Medicare Mental Health phone service

Medicare Mental Health phone service  is the central intake and assessment service for the northern Queensland region offering a free, confidential, and friendly mental health assessment and referral service for people (not in crisis) requiring support to access the mental health care system.

The phone service can be accessed by consumers, their families, carers, as well as GPs, service providers and other health professionals, for guidance and support. 

An initial assessment will be undertaken using the IAR-DST (Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool) and indications of need matched to relevant and available services. 

The tool can be found here.

The Medicare Mental Health phone service operates:

  • Monday to Friday | 8.30am – 5pm,  (excluding public holidays).
  • The service is free

 Connection forms and referrals

  • Connection forms can be found in the resources section of this page. 

To make a referral to Medicare Mental Health for service navigation support you can: 

FAQ

Medicare Mental Health phone service offers access to mental health information, services and supports and is the preferred referral pathway for patients in the Northern Queensland PHN region. Referrals from GPs, mental health services, community services, carers, families, and individuals are accepted. You can also contact Medicare Mental Health on behalf of patients to find the best mental health and wellbeing support for them.

The Connection form is the referral pathway to the Medicare Mental Health phone service to facilitate appropriate connection to supports across the continuum of care. Medicare Mental Health staff use the Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) Decision Support Tool to establish the patient’s level of need and can advise on available services that may assist the patient. If an IAR has already been completed, the team will refer to this.

The Connection form is accessible from the resources section on this web page.

Forward completed referral via Medical Objects ID:  

Medical Objects ID – MENTAL HEALTH NQLD REFERRALS, MEDICARE (TH4218000D3) 

or via email to: mmh-nqld@pccs.org.au  

Please note: If the person has acute mental health needs, please refer to MH Call on 1300 64 22 55.

STOP: Connect to Wellbeing referral forms are no longer in use

START:  Download the Connection Form and update your Team 

CONTINUE: Refer people experiencing significant challenges accessing fee-for-service mental health and wellbeing services and supports.  

For more information about the national Medicare Mental Health initiative, visit the Medicare Mental Health website.

Resources