Primary Mental Health - Adelaide PHN

Adelaide PHN commissions a wide range of Primary Mental Health Care services and activities across the metropolitan Adelaide region.

Services are commissioned in alignment with a Stepped Care Model; facilitating the provision of care across the continuum from early intervention, to mild, moderate, or chronic/complex related care. This includes services for children, young people, parents, adults and older people.

Sonder and Links to Wellbeing - are the two major primary mental health commissioned providers. Sonder provides services across the continuum in the northern and central-western areas of Adelaide, and Links to Wellbeing in the southern and central areas. Additionally Adelaide PHN commission a range of other experienced primary mental health care providers to deliver more specialised mental health services. These include services specifically targeting Aboriginal people, individuals from CALD backgrounds, mothers in the perinatal period, young people with comorbid presentations, children, or people with more complex presentations.

Adelaide PHN also works to supports a range of capacity building and integration activities both within and outside the primary mental health care space. For instance, HealthPathways South Australia provides a suite of mental health clinical pathways, along with comprehensive state wide referral information for use during consultation by GPs and other health professionals.

Referrals to our Primary Mental Health Care Services

Referral to our Primary Mental Health Care services is supported by a Centralised Referral Unit. This unit receives all referrals from the region and provides same day allocation of referrals to the most appropriate provider or through to the Clinical Decision and Monitoring Units for further assessment. This unit operates 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Central Referral Fax Number 1300 580 249
supporting direct referrals from general practice for same day allocation to the most appropriate provider
Mental Health Enquiry Line 1300 898 213
providing information to referrers, community members and providers regarding local services

A summary of our Primary Mental Health Care services

is available via our Primary Mental Health Care brochure

Scroll through our range of commissioned Primary Mental Health Services

or explore all of our programs via our directory of programs and services page

Calm Kids Central - a mental health service for children & parents

Calm Kids Central provides low intensity support for children & parents to help build positive mental health skills & strategies. Delivered by Developing Minds, the program provides support from child psychologists & access to specialised online resources to help children with ‘big feelings’, social emotional challenges & tough life circumstances feel calm, confident & co-operative. Adelaide PHN commissions this program as part of a suite of primary mental health care services in alignment with the Stepped Care Model.

Central Referral Unit for Primary Mental Health Services – fax referral & mental health enquiry line

Providing a centralised decision making and monitoring function, this unit provides information, clinical triage, allocation and referral to support access to primary mental health services across Adelaide. The unit supports the Central Referral Fax (1300 580 249) - which receives and allocates referrals (same day) from health professionals to the most appropriate provider. The unit also supports the Mental Health Enquiry Line (1300 898 213) which offers referral information to community and health professionals regarding local services.

headspace Centres - primary mental health services for young people

headspace Centres provide free early intervention focussed mental health services for young people aged 12-25 years. Adelaide PHN has commissioned centres across the Adelaide region in Edinburgh North, Onkaparinga, Adelaide, and Port Adelaide. These services are delivered by multiple providers - Centacare, Sonder and headspace Services Limited - and make up part of a suite of Adelaide PHN’s commissioned and specialised primary mental healthcare services.

Northern Connect - support service for people experiencing co-morbid mental health & AOD problems

This program provides therapeutic counselling, care coordination and support to address the dual needs of those aged 15 years or over who have BOTH a mental health concern and an alcohol and other drug (AOD) problem. Northern Connect is a free program and offers an integrated approach, allowing both mental health and AOD issues to be tackled together. Delivered by Sonder (along with Uniting Communities and Life Without Barriers), this program is one of a suite of AOD treatment services commissioned by Adelaide PHN within the Adelaide region.

Specialised Mental Health Support - for people experiencing homelessness

Adelaide PHN commissions the Brian Burdekin Clinic to deliver psychological therapies and clinical-care coordination for those experiencing or those at risk of homelessness. This program is one of a suite of primary mental health care services commissioned by Adelaide PHN across the stepped care continuum.

Streetlink - psychological therapies for youth with substance use & mental health co-morbidities

Streetlink is an integrated treatment model combining substance misuse treatment and psychological therapies for young people (between the ages of 12 - 25, their families and children, with comorbid substance misuse & mental health issues. Streetlink offers assessment, counselling, education/information, referrals, pharmacotherapy support & family therapy to help young people develop skills and confidence, and build connections with the wider community. The program also offers access to the Clean Needle Program, and GP for primary health and sexual health treatments, with appointment.

GP PASA - an online tool for GPs seeking 291 psychiatric assessment

This service assists GPs & patients with accessing one-off psychiatric assessments provided under MBS Item Number 291. A 2017 review conducted by the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and Adelaide PHN lead to enhancements of the service. The website supports psychiatrists to register and list suitable appointments. GPs seeking a referral for patients complete the online screening and assessment process, referrals are then received by the GP PASA team and allocated appropriately. This service is administered by Links to Wellbeing.

General Psychological Therapies - for people most in need

Adelaide PHN commissions two main providers - Sonder and Links to Wellbeing - to deliver general psychological therapies to those who face barriers to accessing other primary mental health services (e.g. Better Access) in the Adelaide region. Aligned with a stepped care model of service delivery, these services are for people with mild, moderate, and chronic/complex levels of need. Sonder deliver these services in the north and centre-west areas of Adelaide; Links to Wellbeing the south centre-east.

