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Referrals

Find out more about referring your patient and mental health care options.

If your patient is presenting in an emergency situation, call 000 for an immediate response. 

Accessing our services

Is your patient eligible?

As a public clinical mental health service, our services are for people with a significant level of disturbance, psychosocial need or concern regarding a risk to themselves or others as a result of a mental illness.  

Common diagnoses treated by our services are:

  • schizophrenia
  • first episode psychosis
  • bipolar disorder
  • severe personality disorder
  • severe depression or anxiety disorder
  • eating disorders

Find out more about eligibility for accessing mental health services.

Is your patient already using one of our services?

If your patient is currently seeing a clinician at one of our youth, adult or older person’s clinics, and you would like to discuss treatment or care plans, it is always best to make contact with the appropriate local mental health service directly, and ask to speak to the key clinician, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Find out contact details for each service.

In the event that your contact about a current patient cannot wait until business hours, call our Triage service (after hours and on weekends) on 1300 874 243 (1300 TRIAGE).

Referrals

To make a referral, contact our Triage service on 1300 874 243 (1300 TRIAGE). 

Related links
Better Access Initiative: Australian Government Department of Health The Better Access initiative provides better access to mental health practitioners through Medicare.
beyondblue beyondblue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
Centre of Perinatal Excellence Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is a not-for-profit organisation devoted to reducing the impacts of emotional and mental health problems in the pre and postnatal periods.
Find a psychologist: APS Find a psychologist
Find a psychiatrist: RANZCP Find a psychiatrist
Mental Health Community Support Services: Health Victoria Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS) are distinct from clinical mental health services, and play a vital role in supporting people with a severe mental illness and psychiatric disability throughout the recovery process.
Mental health risk assessment: RACGP This article summarises the risk assessment of patients with possible mental disorders and provides suggestions regarding measures that may be undertaken to manage risk in psychiatric emergencies.
National Health Services Directory The National Health Services Directory is a community resource to help all Australian find health service providers.