Information for consumers and carers 

Hospital Emergency Departments also provide mental health triage and access to services | In life-threatening situations call 000 for immediate help.

Family and carer resources

• Phases of Family Engagement – A FIVE Point Plan for Families and Clinicians | Guideline
• Family and carer pack
• Family and carer pack - mini version for printing 
• Communication Tool for MH Carers/Families
• HNE Mental Health: our commitment to engage with carers 
• Family and carer supports - HNE Mental Health services and supporting agencies
• Carer Experience Survey - copies located at all MH services

Carer Experience Survey

We'd love to get your feedback to improve our services and make things easier. You can get a copy of the survey at any of our MH service locations.

Navigator’s guide for family and friends

The Navigator’s guide for family and friends has been developed to help families and friends negotiate their way through mental health services within the HNE region.  People experiencing a mental illness or health problem may be unclear who to contact and speak to, especially if they are in crisis or experiencing a mental health issue for the first time. The first person they may turn to is their partner, parents, brothers and sisters, someone they live with or a close friend.

This guide was developed by consumers, carers and clinicians including staff from our health services and a number of non-government organisations, who regularly come into contact with families and carers and appreciate the difficulties they often face.  It has been produced by HNE Mental Health in partnership with the Mental Health Carers ARAFMI Hunter Branch -The guide is currently in the process of being updated.

Section 1

Section 2

Other resources

Fact sheets, information sheets and brochures

• Mental health family and carer program (FCP) - fact sheet
• Mental Health Act - information sheet for consumers and carers 
• Navigator's guide #15: carer's rights and responsibilities 
• Changes to Mental Health Act 2014 - carer fact sheet
• Smoking in mental health - brochure 

Useful links

Please note: HNE Health does not review the content of these websites.

• Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS), NSW
• Alzheimer’s Australia
• Arafmi: mental health carers Australia
• Beyond Blue
• Black Dog Institute
• Carer Assist Service
• Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres
• Domestic Violence Line
• Eating Disorder Resources
• Find a Psychologist (via APS website)
• Head Space
• Lifeline -Service Finder
• Life without Barriers
• Medicare Local - Hunter, New England
• NEAMI
• Newcastle Family Support
• NSW Consumer Advisory Group - DVD (Challenging stigma and discrimination)
• Patient Info, Hunter & New England
• PhaMs (Personal Helpers & Mentors)
• Pius X Aboriginal Corporation - Moree
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Australia (PRA)
• Reach Out
• Samaritans, Headspace Maitland, Kaiyu
• Sane Australia
• Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW
• Suicide Call Back Service