Mental health and wellbeing
NWMPHN commissions and funds mental health services across its catchment and beyond. It also provides a vital conduit enabling smooth connections between providers and clients, in the right places at the right times.
attended sessions in the CAREinMIND™ program
sessions delivered by NWMPHN's three Head to Health Clinics
overall customer satisfaction score across all Victorian PHN's Medicare Mental Health services
Mental ill health can affect anyone at any time in their life.
The type, intensity and duration of mental ill health conditions vary widely. Some, with appropriate support, can be successfully self-managed. Others are complex and seriously challenging. Episodes might be isolated events, never repeated, or recur over many years.
Mental health conditions are prevalent across the NWMPHN region. Supply and demand for mental health services were mapped during the year in both our general Health Needs Assessment and a second, focused entirely on the field.
NWMPHN spent the year actively commissioning and funding mental health services, including headspace centres, Head to Health clinics and CAREinMIND providers. It also refined and improved referral pathways, and oversaw Victoria’s Medicare Mental Health intake service.
In this section
Mental health referral and access
NWMPHN's mental health referral and access team links service providers and community members to enable appropriate mental health care. Team members review referrals and allocate them to the most clinically appropriate service - regardless of who funds it or provides it. In 2024-25 the service enabled care and support to 13,392 people. It managed 3,721 phone calls, 8,832 written referrals, 839 referrals to suicide prevention services, and
3,205 services in the community.
Right Care, Right Place: eating disorders
Helping people to manage eating disorders is a complex task encompassing physical, mental and dietary health. The most effective support for people emerges from multidisciplinary team care, in which general practitioners, mental health professionals and dietitians work together. That is the clinically robust central premise of NWMPHN's Right Care, Right Place: Eating disorder care in my community project.
Commonwealth psychosocial support
NWMPHN commissions cohealth and Neami National to deliver Commonwealth Psychosocial Support (CPS) services across its catchment. CPS services are short-term, low intensity supports for people with severe mental illness who are not accessing services under the NDIS. CPS provides an integrated approach for people with severe and persistent mental illness, who are at risk of physical health conditions and who may benefit from physical health supports and psychosocial support.
Head to Health Clinics
Head to Health clinics provide access to
multidisciplinary teams of mental health workers, including psychologists, nurses, social workers and peer workers. They provide a flexible model of care tailored to the person, recognising that people have different mental health care needs at different times. There are three hubs in the NWMPHN catchment: in Wyndham Vale and Broadmeadows, both operated by IPC Health; and in Fitzroy, operated by Clarity Healthcare.
Delivered by Lifeline, the CAREinMIND Wellbeing Support Service provides free phone and online mental health counselling services to people who live or work in the NWMPHN region. In 2024-25, there were 5,244 inbound contacts and 472 counselling and support sessions delivered. The CAREinMIND website was visited by 61,237 people.
NWMPHN commissions free mental health services for people in the region through its CAREinMIND providers. This service is for people of all ages who are unable to afford or ineligible for other local services and are experiencing mental health stress from mild to severe. In 2024-2025, 7,819 people were referred through CAREinMIND, with 57,179 sessions attended.
Initial Assessment and Referral - Decision Support Tool
NWMPHN supports the widespread adoption of the IAR-DST. It provides an evidence-based tool for conducting initial assessment and referral of individuals presenting with mental health conditions in primary health care settings within Australia. By mid 2024-25, NWMPHN had trained more than 250 GPs in the use of the tool. Training has now switched to a national model.
Enhanced mental health support in schools
The Enhancing Mental Health Support in Schools (EMHSS) initiative provides high school students with access to mental health support through headspace centres. NWMPHN carries the lead coordination role for the program, which is funded by the Victorian Department of Health. In 2024-25, 4,104 young people were referred to headspace centres for EMHSS services across Victoria.
headspace provides early intervention mental health services to people aged 12 to 25. There are six headspace centres operating with the NWMPHN region, located in Collingwood, Craigieburn, Glenroy, Melton, Sunshine and Werribee. NWMPHN works with the service providers to ensure local and community needs are met. In December 2024, the Federal government announced plans to provide funding to establish a new headspace centre in the Moonee Valley local government area. NWMPHN was asked to coordinate this work.
