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Got a question about what mental health services and support are available in Queensland?
The Mental Health Association of Queensland can provide details of local service providers, support groups, community groups and other mental health related services to people across Queensland.
Anyone with an enquiry can phone 1300 729 686 Monday – Friday between 9:00am and 7:00pm.
For more information about mental health visit Signs of Mental Illness
The government’s Dear Mind - Your mental wellbeing web page is another portal with useful information
Various types of support are available:
For people from non-English speaking backgrounds, the Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre may be useful.
Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre is a specialist state-wide service that works to ensure people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds receive culturally responsive mental health care and support.
Phone: 3317 1234
Toll free phone: 1800 188 189 (outside Brisbane)
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people please see the resources here
Sometimes no amount of information about who to contact enables a person to act for their own best interests.
Sometimes past experience has not been positive.
We would want to encourage to try again and keep looking until you find someone who listens and whom you feel safe speaking with.
Also look around, or ask people you know of social media support groups. Groups such as Hearing Voices Queensland can provide direct, personable and immediately relevant information and support.
Another nongovernment organisation that offers support for people experiencing mental health challenges is GROW
Their web page is worth a read and while you are there, you might like to try one of their peer support groups (see Find a Group). They offer face to face groups or online.
Need an interpreter?
If you would like an interpreter, please go to this web page and select your language and if you wish to listen or read the information provided.
Information about the Queensland Mental Health Act 2016 can be found on the Government’s website
They write: “The Mental Health Act 2016 commenced on 5 March 2017, replacing the Mental Health Act 2000. The Act represents a major step forward in patient rights and will strengthen the role of family and support person.”
The information provided is very useful and represents a significant advance in making key documents, policies and legislation more accessible to the public. It can nevertheless, be difficult to find what you are looking for especially if you or someone you know are in crisis. In these circumstances, please see the support and emergency resources section of our web page here.
Under the Chief Psychiatrist Policies box you will find the Seclusion and Restraint Policy
On page 3 of the policy, it is noted:
“Seclusion significantly affects patient rights and liberty and therefore can only be authorised as a last resort to prevent imminent and serious risk of harm to patients and staff, where less restrictive interventions have been unsuccessful or are not feasible.”
We strongly encourage people who become an inpatient or who have been in the past, to carefully read through the policy and related documents. This may help you know what is acceptable within the restrictive practice, as it is definitely not the case that anyone can be secluded without following these strict guidelines. Even so if you are concerned about being secluded, please seek advice and support, including from the Independent Patient’s rights Advisor. If you don’t remember their title or know how to find them, ask the nurses in the mental health facility. If there are peer workers on the ward, they may be able to help as well.