Useful Links and Support

Welcome to our useful links, support and referral page. Please use the links below to navigate to your chosen area of help:

 

Indigenous services

FNQ Suicide Prevention Taskforce
The Far North Queensland Suicide Prevention Taskforce is a community-based group with the goals of implementing, supporting and promoting strategies which aim at the reduction of suicide and self-harm in the FNQ area. Their website contains information and resources tailored towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

 

Mental health

beyondblue: the national depression initiative 
beyondblue produce and refer people to accurate, up-to-date, easy to read information on depression, anxiety and related disorders. A wide variety of factsheets and booklets can be ordered online or downloaded from this website. The Find A Professional database allows people to search for mental health professionals in their local community.

depressioNet
The depressioNet.org.au website and online community is created and provided by Australians from a variety of backgrounds who have had personal experiences with depression. The site includes information and resources about depression, as well as an online message board and chat rooms.

Eating Disorders Victoria 
Eating Disorders Victoria is the primary source of support, information, community education and advocacy for people with eating disorders. Their website has a range of information and resources related to eating disorders.

Head to Health
Head to Health helps you find digital mental health services from some of Australia’s most trusted mental health organisations. Provided by the Australian Department of Health, Head to Health brings together apps, online programs, online forums, and phone services, as well as a range of digital information resources.

Healthdirect
healthdirect: trusted health information and advice online and over the phone 1800 022 222, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Funded by the governments of Australia.

Healthline – Bipolar Disorder 
Online information and resources about bipolar disorder, including information about treatments, day-to-day management, lifestyle advice, and information for carers.

Healthshare
Healthshare is Australia’s fastest growing interactive health network, designed to provide better access to health expertise and improve the quality of health information online. Healthshare provides a question and answer service for Australians to get answers from qualified local experts across over 360 topic areas. The service operates in a community environment which provides support and encouragement.

Lifeline
Lifeline provides 24 hour telephone counselling 13 11 14 for a range of issues. The Lifeline Information Service webpage provides access to a variety of self-help tool kits with information about issues such as mental illness depression suicide prevention and more.

Mental Health in Multicultural Australia
The MHiMA project is funded by the Australian Government, Department of Health & Ageing to provide a national focus for advice and support to providers and governments on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The website includes an ‘Information for Consumers and Carers’ section with useful resources for the general public.

SANE Australia
SANE Australia provides information about mental illness, suicide prevention and where to get help. The site includes factsheets, an online bookshop, media releases and a helpline. There are also research, advocacy and awareness campaigns.

Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) 
The VMIAC is the peak Victorian non-government organisation for people who have experience with a mental illness or emotional distress. VMIAC engages in a number of activities, which include information provision, advice, mutual support and self-help, individual, group and systemic advocacy, research and evaluation, and education and training.

Western Australian Association for Mental Health
The Western Australian Association for Mental Health is the state’s peak representative body for mental health agencies. The site provides a list of downloadable publications and a links page that provides information on services available in the WA community.

Your Health in Mind
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) resource for expert information about mental illnesses, treatments, the role of psychiatrists, and how to get help. Your Health in Mind also provides patients and their families with the RANZCP’s ‘Find a Psychiatrist’ directory of psychiatrists working in private practice in Australia; more than 35 easy-to-read fact sheets about mental illnesses, treatments and the health system; videos to help explain what it’s like to visit a psychiatrist; answers to frequently asked questions and links to recommended services and support organisations.

 

Self-help

Mental Health Online
Mental Health Online is a comprehensive online mental health service offering information, assessment and online treatment programs (“eTherapy”) for various anxiety disorders. The programs take the form of weekly online modules based on CBT principles. They can be worked through either individually or under the guidance of a therapist.

e-couch
E-couch is e-hub’s latest interactive online self-help program with modules for depression, generalised anxiety and worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss and grief. It provides evidence-based information and teaches strategies drawn from cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies as well as relaxation and physical activity.

MoodGYM 
Moodgym is a web-based therapy program that aims to reduce symptoms of depression using cognitive behavioural therapy techniques. It consists of five modules, an interactive game, anxiety and depression assessments, downloadable relaxation audio, a workbook and feedback assessment.

OnTrack
OnTrack aims to support the Australian community to achieve mental and physical health and wellbeing. OnTrack offers free access to online programs, information, quizzes and advice that aim to provide people with the informations and skills that will enable them to manage their own problems, helping them to keep their lives “On Track”.

 

Service finders

Australian Psychological Society – Find A Psychologist
Find an APS-accredited psychologist in your area using this online database tool. Access over 2,300 psychologists Australia wide, who are in private practice and provide services for a fee.

Infoxchange Service Seeker 
Database of Australian community and government services. People can search for a range of services in their local community.

Lifeline Service Finder
The Lifeline Service Finder is a directory of free or low cost health and community services available in Australia. It includes accommodation, domestic violence, family and children’s services, financial assistance and mental health services.

 

Suicide prevention

Operation Life Online
Department of Veterans Affairs website aimed at veterans, ex-serving personnel and their families. The site will help you understand the warning signs of suicide and provide information and resources to help keep you and others safe from suicide. Help is also available for those bereaved by suicide.

GriefLine
GriefLine is a national free and confidential telephone counselling service for people affected by grief. Available 12 noon to 3am, seven days a week.

 

Youth

Headspace
headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. We help young people who are going through a tough time. If you’re 12-25, you can get health advice, support and information from headspace. With centres all around Australia, headspace can help you with general health, mental health and counselling, education, employment and other services, and alcohol and other drug services.

How To Handle Bullying
A useful article published by Open Colleges about How to Handle and Prevent Bullying.

Kids Helpline
The Kids Helpline site is geared towards young people between the ages of 5 and 25 years. Young people can access web-based counselling or email counselling via this site. The Kids Helpline site also provides a searchable service database and number of downloadable factsheets covering a range of issues.

Reach Out 
Reach Out is Australia’s leading online youth mental health service that inspires young people to help themselves through tough times, and find ways to boost their own mental health and wellbeing. The site includes a large range of fact sheets, personal stories, videos and a large and active discussion forum.

Tune In Not Out
Tune In Not Out (or as our friends call us – TINO) provides 24hr TV for life’s challenges from mental to sexual health. Tune In Not Out brings videos, factsheets, real stories and blogs from across Australia into one central point for young people to explore.

WhatWorks4U
Whatworks4u.org aims to improve treatment for young people with mental health problems by gathering information about what works in the real world.

Youth Focus
Youth Focus is committed to making a difference in the lives of young people who are suffering and those who see no hope on the horizon. As a unique, independent, not-for-profit organisation they offered a range of free mental health services to support vulnerable young people in Western Australia.