Accessing support

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

During the 2019/20 financial year, St John of God Mental Wellbeing Services supported 1,142 clients, with their emotional wellbeing over 9,127 sessions.

Treatment and services available

• Individual counselling – one-on-one meetings with a clinician from our multi-disciplinary team for specialised support. Currently delivered via telehealth (phone or video) to support physical 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

GPs must complete and submit a St John of God Mental Wellbeing Services referral form for Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) referrals only via:

• Electronic referral - Guides to adding this service to Medical Director, Best Practice or ZedMed and Information on electronic referral via ReferralNet.
• Manually – GP referrals can be emailed to mentalwellbeing@sjog.org.au. For more information see our locations page.

Please note that GP referrals to our Warrnambool service are for STEPMI and PTS only. For more information please contact the service on 1800 313 016.

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.