A new free, walk-in mental health support service has opened in the Hills.
Co-funded by the Federal and State governments and operated by Summit Health, the new Mt Barker Medicare Mental Health Centre is staffed by qualified mental health professionals including nurses, social workers and peer support workers.
Among the services provided are immediate help for those in distress, ongoing care for people with complex mental health needs, support for carers and families of people with mental health needs and referrals to other services, including health, housing and employment.
The new centre, which was opened last week and joins a network of 32 other Medicare Mental Health centres across Australia, comes as the Federal Government invests a further $29.9m to provide access to psychologists and psychiatrists through the service.
The Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride, said the provision of access to psychologists and psychiatrists would be achieved for every centre through an online service.
“Our new virtual network of psychologists and psychiatrists will ensure that anyone who requires that mental health support can access it,” she said.
State Health Minister Chris Picton said the new centre would help meet the “increased demand” for mental health services in the Hills.
The Mt Barker Medicare Mental Health Centre is free to access, with no referral or appointment required and is open from 9am until 7pm, Monday to Wednesday, and from 9am until 8pm, Thursday and Friday.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/MtBarkerMentalHealth.
