Support and Counselling Services

The ACT has many support groups, counselling services and treatment options for adults, children and teenagers suffering from a mental illness. Our services also offer help and support to carers. For situations that require immediate attention, call Access Mental Health on 1800 629 354 or 02 6205 1065.

The ACT has many support groups, counselling services and treatment options for adults, children and teenagers suffering from a mental illness. Our services also offer help and support to carers.

For situations that require immediate attention, call Access Mental Health on 1800 629 354 or 02 6205 1065.

Services for adults

ACT Mental Health Consumer Network

The ACT Mental Health Consumer Network is a consumer-led peak organisation representing the interests of mental health consumers in the ACT in policy and decision-making forums. The Network is committed to social justice and the inclusion of people with experience of mental illness.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6230 5796
Fax: (02) 6230 5790
Street Address: Griffin Centre Level 2, Room 11, 20 Genge Street, Canberra City, ACT 2601
Website: www.actmhcn.org.au
Email: actmhcn@actmhcn.org.au

ANU Psychology Clinic

Services provided

A research, training and treatment centre offering specialised psychological services to the community.

Contact

Hours: 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri, after hours by appointments
Service fees apply. Referral Required. Health care professional
Phone: 6125 0412 Fax: 6125 9656
Street Address: Psychology Bldg, Gr Fl, ANU, Cnr Daley and Science Rds, Acton 2601

Canberra Queanbeyan Attention Deficit Disorder Support Group Inc

Services Provided

Aims and objectives are to create community awareness of ADD through various mediums. Meet 1st Sunday of each month at Shout Offices, Pearce Centre, from 2pm to 5pm. Membership fees apply.

Contact

Hours: 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri
Phone: 6290 1984 Fax: 6286 4475
Pearce Community Centre, Bldg 1, Collett Pl, Pearce 2607
Website: www.addact.org.au

Compassionate Friends ACT and Queanbeyan

Services provided

The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organisation that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees.

Contact

Hours: Meets 1st Tues of the month 7.30pm , phone for details
Phone: 6286 6134 Fax: 6286 6134
Grant Cameron Community Centre, 27 Mulley St, Holder 2611
Website: www.compassionatefriends.org

Disability Program

Provides a range of non-employment services to people with disabilities including accommodation support, professional and therapy services, respite and recreation services and advice and referral. The programs primarily support people with intellectual disabilities, but people with a mental illness are eligible to apply for services and will be considered in the normal intake procedure on the basis of relative need. A significant number of clients have some degree of mental illness in addition to their other disabilities.

Early Parenting Counselling

The Early Parenting Counselling services provides support and advice to help you better manage and overcome challenges that you may face in the early stages of family life.

This service is available to ACT parents and caregivers of children aged 0 to 5 years, as well as pregnant women and their partners.

For more information, visit the Canberra Health Services website.

GROW Centre

Services provided

GROW is a community mental health movement, a voluntary association of people who earnestly desire to change, and are helping one another to grow to personal maturity. GROW has regular meetings and members keep in touch through friendly phone calls and visits when requested.

Contact Details

Phone (02): 6295 7791
Street Address: 9 Anembo Street, Narrabundah ACT 2604

Lifeline

Services provided

Provides a free, anonymous, confidential 24 hour phone service for people under stress, in crisis, or with any problem.

Contact

Hours: Lifeline: 24 hours 7 days, Office: 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri.
Phone: 131 114 Fax: 6257 4290 TTY 03 96639030
Street Address: Baillieu House, 71 Northbourne Ave, Canberra 2601
Website: www.lifeline.org.au

Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT

Services provided

The Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT are the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in the ACT. Their aim is to foster the capacity of the sector to deliver quality, sustainable, recovery-oriented services to support people with mental health issues and their carers.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6249 7756
Website: https://mhccact.org.au

Mental Illness Education ACT

What makes MIEACT unique is that it provides audiences with the opportunity to connect and interact with volunteers who share their personal stories of living and surviving with mental illness, live to their audience. Such face-to-face workshopping and interaction is a proven and powerful stigma-reduction model.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6257 1195
Fax: (02) 6162 1741
Street Address: The Griffin Centre, 20 Genge Street, Civic (Canberra City), on Level 1
Website: www.mieact.org.au

Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria

Services provided

Provides information and support for people experiencing mental health issues, their families and friends. Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria offers a Vocational Rehabilitation Program for people living with a mental Illness.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6246 7100
Fax: (02) 6205 1293
Postal Address: PO Box 6216, O’Connor ACT 2602
Street Address: 41B David Street, O’Connor ACT 2602

Mental Health First Aid

Services Provided

This course covers helping people in mental health crisis situations or the early stages of developing a mental health problem. Participants learn the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, where and how to get help, and what sort of help has been shown to be effective. This course is a 12-hour course developed in 2000 by Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm with the aim to improve the mental health literacy of members of the Australian community. It is now auspiced by ORYGEN Research Centre at the University of Melbourne's Department of Psychiatry

Participants receive a course manual and also a certificate at the completion of the course. Those who have completed the course have been very positive about the knowledge and skills they have acquired.

Cost & Location of Courses

The course can be conducted wherever an instructor can travel or your local instructor can inform you of their individual fees. Find the contact details of an instructor in your area.

Contact

For more information visit www.mhfa.com.au

Mental Health Foundation ACT

Contact

Phone: (02) 6282 6658
Website: www.mhf.org.au

Nexus Human Services

Vision

To lead the promotion of social change in the disability and mental health space by providing high performance, quality and diverse services to clients and all our stakeholders.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6247 3611
Fax: (02) 6247 3640
Street Address: 24 Mort Street Braddon ACT 2612
Website: nexushumanservices.com.au
Email: admin@nexushumanservices.com.au

Post and Ante Natal Depression Support and Information Inc (PANDSI)

Services

Provides support groups, education and information for families who are experiencing Antenatal Depression (AND), Postnatal Depression (PND) or Anxiety. Referrals to other community-based organisations and health professionals within the ACT are also provided. Support groups include Day Support Group, PUMP combining one hour of fitness with one hour of facilitated group support and Yoga Evening Support group combining an hour of facilitated group support followed by one hour of yoga. PANDSI also offers a telephone support service for those who may be isolated or in full time employment and unable to attend groups as well as one-on-one support sessions by appointment. PANDSI also has a playgroup.

Contact

Phone: 6288 1936
Street Address: 6 Minns Place, Weston ACT 2611
Website: www.pandsi.org

Salvation Army Community Services

Services provided

Provides crisis assistance and emergency relief through counselling, referral, family mediation, emotional support, food vouchers, furniture, clothing and emergency financial assistance (paid by cheque)

Service by appointment only.
Eligibility: ACT residents only
Referral: Proof of income and expenditure required

Contact

Hours: 9.30am to 12.30pm, 1.30pm to 4.30pm Mon to Fri
Phone: 6247 3635 Fax: 6257 2791
Street Address: 4 Hawdon Pl, Dickson 2602
Website: www.salvos.org.au

St Vincent de Paul Society

Services Provided

Visits and assists those in need in their own homes. Assistance ranges from friendship to moral/material support. Established network of centres that provide free clothing, furniture and other household items to families and people in need.

Contact

Hours: Office Hours: 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri
Phone: 6282 2722 Fax: 6281 4743
Street Address: 17-19 Colbee Crt, Phillip 2606
Regional Centres: Belconnen, Curtin, Dickson, Narrabundah, Mitchell, Phillip, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan.
Website: www.vinnies.org.au

Transition To Recovery

The Transition to Recovery program (TRec) is an intensive community outreach mental health program that aims to assist people to transition to the community following an acute episode of mental illness and to prevent relapse.

TRec aims to maximise your potential for recovery and independence following an admission to hospital. The program also provides support in your community to reduce the likelihood of admission to hospital. TRec is an ACT and Australian Government funded program.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6234 6839
Fax: (02) 6285 1322
Website: www.wcs.org.au

Wellways Australia

Services provided

Wellways provide:

A facility based   (5 beds) sub –acute   Adult 24 hour step up/down supported accommodation & outreach program; A facility based (6 beds) sub –acute Young Persons 24 hour step up/down supported accommodation & outreach program (18 –25 year old) and;

An outreach based   adult “sub-acute” 12 hours daily, 7days/week intensive outreach support service which targets forensic consumer (DECO) and a short to medium term “respite type”  crisis accommodation (8 beds) for womensuffering from mental illness .

Contact

Wellways Australia

Callam Offices, Section A, level 1, 50 Easty St

Phillip ACT 2606 (02) 6246 7100

YMCA RAID program

Services provided

Recreational Activities for people with Intellectual Disabilities (RAID) program which includes people with a mental illness.

