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.
Please be advised Primary Health Tasmania does not deliver health services or crisis support. You can find a list of available helplines at the bottom of this page.
Our commissioned activity
While we do not provide clinical services ourselves, Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned primary mental health services for:
anyone with a mild or moderate mental illness
adults with a complex or severe mental illness
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
young people
people living in aged care facilities.
Search Our Services Portal to find out details about the mental health services we commission.
Head to Health adult mental health services
Primary Health Tasmania has overseen the establishment of the Launceston Head to Health adult mental health centre.
The Australian Government is also funding new Head to Health services in Burnie, Devonport and outer Hobart – and we are leading this work.
Like the existing Launceston centre, the new services will improve access to mental health and related support services, connect care, and reduce demand on hospital emergency departments.
They will be a welcoming ‘no wrong door’ entry point for adults in distress or crisis who need immediate support, as well as family and friends needing information and advice.
There will be no charge, and appointments won’t be needed.
They will complement – rather than replace or duplicate – services already provided in the community, and will connect people with other local services for ongoing care.
Primary Health Tasmania undertook local consultation to help shape the new services to ensure they meet local needs, and we are in the process of selecting a provider or providers to deliver the new services. Service establishment and operation will be guided by this ‘philosophy of care’ document.
Establishing new headspace services
Primary Heath Tasmania is overseeing the establishment of two new headspace services for Tasmania – a new headspace centre on Hobart’s eastern shore and a statewide early psychosis youth service.
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.
Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned the delivery of psychosocial support services in Tasmania. We are also working with stakeholders to identify and address barriers faced by people with mental illness when testing for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
eMental health refers to the use of the web and other communication technologies to provide mental health services and support. This includes things like online support groups, podcasts and apps.
Head to Health is a great place to start if you’re searching for information about digital mental health resources and services.
Tasmanian Communications Charter
Tasmania is the first state to adopt the National Communications Charter — a unifying resource for mental health, suicide prevention, government, business, and community organisations. On a local level, the Tasmanian Communications Charter champions a safe and stigma-free approach to talking about suicide that is consistent across various branches of the community.
Primary Health Tasmania is signatory to the Tasmanian Communications Charter.
More than 90,000 Tasmanians are currently living with a common mental health-related condition such as depression, anxiety or a substance use disorder, and a further 125,000 are at risk of developing a mental health condition.
National Suicide Prevention Trial
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.
Primary Health Tasmania, along with the Tasmanian Department of Health and the Tasmanian Health Service, has partnered with the Mental Health Council of Tasmania, the National Disability Insurance Agency, Flourish and Mental Health Families and Friends Tasmania to develop a new approach to mental health service planning and delivery.
The result is Rethink 2020, which comes five years after the Tasmanian Government published its plan to improve mental health outcomes for all Tasmanians: Rethink Mental Health Better Mental Health and Wellbeing – A Long-Term Plan for Mental Health in Tasmania 2015-25.
Rethink 2020 takes stock of key milestones achieved so far – such as progress towards mental health integration hubs, improved youth mental health support in the north west, and the launch of a mental health peer workforce strategy – while also elevating new areas of focus as key mental health priorities for the state.
