Pittwater Life June 2017 Issue

Mental health services boost
The northern beaches
community will be
the major beneficiary of a
sweeping new $14 million
federal government funded
roll-out of mental health and
suicide prevention services.
Making the announcement
at Community Care
Northern Beaches last
month, Mackellar MP Jason
Falinski said mental health
was one of the four pillars
of the Turnbull Government’s
Long Term National
Health Plan.
It is estimated that more
than four million Australian
adults experience mental
ill-health each year – and in
Northern Sydney this figure
was an alarming 12 in every
100 people.
The service providers that
will assist locally include:
n Community Care Northern
Beaches – offering
outreach care coordination
and psychosocial support to
people who have been hospitalised
following a suicide
attempt.
n Lifeline Harbour to
Hawkesbury and Lifeline
Northern Beaches – offering
telephone based assessment
and referral services for
people experiencing mild
to moderate mental health
issues such as low mood,
anxiety and stress.
n Lifeline Harbour to
Hawkesbury – in addition to
their phone-based services,
Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury
will also provide
group-based support for
underserviced groups, helping
these people to manage
their anxiety, stress and
depression.
Mr Falinski said the range
of services offered through
these providers included
early intervention, low-level
mental health care, wraparound
support to connect
vulnerable groups to the
services they need, to aftercare
support for those who
have tried to take their lives.
“We are committed to developing
a better approach
to mental health care.”
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