Information for Families and Carers
In an emergency, Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) can provide mental health assessment and support| In life-threatening situations call 000 for immediate help.
Index
HNE Mental Health Service, Family and Carer Mental Health Program
Information about treatment and services
Partnering with families, kinship and carers in mental healthcare
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) resources
Rural and Remote Information and Resources
Child and Adolescent Information
HNE Mental Health Service, Family and Carer Mental Health Program
About the Program
Working with people with a mental illness and supporting their families and carers is pivotal to achieving strong outcomes in mental health care.
Research shows supporting carers benefits consumers, including enhancing the effectiveness of service delivery, decreasing hospital admissions and reducing relapse rates.
In acknowledgement of the need to support carers and involve them in care the NSW Government has funded the Family and Carer Mental Health Program since 2005.
The NSW Family and Carer Mental Health Program is a state wide program funded by the NSW Ministry of Health, and delivered in partnership between local health districts
At HNE mental health Service we partner with One Door Carer Services.
More information about the program and framework:
- Family and Carer Mental Health Program - Mental health (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Family and Carer Mental Health Program framework - Carers
One Door
One Door Carer Services provides information, education, advocacy, and support, through the Family and Carer Mental Health Program (FCMHP).
One Door Mental Health is the service provider for the NSW Family & Carer Mental Health Program in partnership with five Local Health Districts (LHD). The five LHDs involved are Hunter New England, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, Sydney, and South Western Sydney. The FCMHP is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health. One Door employ Carer Advocates to deliver this program to those who support someone living with mental illness.
For information about One Door Carer Services:
- Our Services - One Door Mental Health
- Email contact for One Door Carer Services: carerinfohne@ondoor.org.au
Information about treatment and services
HNE Patient Info
For simple information about different diagnoses - click here
Facility list
For information about the various mental health services and their locations - click here
What to expect when accessing our services
To read about what you can expect if you come to hospital - click here
Choice and Medication for Hunter New England Local Health District
This website provides information about medications used in mental health conditions. It is updated and maintained by health care professionals, and receives no funding from drug companies. It is for patients, consumers, carers and health professionals in the Hunter New England Local Health District.
Family / Carer Support Map
Partnering with families, kinship and carers in mental healthcare
Phases of Family Engagement - The FIVE Point Plan for Families
This tool was developed in partnership with carers. It is a tool to help you navigate the phases of care.
The NSW Carers Charter
We are committed to working alongside consumers, and see it as key to achieving better outcomes for people accessing mental health services.
Because we are committed to this principle, we have a focus on partnering with consumers and carers in our healthcare planning.
There are a number of ways consumers, carers and the community can get involved and help us to design and deliver mental healthcare.
The Mental Health Lived Experience Participation Unit (LEPU)
People with lived experience of mental health challenges, their carers, families and other support people are recognised as active partners with our service. Effective participation occurs when consumers and carers are meaningfully involved in decision making about a person’s care and treatment, or providing input on decision making about service delivery, health policy and planning, or about the broader wellbeing of themselves and the community (Department of Human Services, 2006).
To support safe and effective engagement and participation across the service, unit, program and organisational levels, HNE MHS has a Lived Experience Participation Unit (LEPU). It is the preferred method for collaborating with independent people who are passionate about engaging in systemic advocacy and service redesign and innovation. The unit is a central point for the recruitment, management and support of these enthusiastic individuals and the service.
People can partner with us in a variety of ways:
- At an Individual level – examples include: shared decisions about treatment, care and self-management; feedback on your experiences of care (CES Survey).
- With a Service, Unit or Program – examples include: being involved in co-design of service improvement or new developments; being involved in reference groups and committees; providing feedback and being involved in the co-evaluation of services.
- Across the Organisation (HNEMHS) – examples include: being a representative on advisory groups and committees looking at policies and new services; participating in governance roles monitoring performance; and being involved in training of staff.
- At the broader community and strategic systems level – examples include advocacy in consumer and community groups at regional, state, national levels; co-design of policies and strategies; representatives on committees.
Please email for more information or if you would like to become a member of the LEPU
HNEHLD-MentalHealthConsumerParticipation@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
Charter of Healthcare Rights
Charter of Healthcare Rights - apply to all people in all places where health care is provided in Australia. The Charter describes what you, or someone you care for, can expect when receiving health care
Aboriginal Mental Health - Yimamulinbinkaan “The ones who lead/Leaders”
Maruung Maruung “Good good Deadly” Yarn up Feel Deadly application
The app includes a number of culturally considerate resources and powerful personal video testimonials. The app includes:
- Resources to learn Aboriginal language
- Information regarding mental health conditions, treatments and medications
- Details of upcoming community events
- Employment opportunities
It also has a staff portal where training and case scenarios are available on how to provide culturally responsive mental health assessments for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. While the culturally appropriate app is designed to target the Aboriginal community, the content and links will benefit and be of interest to all.
