Accessing support

We provide free or low-cost specialised, community-based mental health treatment and support for people aged 16 and older.

In 2018, St John of God Social Outreach’s community mental health services supported more than 1800 clients, with over 15,000 individual service contacts.

Treatment and services available

• Individual counselling – one-on-one meetings with a clinician from our multi-disciplinary team for specialised support. Currently delivered via telephone to support social distancing. 
• Group therapy – an opportunity to connect with other people who are experiencing similar feelings and challenges. Group therapy sessions have been temporarily cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Specialised treatment for people with ongoing mental health conditions

If you are a member of the public

See your GP for a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). An appointment will then be made for you to attend the service in your area. In most cases, if you have a GP referral and MHCP, there will be no out-of-pocket cost for support, but please contact individual locations to find out if you are eligible.

See our FAQs for common queries about accessing this service.

If you are a health professional

Referral to St John of God Social Outreach’s community mental health services can be made via:

• Electronic referral - Guides to adding this service to Medical Director, Best Practice or ZedMed and Information on electronic referral via ReferralNet.
• Manually – see our locations for where to send referrals.

Have you seen our GP Hub?

St John of God Health Care works closely with general practitioners to help you provide the best possible support to patients. Our GP Hub has all the information you need to partner with St John of God Health Care, including education and CPD opportunities in your area, medical news and medical contacts.