Central Coast

Mental Health Programs

Providing high quality Mental Health & Suicide Prevention programs to the local community.

Programs we deliver

  • Art therapy is life enhancing for people of all ages and all walks of life. It is a unique creative process where art-making and psychotherapy combine to aid individual growth and awareness.

    > Learn More

  • Sometimes when you are experiencing serious mental illness you receive mental health support from the hospital. As you start to feel a little better, and no longer need to be seen by the hospital, it is important to make sure that you have the support you need close to home.

    The Transitional Care Program can help. Our Mental Health Nurse will connect you with services that you need so you don’t have to go back to hospital.

    > Learn More

Art Therapy - Group & 1:1 Sessions

Art therapy is life enhancing for people of all ages and all walks of life. It is a unique creative process where art-making and psychotherapy combine to aid individual growth and awareness.

Transitional Care

Sometimes when you are experiencing serious mental illness you receive mental health support from the hospital. As you start to feel a little better, and no longer need to be seen by the hospital, it is important to make sure that you have the support you need close to home. The Transitional Care Program can help.

Our Mental Health Nurse will connect you with services that you need so you don’t have to go back to hospital and work with you for up to 12 weeks so that you can stay happy and healthy at home.

  • • Improve mental and overall health.

    • Keep people home and out of hospital.

    • Provides links to health services in the community.

  • Transitional Care can help you get the right help in the community so you don’t have to go back to hospital.

    Transitional Care is free

    Transitional Care can help you get support from other services.

    making sure you have a regular GP and

    psychologist

    help to quit drugs or alcohol

    making sure there are different social and community groups you can connect with helping you to connect with family and other services that might support you to stay well.

  • Support Coordinators work in partnership with Central Coast Mental Health Service staff to provide 12 weeks of support following discharge from the mental health service.

  • Our Mental Health Nurse can see you in a range of settings, such as:

    • At home

    • In the Community

    • Inpatient mental health units.

  • Referral will need to come from the Central Coast Local Health District - Mental Health Service

For Health Professionals Only

The following programs require a GP referral.

  • In-Reach program

Health Professionals submitting referrals into the portal.

Referrals are submitted via the Portal via this link. The Portal is managed by Hunter Primary Care. The referral includes the initial Assessment & Referral Tool (IAR) domains to guide the level of care, timeframes, and type of service available for the person.

Read more about the Initial Assessment & Referral Tool here IAR Summary.

The Triage and Allocation Process

All referrals are reviewed and assessed within two business days.

Referrals to all PHN-funded Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services are assessed using a Nationally consistent assessment and referral approach in unison with the stepped care framework. In addition, the client must meet the specific program eligibility criteria for the service they seek access to.

PHN-funded programs aim to facilitate equitable access and better outcomes for individuals with or at risk of developing mental disorders through offering clinical assessment and referral to evidence-based interventions within primary care or residential aged care setting.

PHN Commissioned Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services

The PHN funds a range of primary mental health and suicide prevention services in line with a stepped-care approach, promoting person-centred care and targeting the needs of individuals. The stepped-care model ensures that individuals are matched to services that best meet their needs.

PHN-funded services are intended to support under-serviced, hard-to-reach communities who experience barriers to accessing the Medicare Better Access Initiative. 

Coast & Country Primary Care acknowledges the financial support from the Australian Government Department of Health & Aged Care & Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network.

What should a referral include?

The referral must include:

  • a detailed mental health treatment plan or child treatment plan

  • additional clinical information to support the referral and allocation

  • copy of the completed K10 and scores

The referral must be entered by the referrer into the purpose-built portal to accurately capture clinical information and data.

For password resets or questions about the referral process please contact the Intake Team on mhintake@hunterprimarycare.com.au or 02 4925 2259.

Please be advised this Portal is managed by Hunter Primary Care.