Mental health services overview

Knowing how to find the right mental health, alcohol and drug, or suicide prevention service in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) catchment is essential to the health needs of our community.

On this page:

How to access support

SupportConnect was designed with extensive community and healthcare professional consultation, to improve the mental health outcomes among those living in east and north-east of Melbourne. SupportConnect assists people of all ages with of a wide range of mental health needs, including:

• Alcohol and drug use support
• Suicide prevention counselling
• Eating disorders
• Depression and anxiety

The SupportConnect team of qualified and experienced mental health clinicians provides telephone assistance and referral for those who would prefer to speak to a person, rather than engage via the website. The team can assist GPs, health care professionals, carers and the community to find the right care, at the right time. Learn more about SupportConnect.

How are we improving services?

Providing care in a way that makes individuals feel heard – and not ‘lost in the system’ – is the most essential element of a health service system experience.

We value care delivery that:

• Understands individual needs to help ensure that each person is at the centre of their healthcare, involved in decision-making, and treated with respect and dignity.
• Takes a whole-of-person approach to address a diverse range of needs, including those related to mental and physical health, family, work, education, housing, parenting, finances, social and cultural life, and friendships and relationships.
• Considers health needs together to understand how mental, physical and social health needs impact one another.
• Promotes collaborative, team-based support to develop care plans informed by individuals and carers (where relevant), alongside service providers, doctors and specialists, support staff, and peer workers.
• Prioritises quality and safety to uphold the human rights of people accessing care, while also ensuring that services comply with legislation, best practice and evidence-informed standards, and continuous quality improvement.

We work across our region in a way that involves:

Commissioning

Identifying gaps in services across our region and working with community to design and fund services that improve care and support.

A stepped care approach

Delivering person-centred care by offering a range of support options, at varying intensities and working to connect services so people don’t fall through the gaps.

Valuing lived experience

Seeking out fundamental insights from people with lived experience of mental illness, alcohol and other drugs, and the impacts of suicide. Driving leadership and system change by actively involving these people in the design, delivery, and evaluation of services.

Partnerships and alliances

We partner with Local Hospital Networks, peak mental health bodies, community organisations, consumers and carers, and other key stakeholders including Eastern Mental Health Service Coordination Alliance (EMHSCA), North Eastern Mental Health Service Coordination Alliance (NEMHSCA), and the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Care Collaborative.

Community engagement

Understanding the health needs and experiences of people who live, work or study in our region as well as engaging with professionals and industry stakeholders as a source of specialist knowledge.