Medicare Mental Health Coffs Harbour
Provides free, welcoming mental health support for people in the Coffs Harbour region, offering assessment, brief intervention, care coordination and connection to ongoing services.
Community need
People living across the Coffs Harbour region can experience barriers accessing timely and appropriate mental health support, including service availability, long wait times and difficulty navigating a complex mental health system. Without early support, mental health concerns may worsen and lead to increased reliance on emergency or acute care.
The Medicare Mental Health Centre addresses these challenges by providing a free, welcoming and easily accessible entry point for people seeking mental health support. The service improves access to assessment, early intervention, care coordination and referral pathways while supporting people with a broad range of mental health needs.
The program also seeks to improve equitable access for priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people living in rural and regional communities, and individuals experiencing social or economic disadvantage.
Our approach
The centre delivers a person-centred, recovery-oriented model of care that recognises each person’s unique strengths, goals and circumstances. Support is tailored to individual needs and focuses on improving wellbeing through early intervention, collaborative care planning and connection to appropriate services.
The service works closely with local health providers, community organisations and specialist mental health services to strengthen integration across the mental health system. By coordinating care and supporting service navigation, the centre helps people receive timely and appropriate support while reducing fragmentation between services.
Consultation
The Medicare Mental Health Centre model has been informed by consultation with people with lived experience of mental ill-health, carers, clinicians, Aboriginal organisations, community service providers and health system partners. Ongoing engagement with consumers and local stakeholders supports continuous improvement and helps ensure services remain responsive to community needs, cultural considerations and local priorities.
Key activities
Provide free face-to-face mental health support.
Undertake mental health assessments and needs identification.
Deliver brief therapeutic interventions and emotional support.
Provide peer support where available.
Develop safety and wellbeing plans.
Coordinate care across health, mental health and community services.
Support people to navigate available mental health services.
Facilitate referrals to primary care, specialist mental health and community supports.
Strengthen collaboration across the local mental health system.
Objectives
Improve timely access to free mental health support.
Reduce barriers to accessing appropriate care.
Provide earlier intervention before mental health concerns escalate.
Improve coordination across primary care, specialist mental health and community services.
Support people to navigate the mental health system with confidence.
Improve recovery, wellbeing and quality of life for people in the Coffs Harbour region.
Contribute to a more integrated, accessible and responsive regional mental health system.