Almost half of all Australians experience some form of mental health problem at some time in their life.
Mental health conditions are complex, costly and often chronic. They can impact the lives of individuals, families and communities.
Being mentally healthy is not just the absence of illness – it’s also about being socially and emotionally well.
While we do not provide clinical services ourselves, Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned primary mental health services for:
Search Our Services Portal to find out details about the mental health services we commission.
When we talk about psychosocial support, we’re talking about programs and activities designed to help people with a severe mental illness increase their functioning in day-to-day life.
Psychosocial support can take many forms. It may mean supporting people with:
• developing social skills and friendships
• building family relationships
• managing money
• finding and looking after a home
• developing work goals
• improving educational skills
• staying physically well, including with exercise
• support with drug, alcohol and smoking issues
• building broader life skills including confidence and resilience.
eMental health refers to the use of the web and other communication technologies to provide mental health services and support, such as online support groups, podcasts and apps.
The eMHPrac – e-mental health in practice – project is an Australian Government initiative that aims to raise practitioner awareness and knowledge of digital mental health by providing training and support.
Head to Health also provides comprehensive information and collated resources for health professionals and consumers alike.
Tasmania is one of 12 sites around the country taking part in the Australian Government-funded trial, which aims to test how a more coordinated approach can help local communities reduce the rate of suicide attempts and deaths by suicide.
Read about our involvement in the trial, and other work in suicide prevention.
Primary Health Tasmania is commissioning psychological treatment services for people with mental illness who are living in residential aged care facilities.
The aim is to give these residents access to similar services as those currently available in the community and will involve collaborating with the facilities themselves to provide evidenced-based, timely psychological therapies.
Alongside our mental health commissioning activity, Primary Health Tasmania is working with the Tasmanian Department of Health, the Tasmanian Health Service, the Mental Health Council of Tasmania and consumers and carers to develop a stepped care model for mental health in Tasmania.
People often move across a continuum of care – their illness may become more or less severe at different times, which means they’ll need a different level of support at different times. The provision of services within a stepped care model will enable people to move within the system, depending on their level of need, in a coordinated and seamless manner.
The stepped care model will underpin a new statewide mental health and suicide prevention plan, aiming to deliver joined-up mental health services that meet local needs. This is central to the Australian Government’s mental health reform.
Primary Health Tasmania does not offer health services, crisis, or emergency support.
Your regular general practitioner/doctors surgery should always be your first point of call if you need medical or mental health care
In an emergency, call Triple 0 (000) for Ambulance, Fire or Police.
For health advice on health services open at night, public holidays and weekends, visit the Tas After Hours website.
The following helplines are also available for urgent assistance: