Mental health acute and community services in Northern Sydney are provided across Macquarie, Hornsby, Northern Beaches, Royal North Shore and Ryde Hospital. Services provided include psychiatric emergency care, adult acute and non-acute care, child and youth mental health and community-based mental health services.
Drug and alcohol services provide treatment for consumers with drug and/or alcohol use issues through multiple services that also address medical and mental health related health problems. These service support people to cease and/or better manage their substance use issues. Services provided include primary prevention and education, non-admitted management, detoxification and rehabilitation and ongoing management in the community.
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Referral and Accessing Services
Mental Health Telephone Access Line (MHTAL) 1800 011 511 (24hrs)
The mental health telephone access line is available to help 24/7. You can call the access line on 1800 011 511.
You should call this line if you:
- Are contacting the mental health service for the first time.
- Want information, advice or assessment of mental health problems.
- Would like to see a mental health worker.
This is a telephone-based triage service. Calls are answered 24 hours, 7 days a week, by a mental health clinician who can offer support and connect you with the appropriate local, public mental health service in NSW, including the Northern Sydney Local Health District.
The service may then offer you an appointment at the community health centre, or a clinician may come to your home to complete an assessment and plan treatment with you.
If life is at risk please call Triple Zero (000) or go to the emergency department of your local hospital to receive immediate help.
Drug & Alcohol Referral Line 1300 889 788
Mental health services
NSLHD mental health services are underpinned by 'trauma informed care' and the 'recovery model'.
Anyone experiencing psychological or mental health symptoms who lives within the NSLHD catchment can access our service. We cater for all age groups including; peri/anti-natal, child and youth, adult and older persons. Teams consist of multi-disciplinary clinicians; nursing, social work, psychology, psychiatry as well as staff with a lived experience (peer worker) of using mental health services or experience of family/carer roles.
We deliver services within the home, community, and hospital settings including; telephone triage, emergency department assessment, consultation liaison to other departments, care co-ordinators, crisis, assertive outreach and early intervention including schooling issues.
Our mental health inpatient hospital services provide acute and non-acute services for all age groups.
A number of specialist services are embedded within teams or support teams to cater for specific populations including; multicultural and first nation's consumers, intellectual disability, eating disorders, children of parents with mental illness, long stay transition to community, clinical consultancy, specialist rehabilitation and joint residential partnership care with other organisations.
Drug and alcohol services
NSLHD drug and alcohol services aim to reduce the harm associated with problematic alcohol and other drug use on individuals, their families and the communities of Northern Sydney.
Services are provided by a range of professions such as nursing, psychology, welfare, medical and staff with lived experience.
Locations of services include; Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai, Brookvale, Mona Vale, Royal North Shore and Ryde Hospitals. Community based counselling teams are located across the area in community health centres (CHC) and on hospital sites.
Inpatient services are located on Level 5 Douglas Building, Royal North Shore Hospital.
The drug and alcohol referral line is available 1300 889 788 during standard business hours.
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