State-wide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service
The State-Wide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service aims to draw together cultural and clinical expertise to support the social and emotional well-being and recovery of Aboriginal people experiencing mental health issues in the Great Southern.
Aboriginal Mental Health Workers play key roles in our multidisciplinary team. They work to support culturally competent practice by:
- Co-working with Assessment Treatment Team clinicians, from first point of contact, to ensure culturally secure assessment and treatment planning.
- Co-working with Clinical Treatment Team clinicians, as secondary case managers, to facilitate timely engagement with the service and review ongoing treatment and care.
The team will treat all information in confidence. Your information will remain at the mental health clinic. Permission is sought in writing before contacting other agencies unless there are concerns about safety.
Information may be shared with other mental health services that are providing care to you. Find out more about your rights and responsibilities:
If you have a comment, complaint, or compliment to make about our service then please do not hesitate to let us know.
In person
- Talk to the staff caring for you; or
- Ask to speak to a senior staff member or our service manager; or
- Ask to speak with an Aboriginal Mental Health Worker.
Email us
- Tell us what happened, where and when with dates and times, if possible.
- Include information on who was involved.
- Let us know what you would like to see happen because of your feedback.
- Please include your contact details if you would like someone to contact you.
- You can also contact the Great Southern Executive Director with your feedback directly.
Online
You can publicly and anonymously share your story about your experience through the Care Opinion website. The website allows you to tell us what is important to you, and we can show how we are listening and responding to patients, carers and families to improve our services.
You can also complete surveys and questionnaires about your experience with us so we can continue to better our services. Taking part in the surveys is voluntary and anonymous:
- Your Experience of Service - Adult (PDF, 245Kb)
- Experience of Service Questionnaire 9 - 11 years old (PDF, 113Kb)
- Experience of Service Questionnaire 12 - 17 years old (PDF, 138Kb)
- Experience of Service Questionnaire - parent and carers (PDF, 139Kb)
You can reach out to independent authorities to help resolve any complaints you have, including:
- The Health and Disability Service Complaints Office, an independent Statutory Authority providing an impartial complaints resolution service for complaints about health, disability and mental health services.
- The Mental Health Tribunal, which safeguards the rights of involuntary patients in Western Australia.
Involving consumers and carers
The Great Southern Mental Health Consumer and Carer Advisory Group (the CCAG) is a diverse group of consumers and carers with lived experience of mental health issues who work in partnership with the Great Southern Mental Health Service to improve mental health services for the community.
The CCAG ensures consumers and carers are heard, acknowledged, and valued in the design, development and delivery of mental health services. To contact the CCAG, please call (08) 9892 2440 or email gs.cmh@health.wa.gov.au.If you’re looking for after hours or immediate access to mental health support, you can call a helpline:
- Rural Link(afterhours mental health): 1800 552 002
- Lifeline: 13 1114
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
- Beyond Blue Youth: 1300 224 636
- Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/Abuse: 1800 017 303
- Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
- Kids Helpline (Parents): 1800 654 432
- Headspace: 9943 8111
- Poisons Information Centre: 13 11 26
- Alcohol and Drug Support Line: 1800 198 024
- Parent and Family Drug Support: 1800 653 203
- 13YARN: 13 92 76
- 1800 Respect (Sexual Assault, domestic family violence): 1800 737 732
- Here For You: 1800 437 348
If you’re looking for more information on mental health services, visit: