Medicare Mental Health Phone Service
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service provides free, 24/7 mental health advice, assessment and referral, connecting people with the right support based on their individual needs.
Community need
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service improves access to free mental health support by providing a single, easy-to-access entry point for people seeking advice, assessment and connection to local services. It helps address barriers such as navigating a complex mental health system, uncertainty about where to seek help, and delays in accessing appropriate care.
The service supports people experiencing emotional distress, mental health concerns or alcohol and other drug issues, as well as their families, carers and health professionals. It ensures people are connected to the most appropriate level of care based on their individual needs, regardless of where they first seek support.
Our approach
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service provides a person-centred, trauma-informed and recovery-focused approach to mental health support. Qualified mental health clinicians complete a holistic assessment over the phone, provide information and advice, and connect people with local services using a nationally recognised assessment and referral framework.
The service operates using a “no wrong door” approach, working collaboratively with local Medicare Mental Health Centres, Primary Health Networks, hospitals and community services to provide seamless referrals and coordinated care. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring support is available whenever it is needed.
Consultation
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service has been developed through national consultation with people with lived experience, carers, clinicians, Primary Health Networks and mental health service providers. In New South Wales, the service has been further shaped through collaboration across participating Primary Health Networks to ensure consistent access while responding to local service availability and community needs.
Ongoing feedback from consumers, service providers and partner organisations informs continuous improvement to strengthen referral pathways, improve consumer experience and support high-quality service delivery.
Key activities
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service provides:
- Mental health information, advice and support by phone.
- Comprehensive mental health assessments completed by qualified clinicians.
- Identification of the most appropriate level of care based on individual needs.
- Referrals and warm transfers to local mental health, alcohol and other drug, community and specialist services.
- Connections to Medicare Mental Health Centres and other local supports.
- Support for families, carers and health professionals seeking information or guidance.
- Follow-up and care coordination where appropriate to support access to ongoing services.
Objectives
The Medicare Mental Health Phone Service aims to make it easier for people to access the right mental health support at the right time. The program seeks to improve access to care, reduce the complexity of navigating the mental health system and provide timely, person-centred assessment and referral.
By strengthening connections between local services and providing coordinated referral pathways, the service aims to improve mental health outcomes, support recovery, reduce unnecessary presentations to emergency departments and ensure people receive care that matches their individual needs.