In the private MotHs group, we chat about pretty much every topic you can think of….

The group wisdom and experience is phenomenal, responses are swift and support is always on hand. It’s one awesome village!

Most recently, the topic of mental health has come up a lot. RUOK has become a mantra. Considering that the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020-21 revealed that 20% of Australians between 16-85 years stated they had experience high or very high levels of psychological distress, and that women were more likely than men to experience these high levels, our group conversations are sadly not surprising.

For those MotHs that reach out, I do what I can behind the scenes to support them. This means that from time to time I hear of new services and workshops on offer. Once again I stress that these are just a few of many other options available. I thought they may help anyone searching for help.

If you know someone who is need of support, please feel free to pass on this list. If you believe that a person’s life is in danger, please call 000.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs

Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs can:

help you with a range of different issues, including lowered mood, anxiety, substance use or addiction, or any distress you may have.
support people to address life stressors such as homelessness, financial difficulties and social isolation.

You can call them if you are feeling overwhelmed (Tel. 1300 375 330) or you can drop in to one of their walk-in services. There are 2 walk-in centres local(ish) to the Yarra Ranges:

Boronia EACH: 93 Boronia Road, Boronia VIC 3155
Boxhill EACH: Suite 2, 26-28 Prospect Street, Box Hill VIC 3128

No GP referral or health professional needed to access support through a Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub. All support is free and available to everyone of all ages right across Victoria. The link to their website can be found HERE

Rural Health Connect

Don’t let the name fool you, this service is available to everyone. This service is being piloted by the Federation University and is providing a direct, free of charge link to a provisional psychologist, without needing to see your GP for a mental health care plan. While this service would not suit someone with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis the service might help “children, adolescents and adults who are noticing signs that they may not be functioning at their best, as a method of early intervention”. The link to their website can be found HERE

Blue Knot Foundation

Blue Knot provides information and support for anyone who is affected by complex trauma. They have web chat options available but can also provide up to 1 hour of phone support a week. They have great resources including this one on PhCoping Strategies, Impacts and healing.

Ph: 1300 657 380

Swinburne Psychology Clinic

The Swinburne Psychology Clinic was established to provide a range of low-cost psychological services to the Melbourne community. Telehealth services are still available although their Hawthorn clinic has resumed face-to-face assessments. The link to their website can be found HERE.

Monash University – Turner Clinic

The Turner clinic can conduct assessment and treatment for adults, children and specialist services for neurodevelopment disorders including autism and ADHD. Note that a referral is required to access their services. The link to their website can be found HERE.
Ph: +61 3 9902 4480
E: turner.clinics@monash.edu

Webinars for parents, carers and educators

Suicide prevention webinar for parents and carers

This webinar is designed to help parents and carers recognise and respond to risk of suicide. The more we understand why people feel this way, the greater we can practice early intervention and support. The next workshop date is Thursday, 20 October , 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Here is the LINK to that event

Other Helpful Links

Finally, here are a list of resources I have shared previously but you may not have seen. These and more can be found on this April blog post.

Beyondblue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. Call 1300 22 4636, 24 hours / 7 days a week.

COPE: COPE stands for the Centre Of Perinatal Excellence. They are dedicated to reducing distress and restoring lives of mothers, fathers and families affected by perinatal (ante and postnatal) mental health conditions.1300 740 398

Lifeline: 131114

MindSpot is a free telephone and online service for people with stress, worry, anxiety, low mood or depression. It provides online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. MindSpot is not an emergency or instant response service. Call 1800 61 44 34 AEST, 8am-8pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-6pm (Sat).

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) provides a national telephone information, counselling and referral service staffed by trained volunteers, professional counsellors and supervising staff. Many helpline counsellors have had their own experience of perinatal depression or anxiety. Call 1300 726 306, 9am-7:30pm AEST (Mon-Fri)

QLife provides nationwide telephone and web-based services to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people of all ages. Call 1800 184 527, 3pm-12am (midnight) AEST / 7 days a week

Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. Call 1300 659 467

Head to Health : Head to Health can help you find digital mental health services from some of Australia’s most trusted mental health organisations. They have evidence-based apps and online programs that can help you build personal skills and track progress, dedicated online forums and other peer support services where you can talk to people with similar experiences. Finally, Phone, chat, and email services, if you're looking for confidential, professional support.

Inspiro Community Health : Inspiro is a local, non-profit community health service that provides dental and allied health services for the Yarra Ranges community from our Lilydale and Belgrave clinics and various community venues. Ph: 9028 0153

Monash Health Community Health Counselling: Psychologists, social workers and nurse-family therapists offer community-based counselling in community health centres and through home visits.

Ph: 03 8572 5631
E: icareaccess@monashhealth.org

Ask Everyday RUOK?