Resources for Mental Health

27 May 2019

There are a number of excellent organisations providing a range of initiatives and services to support Australians living with mental illness. From 24-hour telephone counselling services to online assessments and treatment plans, from articles, manuals and research to face to face peer support and mindfulness apps, there’s a wide range of services to access.

Organisations

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue is a national organisation with the broad mission to promote good mental health to improves the lives of individuals, families and communities affected by anxiety, depression and suicide. It offers extensive resources, programs and initiatives.

Heads Up

Developed by Beyond Blue, Heads Up promotes mental health in the workplace. The dedicated website has a wealth of resources, including a terrific section for employers on strategies for healthy workplaces, legal rights and responsibilities, ways to prevent and respond to workplace bullying, and education and training

Lifeline

Lifeline is a national charity that offers 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. The telephone counselling service is available on 13 11 14.

SANE Australia

SANE Australia is a national charity that supports all Australians affected by complex mental illness through campaigning, education and research. SANE conducts innovative programs and campaigns and also operates a busy Helpline: 1800 187 263.

MATES in Construction

MATES in Construction is a charity established in 2008 to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers. It is owned and controlled by the Australian Building and Construction Industry.

Black Dog Institute

The Black Dog Institute is dedicated to understanding, preventing and treating mental illness. It focuses on translating the knowledge gained from research into better health outcomes for people with mental illness.

Mental Health Carers Australia

Caring for someone with a mental health illness can be extremely challenging, and often puts the carer at risk of developing a mental health illness themselves. Mental Health Carers Australia provides support to families, carers and their friends. Support includes: linking people to other carers who can offer face-to-face peer support, education services with other carers, and advocacy services that help carers to identify and find solutions to their challenges.

Resources

Mindspot

A free service for Australian adults who are experiencing difficulties with anxiety, stress, depression and low mood, providing online assessment and treatment courses, or connections to local services that can help.

Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC)

The VSBC has developed a Small-Business-Mental-Health-Strategic-Planning Tool to assist small business owners in incorporating a mental health strategy into their business development plans.

Australian Taxation Office

The ATO offers a page of advice for ‘Small business owners experiencing mental health issues’, including links on Tailored payment plans, and Lodgment and payment deferral.

Mindful Employer

The Mindful Employer specialises in workplace mental health, providing training to staff and leaders across Australia. The company offers a range of courses, from one-hour workshops on ‘Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace’ to full-day workshops on ‘Building a Mentally Healthy Workplace Culture’. Online courses are also available.

Beyond Blue

The organisation has a number of useful Perspective videos to assist employers, including Approaching an employee you’re concerned about and Returning to work following a mental health problem.

Heads up

In one simple infographic, Heads up recommends 10 ways to create a mentally healthy business, and then links into the Heads Up action plan that practices can then implement in their own businesses.

Smiling Mind

The Smiling Mind app is already well-known, with 3 million downloads, but the organisation also provides workshops for businesses, from the one-hour ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ to the ‘Four Workshop Series’ covering Mindfulness, Calm, Clarity and Connection. Smiling Mind’s stated mission is to create a healthy wellbeing culture within each business, with reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and overall staff stress reduction. According to Smiling Mind, every dollar spent supporting staff with mental health issues yields a 230% return in improved productivity.