularly if you are distressed.”

The Mount Barker Medicare Mental Health Centre is provided by Summit Health and funded by Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN program.