Contact

Phone: 02 6232 4285
Email: Raid.Canberra@ymca.org.au
Website: canberra.ymca.org.au/what-we-do/activey/raid

Services for Children and Teenagers

headspace ACT

Services provided

headspace is an early intervention youth mental health service for young people aged 12-25 and their families to get support for mild to moderate mental health and substance use issues. headspace is located in both the ACT and Queanbeyan.

Contact details

P: (02) 6201 5343
F: (02) 6201 2345
Street Address: 170 Haydon Drive, Level B, Building 18, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Email: info@headspacecanberra.org.au
Website: headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/headspace-canberra/

Sands ACT

A support group for parents, family and friends, who experience the death of a baby through miscarriage, termination for abnormalities, stillbirth, neonatal death or other reproductive loss. Support group meeting and phone counselling provided by bereaved parents.

Phone: 5124 2372
Building 5, Canberra Hospital, Garran 2605

How I can get help as a carer?

Carers ACT

Services Provided

Provides information, referral, support and counselling to carers. Services include Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre and Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre. Association also has a lobbying function. Carers are people who provide care and support for a parent, relative, friend or child who has a disability, mental or chronic illness or who is frail aged.

Contact

Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (Office)
Phone: 1800 242 636 Fax: (02) 6296 9999
Street address: Carers ACT Northside (Main office) 2/80 Beaurepaire Crescent HOLT ACT 2615
Website: www.carersact.org.au

Carer Support Queanbeyan City Council

Provides various forms of support to carers of people who are frail aged or have a dementing illness. Support includes information and advocacy, emotional support and access to a carers library.

Phone: 6298 0295
City Council, 257 Crawford St, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620

Carers Allowance Centrelink

Description: Provides financial assistance to carers of persons who would otherwise be in hostels or nursing homes.

Hours: 8.30am to 4.51pm Mon to Fri
Phone: 132 717 Fax: (02) 6219 3199 TTY: 6274-5260.

Carer Gateway

Carer Gateway is a national online and phone service that provides practical information and resources to support carers. The interactive service finder helps carers connect to local support services.

Website: https://www.carergateway.gov.au/

Skills for Carers

Provides individual or small group training and skills development for unpaid carers of older people or those who have a disability or mental health problem. Appointment and enrolment required.

Hours: 10am to 2.30pm Mon to Fri
Phone: (02) 6207 4811 Fax: (02) 6207 4849 TTY:6207-4992
CIT Bruce Campus

Kincare Community Services ACT

Our in-home aged care services will support you, your friend or family member to continue living comfortably and independently at home with tailored programmes to support an improved quality of life.

Contact

Phone: 1300 733 510
Office Suite 1, 17 Napier Close, Deakin ACT 2600
Website: www.kincare.com.au
Email: act@kincare.com.au

Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre

Provides in-home and emergency respite to people who are caring for a family member or friend who has a long term physical or mental illness, disability or is frail aged. Access to emergency residential care is also available.

Contact

Hours: 24 hrs
Phone: 1800 059 059 Fax: (02) 6296 9998
Website: www.carersact.asn.au

Respite Services Queanbeyan

Provides respite services for people aged up to sixty-four years with a moderate to high level functional disability and their carers. Respite programs include a range of social and recreational groups for adults and care for young children in carer's home.

Contact

Phone: (02) 6298 0252 Fax: (02) 6298 0120
Queanbeyan City Council, 257 Crawford St (rear), Queanbeyan 2620
Hours: 8.30am to 5pm Mon to Fri
Eligibility: people with a disability (moderate to high level of functional disability) aged 0 to 64 yrs and their Carers.

Respite Options ACT

Respite Options ACT is a program offered through Communities @ Work to support carers of those living with mental illness and or intellectual disability. The program is funded by the Australian Government (FaCHSIA) under the Families and Carer Mental Health Support Program.

Respite Options ACT is aimed at enabling cares time to recover from the stress of daily living and to balance work and caring responsibilities. This is achieved by providing one on one respite that is catered to the individual needs of the carer. The service is offered in the carer’s home or providing access to social inclusion activities. Respite Options ACT also provides support for the person

Contact

For further information or referrals please contact Leeanne Lee on (02) 6126 9000 or Leeanne.lee@commsatwork.org

Page last updated on: 26 Apr 2022