Yarn Up Feel Deadly Application
Download the free 'SportsBag Communicator App'. Once downloaded press 'My Services', then search and type in Yarn Up Feel Deadly.
Why our services ask if someone identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) resources
HNE Multicultural Mental Health Service
The Multicultural Health Service supports clinicians to provide equitable and accessible public health care to culturally and linguistically diverse patients and Deaf People.
Families and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can access more information by clicking here
The Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC)
The Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC) works with health professionals and communities across New South Wales to support positive mental health for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
Rural and Remote Information and Resources
Rural Adversity Mental Heatlh Program (RAMHP)
RAMHP exists for regional, rural and remote people and communities of NSW. The program emerged in 2007 during drought and while it has evolved and broadened its community reach, it continues to have a specific focus of supporting people and communities who depend on primary production and agriculture, alongside other priority populations at greater risk of mental ill health.
Farmgate
The Farmgate Support Program provides free emotional and mental health support to people living and working in rural & remote communities throughout the Hunter New England Local Health District.
Child and Adolescent Information
HNE Mental Health Service web page for CAMHS
Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide a range of services in the local community to children, adolescents and their families with a range of difficulties that seriously impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) - Mental health (nsw.gov.au)
headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation
headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. They began in 2006, and ever since have provided early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds.
Providing feedback to the Mental Health Service
Complaints and compliments
The information that comes from complaints and compliments helps us to changed and improve our services. Click here for the various ways in which you can submit a complaint or a compliment.
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 - please ask
Information and Resources for Families and Carers
Family and Carer Update / Newsletter
Please see this month’s edition of the HNE MHS Family and Carer informational Resource. Topic for this month - Health Literacy - what does this mean to me as a family member/carer/support person?
Click here for a newsletter containing the latest family and carer updates and resourcesFactsheets, Information and Brochures
HNE Mental Health Service Family and Carer Resources
2021 | |
| Caring through COVID | |
| Self-Care | |
| Dual Diagnosis | |
| Caring for ageing carers, with a focus on caring for the elderly | |
2022 | |
| How to provide meaningful feedback to the service - Part 1 | |
| How to provide meaningful feedback to the service - Part 2 | |
| Eating Disorders; information and support for families and carers | |
| Trauma as result of exposure to war and/or civil unrest; How to support those we care for and ourselves during times of stress and uncertainty | |
| Navigating mental illness experienced by children and adolescents. | |
| Grief and Loss- the experiences of families and carers | |
| Support for families and carers of people from the LGBTIQ+ community -through a mental health lens | |
| Borderline Personality Disorder- useful resources for family members, partners, friends and other support people | |
| Resilience; what it is and how can we work towards achieving it | |
| Self-compassion | |
| November | Navigating Change |
2023 | |
| January | Self care- what does this mean for families, friends and carers? |
| March | Worried about the person you support? |
| May | Knowing your limits. How can you consider safe boundaries for you and the person you care for? |
| July | Navigating supports for young adults experiencing mental illness and/or distress |
| October | Understanding Schizophrenia - For families, carers and support people |
| December | Discharge from Acute Mental Health - Community and/or Inpatient Services |
2024 | |
| March | Talking about deterioration... and how to escalate concerns using REACH? |
| May | Health Literacy - what does this mean to me as a family member/carer/support person? |
| July | What is the Five Point Plan and how does it support me as a family member/carer |
Useful Links
- 13Yarn - Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- ACON
- Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS), NSW
- ARAFMI Hunter
- Being - Consumer Advisory and Wellbeing Group
- Butterfly Helpline
- Carer Gateway
- Domestic, family and sexual violence
- Eating Disorder Resources
- Family Drug Support (FDS)
- Find a Psychologist (via APS website)
- Flourish
- headspace
- Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network
- Hunter Primary Care
- Life without Barriers
- Lifeline - Service Finder
- Mental health carers NSW
- Minds Together Program - Everymind
- NEAMI National
- Newcastle Family Support
- One Door Mental Health
- Orygen
- Pius X Aboriginal Corporation - Moree
- Reach Out
- Samaritans
- Sane Australia
- The Transcultural Mental Health Centre
- The Way Back Support Service - Hunter Primary Care