Mental Health Resources
Getting older brings its share of challenges, and at times you may find it difficult to stay mentally healthy and resilient. If feelings such as sadness, anxiety, stress, loneliness, or worry are preventing you from getting the most out of life, help and support are available.
Remember, you are not alone. Reaching out for support is a positive step towards improving wellbeing, building resilience, and maintaining a healthy, fulfilling, and connected life.
Emergency contacts
In Queensland, if you need emergency housing or are facing homelessness, the Homeless Hotline (1800 474 753) is your first point of contact.
This free, 24/7 hotline provides information and support for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
Key Support Contact Numbers:
- Homeless Hotline: 1800 474 753 (free, 24/7).
- 13 QGOV: 13 74 68 (for general emergency housing).
- DVConnect: 1800 811 811
For those experiencing domestic and family violence, DVConnect provides support and can help connect individuals with safe accommodation. - Vinnies (St. Vincent de Paul): Offers family accommodation support and can be reached at 1800 846 643.
- Anglicare: Provides emergency housing services and can be contacted at 1300 769 814.
- Ask Izzy: A website and app that can help you find nearby shelters and other essential services.
- Community Recovery Hotline: 1800 173 349 for support during and after a disaster.
In an emergency situation, please call 000.
If you feel that you may be in need of mental health support and have never accessed a mental health service before, please contact your general practitioner or phone our mental health access line 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255).
1300 MH CALL : Mental health access line (1300 642 255) is a confidential mental health telephone triage service that provides the first point of contact to public mental health services to Queenslanders.
1300 MH CALL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will link to the caller’s nearest Queensland Public Mental Health service.
The 1300 MH CALL service:
- is the main point of access into public mental health services
- can provide support, information, advice and referral
- can provide advice and information in a mental health emergency or crisis
- is staffed by trained and experienced professional mental health clinicians
- will provide a mental health triage and refer to acute care teams where appropriate.
In an emergency always dial Triple Zero (000)
We all experience challenging emotional issues at different times. We can’t always deal with these on our own. If you feel you need help and it’s not an emergency, it’s best to see your doctor.
When you see your doctor, they’ll assess what help you need. This could include:
- doing a mental health assessment
- creating a mental health treatment plan, if required
- referring you to a psychiatrist or other eligible mental health professional such as a clinical or registered psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker
- giving you a prescription for medicines to treat depression or anxiety, if required.
Your doctor might ask you some personal questions to understand your situation. Sometimes it can be hard to talk to others about your mental health.
Mental health treatment plan
If you have a diagnosed mental health disorder, your doctor can create a plan to treat it.
Your mental health treatment plan will have goals agreed by you and your doctor. It’ll also have:
- treatment options
- arrangements for referrals
- support services available
- review and follow-up.
Keep in mind your health information and treatment plan will be private. Doctors can’t share your information unless you agree to it.
A mental health treatment plan lets you claim up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with an eligible mental health professional each calendar year.
To start with, your doctor or psychiatrist will refer you for up to 6 psychological sessions at a time. If you need more, your doctor will decide if they can refer you for further sessions.
Health professionals set their own fees, so Medicare may only cover some of the cost.
Women are at a greater risk of facing mental health challenges compared to men.
In fact, 45% of women will report a mental health condition at some point in their lives.
While every woman’s journey is unique, both social and biological factors play a role in shaping their mental health. The pressure to “do it all” can leave women feeling overwhelmed and isolated – a weight no one should carry alone.
Many women find it hard to seek help for mental health challenges or to share their experiences with depression and anxiety. It’s never too late to prioritise mental health; by learning what can impact women’s mental wellbeing, they can feel empowered to live a more balanced life.
Beyond Blue’s page about Women’s Mental Health provides helpful information to support you to understand your mental health challenges.
Medicare Mental Health Centres can connect you with a range of mental health professionals for support, whatever your situation.
Footprints delivers services at the Logan and Redlands Medicare Mental Health Centres.
Mood Gym is an interactive program designed to help you identify whether you are having problems with emotions like anxiety and depression.
Learn skills that can help you cope with these emotions. Mood Gym is based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy which have been shown to be successful in preventing and treating depression and anxiety.
There is broad evidence supporting the effectiveness of Mood Gym in improving wellbeing and reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in users.
Need more support?
Our HOWSS team is here to help you work through any of these options – call, email or drop in and we’ll point you in the right direction.
