After-Hours Mental Health Nursing Service

The After-Hours Mental Health Nursing Service (AHMHNS) is designed to support people with mild mental health concerns seeking help in the evening and on weekends, when other mental health services are unavailable.

A key aim is to support the diversion of such presentations from the Box Hill, and Eastern Health Emergency Departments (EDs).

Experienced, credentialed Mental Health Nurses (MHN) provide free after-hours support for people experiencing mild mental health issues, such as anxiety, stress, depression and grief through service connection and navigation, brief interventions and follow up. Anyone who lives within the EMPHN catchment is eligible to use the service in person or call a 1300 number.

Health professionals in the community can refer to the service and Box Hill ED staff can redirect or refer discharged patients. The AHMHNS Liaison Coordinator works with the ED Diversion Project to support referral/service pathways and connects with services in the community that might refer their clients for after-hours support. The service is delivered by healthAbility. Visit the healthAbility website for further information.