REFERRALS

Mental Health Information Service

Phone: 1300 794 991       Email: info@mentalhealth.asn.au

A free telephone and email information service. Qualified staff are available to assist you by tapping into a specialised database to find service providers.

ServiceLink - servicelink.hsnet.nsw.gov.au

ServiceLink is a directory of service providers in the Human Services sector in NSW. You can either search by keywords such as 'dual diagnosis' or browse by topics such as 'mental health' to find information about service providers.

Dual Diagnosis Resource Directory ACT-NSW - www.health.act.gov.au

A directory of dual diagnosis services and programs in the ACT and NSW.

Australian Association of Social Workers - www.aasw.asn.au

The Australian Psychological Society - http://www.psychology.org.au/

• Medicare – Rebates are now available for certain psychological services
• Find a psychologist
• Better access to psychologists through Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) [PDF 78Kb]

Alzheimers Association - www.alzheimers.org.au

Alzheimer's Australia provides a range of sensitive and flexible services to support people with any type of dementia, their families and carers throughout the illness.

Beyond Blue - beyondblue: the national depression initiative

Beyond Blue’s mission is to provide a national focus and community leadership to increase the capacity of the broader Australian community to prevent depression and respond effectively.

It aims to build a society that understands and responds to the personal and social impact of depression, works actively to prevent it, and improves the quality of life for everyone affected.

BlackDog Institute - www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

The Black Dog Institute is an educational, research and clinical facility offering specialist expertise in mood disorders - a range of disorders that include depression and bipolar disorder. The Institute is attached to the Prince of Wales Hospital and affiliated with the University of New South Wales.

Brain Injury Association - www.biansw.org.au

The Brain Injury Association of New South Wales is the only statewide organisation in NSW dedicated to serving all persons affected by acquired brain injury ‑ those with acquired brain injuries, family members, friends, professionals, and the broader community.

Disability Discrimination Legal Centre - www.ddlcnsw.org.au

The DDLC help people with disability to use disability discrimination laws. Its role is to provide accurate and easy to comprehend advice to people with disability in NSW who want to make a complaint of disability discrimination.

Guardianship Tribunal - www.gt.nsw.gov.au

The Tribunal has a key role in the protection and empowerment of people living with a decision making disability. It exercises a protective jurisdiction and facilitates substitute decision making by hearing and determining applications for the appointment of guardians and financial managers for adults with decision making disabilities. The Tribunal can also:

• review the guardianship and financial management orders it makes
• review enduring powers of attorney and enduring guardianship appointments
• provide consent to medical or dental treatment
• approve a clinical trial so that people with decision-making disabilities can take part

Intellectual Disability Rights Service - www.idrs.org.au

The Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) is a community legal centre in NSW which works with people with an intellectual disability to exercise and advance their rights.

Mental Health Advocacy Service - www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au

The Mental Health Advocacy Service (MHAS) provides free legal advice and assistance about mental health law. It represents people in hearings that relate to their detention and treatment in hospitals and the community, and the management of their money. It also provides representation for people with other disabilities before the Guardianship Tribunal.

Mental Health Review Tribunal - www.mhrt.nsw.gov.au

The Mental Health Review Tribunal is a specialist quasi-judicial body established under the Mental Health Act 2007. It has a wide range of powers that enable it to make and review orders, and to hear some appeals, about the treatment and care of people with a mental illness.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia - www.mmha.org.au

Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA) provides national leadership in building greater awareness of mental health and suicide prevention amongst Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Through unique partnerships with Australian mental health specialists, services advocacy groups and tertiary institutions, MMHA actively promotes the mental health and wellbeing of Australia's diverse communities through a series of campaigns, projects and information fact sheets. MMHA also produced a series of resources and training for specialist and mainstream mental health professionals.

NSW Trustee and Guardian

From 1 July 2009 the Office of the Protective Commissioner and the Public Trustee NSW will be known as the NSW Trustee and Guardian. The Public Guardian will report administratively to the CEO NSW T&G. In all other ways, the structure and function of the Public Guardian remains unchanged and the Public Guardian remains an independent substitute decision-maker.

SANE Australia - www.sane.org

SANE Australia is a national charity working for a better life for people affected by mental illness ‑ through campaigning, education and research.

SANE conducts innovative programs and campaigns to improve the lives of people living with mental illness, their family and friends. It also operates a busy Helpline and website, which have thousands of contacts each year from around Australia.

Transcultural Mental Health Centre - Clinical Consultation and Assessment Service - Diversity Health Institute

The Transcultural Mental Health Centre offers a free state-wide clinical consultation and assessment service to a wide range of professionals providing mental health care for children, young people, older people, and families of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds living in New South Wales.

The Centre also acts an entry point into the mental health system for individuals and families who require assistance in accessing mainstream services.

Schizophrenia Fellowship - www.sfnsw.org.au

The Schizophrenia Fellowship works with people with mental illness, their families and friends to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. It advocates for improved services and support and undertakes research into causes, treatment and effective care of those living with mental illness, their families and friends. It does this through community education, advocacy and service delivery.

Services include in-home and residential respite, residential rehabilitation, face-to-face counselling support and information, support groups, family and community education, home-based outreach support services and day programs.

Head Space - www.headspace.org.au

A youth friendly health service for young people aged 12 - 25 years, and their families.

A place where young people can access information, support and a broad range of health services. and receive support and referrals to educational, vocational and employment programs.