Group CPT Therapy Support - for people who have experienced trauma

A 12 week Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) group supplemented by individual support, to treat the symptoms of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This group program teaches group members a new way of handling the distressing thoughts and feelings brought up by trauma, is provided for free, and offered across the Adelaide region. Delivered by Psychmed, this service is part of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

Lived Experience Telephone Support Service (LETSS) – peer mental health support line

LETSS is an after hours telephone service designed to provide non-clinical mental health information and support people with mental health challenges, as well as their carers, family and friends to navigate the mental health system in the Adelaide metropolitan region area. The service is delivered by experienced peer workers between the hours of 5:00pm to 11:30pm, 365 days a year and focuses on engagement and an empathetic consumer experience. Access to the service via a free-call number (1800 013 755) or web-chat via the program website.

Living Beyond Suicide - supporting families & individuals bereaved by suicide

The Living Beyond Suicide Service supports families and individuals who are bereaved by suicide. The service is provided for free and offers practical and emotional support - including opportunities for people to talk about their loss, home visits and telephone support. This service is delivered by AnglicareSA across the Adelaide region as part of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

MI-DBT - a specialised mental health program for women with BPD in the perinatal period

MI-DBT is a group therapy program for women living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in the Perinatal period. MI-DBT is an adaptation of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) that aims to improve a woman’s emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and parenting skills at a critical time in an infant’s development (within the first 1001 days). Sonder and Links to Wellbeing are commissioned to deliver these groups in the North and South of Adelaide respectively, with collaboration from the Helen Mayo House and the Department of Education and Child Services (DECS).

Phone Helpline & Mental Health Support - for expecting and new parents

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) run a national telephone helpline for new and expecting parents. This service is free to access. The Adelaide PHN commission PANDA to provide additional clinical care co-ordination services for clients living in the Adelaide region to assist with emerging or established mental health concerns in the perinatal period.

Specialised Mental Health Support - for Aboriginal people

Adelaide PHN commissions Nunkuwarrin Yunti to deliver mental health services for Aboriginal people across the Adelaide region. Nunkuwarrin Yunti provides treatment across the severity spectrum (from mild through to more complex conditions). The ACT Centre is also funded by the PHN and provides a clinical therapy service for clients with more complex conditions. This service is embedded within the Aboriginal Community Connect service. A ‘one-stop’ service for those seeking help with drug/alcohol and other problems.

Specialised Mental Health Support - for people from CALD backgrounds

Adelaide PHN commissions CASSA (Community Access and Services SA) to deliver clinical-care coordination for those from CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds. This program offers a team of dedicated and specialised bi-lingual and bi-cultural workers from diverse cultural backgrounds. This program is one of a suite of primary mental health care services commissioned by Adelaide PHN across the stepped care continuum.

Suicide Prevention Service - supporting those impacted by suicide

Short term support for individuals and families who have experienced a suicide attempt or strong suicidal ideations. The service is provided for free and offers intensive support for 3 months, helping people to develop strategies to prevent further suicide attempts. This service is delivered by AnglicareSA across the Adelaide region as part of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

hYEPP (headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program)

hYEPP (headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program) provides early intervention, responsive, and recovery focused care for young people who are at high risk of or are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. This program follows the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) model of care. hYEPP is delivered by headspace Services Limited across the Adelaide region as part of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

Weekend Afterhours Mental Health Service Northern Adelaide

The Weekend After-Hours Mental Health Service is an assessment, support and referral service for people experiencing mental health difficulties. The Northern Adelaide service operates from Sonder’s premises at 2 Peachey Road Edinburgh North on Saturday and Sunday from 5pm-10pm. A referral is not required and consumers may self present to the service which is staffed by mental health clinicians and a peer worker. This is one of a suite of Adelaide PHN’s commissioned services aiming to improve the availability of after hours care in Adelaide.

The Gender Wellbeing Service - therapies & peer support

Psychological therapies and peer support for people experiencing gender dysphoria or gender identity concerns. The service provides non-crisis confidential counselling for Trans and Gender Diverse people who are 12 years old and over, and a peer support worker to provide short term, goal orientated support tailored to individual need. Delivered by SHine SA this service is one of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

SIPS - a structured intervention program for those who have attempted suicide

A structured, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) informed and client-centred intervention for people who have had a recent suicide attempt. The Structured Intervention Program (SIPS) takes a collaborative approach to therapy, is designed to run alongside existing mental health treatment, and provides psychologists to help individuals to understand their suicidal crisis, identify triggers, and establish a safety plan. Delivered by Psychmed, this service is part of a suite of specialised primary mental health services commissioned by Adelaide PHN.

Walking Together Wellbeing Program - AOD treatment service for Aboriginal people

This program provides comprehensive and culturally appropriate alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services for Aboriginal people in metropolitan Adelaide. Operating within a culturally based health, social and emotional wellbeing service , the program offers case management, care planning and coordination, brief intervention, narrative therapy, group therapy, post rehabilitation support and relapse prevention. The program can address complex AOD issues, including those with mental health co-morbidity.

Integrated Practice Unit - Complex Youth Mental Health Services

Services for young people (16-25yrs) experiencing/or at risk of experiencing severe/complex mental illness in the outer southern or northern metro regions. This includes Sonder’s emerge Program as well as smaller complimentary services in Port Adelaide and CBD areas. This service is specifically designed to support young people who fit the above description, are deemed too complex for other primary services (inc. headspace), and who do not meet the criteria for state-based tertiary mental health services. Adelaide PHN commissions the IPU as part of a suite of mental health services.

Relevant Links & Resources

Primary Mental Health Care Services Brochure
Directory of Programs and Services
Our Priorities
Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services
HealthPathways SA