Mental health in Hunter New England

Our specialist services:

• centre for psychotherapy
• consultation liaison psychiatry
• forensic services
• mental health and substance use
• neuropsychiatry
• psychiatric rehabilitation.

Our support services:

• Aboriginal, multicultural and consumer liaison
• clinical and corporate support
• education and research
• partnerships and performance.

Partnering with people in mental healthcare

We work closely with individuals accessing mental health services to achieve better outcomes. We focus on partnering with them and their carers in healthcare planning.

There are several ways you, your carers, and the community can get involved in shaping and delivering mental health services.

Mental Health Lived Experience Participation Unit (LEPU)

People with lived experience of mental health challenges, along with their carers, families, and support networks, are valued as active partners in our service. Meaningful participation happens when individuals and carers are involved in decisions about care, service delivery, health policy, planning, and overall community wellbeing.

To ensure safe and effective participation at all levels, we have established the Lived Experience Participation Unit (LEPU). LEPU is the primary way we collaborate with individuals passionate about advocacy and service redesign. The unit acts as a central hub for recruiting, managing, and supporting these dedicated individuals and the services we provide.

Ways to partner with us

You can partner with us in several ways:

• Individual level: Participate in shared decisions about your treatment, care, and self-management, or provide feedback about our services.
• Service, unit, or program level: Get involved in co-designing service improvements or new developments, join reference groups and committees, or help evaluate services.
• Across the organisation: Represent on advisory groups and committees shaping policies and services, take part in governance roles monitoring performance, or help train staff.
• Community and strategic level: Advocate in consumer and community groups at regional, state, or national levels, co-design policies and strategies, or join committees as a representative.

For more information or to become a member of LEPU, email HNEHLD-MentalHealthConsumerParticipation@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au.

Hunter New England (HNE) Mental Health Service, Family and Carer Mental Health Program

Helping people with mental illness and supporting their families and carers is key to better mental health outcomes.

Research shows that when carers are supported, those receiving care benefit too. This leads to better service delivery, fewer hospital admissions, and lower relapse rates.

To support carers, the NSW Government has funded the Family and Carer Mental Health Program since 2005. This program is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and delivered through local health districts.

At HNE Mental Health Service, we work with One Door Care Services.

Learn more about the program and its framework:

• Family and Carer Mental Health Program - Mental health
• NSW Family and Carer Mental Health Program framework - Carers

One Door

One Door Carer Services offers information, education, advocacy, and support through the Family and Carer Mental Health Program (FCMHP).

One Door Mental Health partners with 5 local health districts (Hunter New England, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, Sydney, and South Western Sydney) to deliver the FCMHP. This program is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health. One Door employs Carer Advocates to support those caring for someone with a mental illness.

For more information about One Door Carer Services:

• Visit: One Door Mental Health - Services
• Email: carerinfohne@ondoor.org.au

Our commitment to engage with family, in and carers

We know that families, kin and carers play a big role in helping someone recover from mental health challenges. You know your loved one best and can share important information about their life, not just their mental health.

We believe that recovery works best when everyone is involved. That’s why we want to partner with you and the person you care for, and include you as part of their support team. We also recognise the important role you play. Your health and wellbeing matter too. We understand that every carer is different, and we want to support your needs as well.

We follow the NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010, which recognises that:

1. Carers make a valuable contribution to the community
2. A carer’s health and wellbeing is important
3. Carers are all different and have unique needs
4. Carers are partners in care

We also follow the National Standards for Safety and Quality in Health Care, which means we must work with carers and families when we plan, deliver and improve mental health services.

Under the NSW Mental Health Act 2007, we are required to involve carers and family members in decisions about a person’s care and treatment, where appropriate.

Resources

• Family kinship and Carer Booklet (PDF 4.03MB) (PDF 4.03MB)
• Phases of Family Engagement - The FIVE Point Plan (PDF 244.36KB) (PDF 244.36KB)
• Family Carer Quick Reference Guide (PDF 191.85KB) (PDF 191.85KB)
• HNE Carer Support Service Resource (PDF 474.09KB) (PDF 474.09KB)
• Minds Together - A program for family, friends and carers in NSW
• Raise It - worried you or a loved one is getting worse?

Newsletters

Read our HNE Mental Health Service Family and Carer Resource newsletter, which contains the latest updates and resources for families and carers.

• 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
• 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
• January - How to provide meaningful feedback to the service - Part 1
• February - How to provide meaningful feedback to the service - Part 2
• March - Eating Disorders; information and support for families and carers
• April - 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
• May - Navigating mental illness experienced by children and adolescents
• June - Grief and Loss- the experiences of families and carers
• July - Support for families and carers of people from the LGBTIQ+ community -through a mental health lens
• August - Borderline Personality Disorder- useful resources for family members, partners, friends and other support people
• September - Resilience; what it is and how can we work towards achieving it
• October - Self-compassion
• November - Navigating Change
• September - Caring through COVID
• October - Self-Care
• November - Dual Diagnosis
• December - Caring for ageing carers, with a focus on caring for the elderly

How to make a referral

To make a referral, call 1800 011 511 and ask for the appropriate mental health facility.  

How we work with you

We work closely with GPs and referrers by:

• confirming we received the referral
• informing you of the referral outcome
• sharing the assessment results and management plan
• updating you on any changes to the management plan.

We ask GPs and referrers to keep us informed:

• when you make a referral
• when you prescribe treatment
• if you identify new mental health needs
• when treatment changes.

Who you can refer

You can refer people with severe mental disorders who:

• need specialist mental health care
• cannot be managed in primary care
• are at risk to themselves or others due to a mental disorder
• need case management or care coordination.

Note that referrals are prioritised based on urgency and staff availability.

Resources

Education and training

• Beyond Blue
• HNE Health Libraries
• The Black Dog Institute
• University of Newcastle Library

Professional groups and organisations

• Australian Association of Occupational Therapists
• Australian Association of Social Workers
• Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
• Carer Gateway
• Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH)
• Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR)
• Everymind
• Health Statistics New South Wales
• Hunter New England Psychiatry Training Program (HNET)
• NSW Institute of Psychiatry
• Psychogeriatric Nurses Association Australia
• The Australian Psychological Society
• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
• The University of New England
• The University of Newcastle