Useful links and resources

This step lists a range of useful links to support application in practice.

Diet-related resources

Mental Health And Nutrition & Dietetic Information (MHANDi) – Collection of resources providing support for professional development, practical tips, and guidance about the intersection of mental and dietary health. Includes a series of documents detailing current evidence for nutrition needs in mental health and working with nutrition in populations with mental health difficulties.

Dietitians Australia – Professional association website that provides professional development opportunities, research papers, reports and other resources.

Nutrition Australia – Nutrition Australia is an independent, member organisation that provides nutrition information, resources, and training.

Equally Well – Initiative developed to put the health care of people living with mental illness on an equal footing with rest of the population. Developed through the National Mental Health Commission and a priority action of The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and committed to by all Australian governments.  Website includes resources for consumers, carers, professionals, and service providers.

Ask Izzy – A website/search engine with over 400,000 services listed across Australia. It’s free and anonymous. Find food services, emergency food relief and community food organisations. Ask Izzy can be used by anyone in need of help with housing, meals, money help, family violence support and much more, as well as service providers, government agencies and corporate hardship teams across Australia to help clients find support.

Food & Mood Centre – Official website for world-leading research centre established to understand the ways in which diet influences our brains, mood and mental health. Includes the Food & Mood Academy, which provides education and consultation services to support the translation of current research into practice.

Food & Mood Free Online Course: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition – A free online course for anyone interested in exploring the relationship between nutrition and brain health, why it matters, and how to work towards positive food changes.

Meals on Wheels – An organisation that provides delivered meals to over 200,000 older Australians every year across a network of over 590 service locations. This aims to support the nutrition, independence, social connection and wellbeing for individuals and communities.

A Life Plus (A+) Meals – NDIS approved meal delivery service available across most Australian states and territories. Also includes healthy recipes.

Dineamic Meals – NDIS approved meal delivery service providing affordable, healthy, and high-quality meals across most Australian states and territories.

No Money No Time – Website that provides strategies for cooking and eating healthy meals with basic equipment, a low budget and a busy life. Offers a quiz – The Healthy Eating Quiz – approved by the Dietitians Association Australia as well as various recipes, e-books, and information in accessible language.

The Shared Table – Provides a free online meal support training program to assist carers of people with eating disorders in the provision of meal support.

Crisis support

Triple Zero – 000 – Call Australia’s emergency service if you are concerned that someone is at imminent risk of harming themselves or others.

Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 – Phone and real time web-based crisis support for people under 25 years old, or their parents, carers, or schools. Website includes accessible information for key groups including Kids 5–12, Teens 13–17, Young adults 18–25, and Parents.

Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 – Provides any person experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Offers supports via call, chat, or text.

Mental health crisis lines provide immediate expert support for mental health crises. They can help you work out which services can best help yourself or someone else. This could be the doctor, a hospital emergency department, or a community mental health service. Sometimes, the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT) will be sent to you, wherever you are.

• ACT – 1800 629 354 (free) — Mental Health Triage Service
• NSW – 1800 011 511 (free) — Mental Health Line
• NT – 1800 682 288 — Northern Territory Mental Health Line
• QLD – 1300 642255 (free) — 24-hour specialist mental healthcare
• SA – 13 14 65 (free) — Mental Health Triage Service
• TAS – 1800 332 388 (free) — Mental Health Service Helpline
• VIC – go here for mental health services in your area, or call NURSE-ON-CALL 1300 60 60 24
• WA – 1800 676 822 (free) — Mental Health Emergency Response Line

Free counselling

Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 or chat to a counsellor online. Open 24/7 for everyone in Australia.

Yarning Safe’N’Strong – A national 24/7 helpline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, established by Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).

QLife – Phone and online counselling and referrals for people of diverse sex, genders, and sexualities.

The Butterfly Foundation – Offers telephone and online counselling, referral, support, psycho-education and moderated online support groups for anyone needing guidance with an eating disorder, as well as intermittently offering online practical skills courses for families supporting loved ones.

Alcohol & Drug Counselling Online – Free online counselling service where consumers can communicate with a professional counsellor about your own alcohol and drug use, or if you are concerned about a family member, relative or friend.

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand – Provides financial counselling programs and no/low interest loans to people on low incomes.

NewAccess – Developed by Beyond Blue, NewAccess is a free and confidential mental health coaching program for anyone feeling stressed or overwhelmed about everyday life issues, such as work, study, relationships, health, or loneliness. Provides assessment and up to five face-to-face or phone/video sessions with a NewAccess coach to help tackle everyday pressures.

Friends for Good – Organisation offering free conversations via phone or online chat, for those experiencing loneliness and social isolation. This is not a crisis counselling line; rather, an opportunity for friendly conversations with volunteers.

Find a clinician

Dietitians Australia – Find a Dietitian – Professional association website that provides a list of dietitians that can be searched by geographical location. Professional development opportunities, research papers, reports and other resources are also available.

Australian Psychological Society – Professional association website that provides a list of psychologists that can be searched by geographical location. Professional development opportunities, research papers and reports are also available.

Australian Physiotherapy Association – Professional association website that provides a list of physiotherapists that can be searched by geographical location. Professional development opportunities, research papers and reports are also available.

Exercise and Sports Science Australia – Professional association website that provides a list of exercise physiologists and sports scientists that can be searched by geographical location. Professional development opportunities, research papers and reports are also available.

Occupational Therapy Australia – Professional association website that provides a list of OTs that can be searched by geographical location and area of practice. Professional development opportunities, research papers and reports are also available.

Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) – Professional association website that provides a list of Credentialed Diabetes Educators, which can be searched by geographical location. Professional development opportunities, research papers and reports are also available.

National Health Services Directory (NHSD) – Provides directory information about a broad range of health services such as mental health services, general practitioners, pharmacists, emergency departments, hospitals, aged care case management, allergy and immunology, accommodation support, trauma counselling, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and more. Users can filter information by useful filters such as bulk billing clinics, urgent care, wheelchair access and videoconference availability.

Find services

Mental Health – Compass – Online resource providing contact information per region for helplines, crisis support, hospitals and psychiatric wards.

Ask Izzy – A website/search engine with over 400,000 services listed across Australia. It’s free and anonymous. Find food services, emergency food relief and community food organisations. Ask Izzy can be used by anyone in need of help with housing, meals, money help, family violence support and much more, as well as service providers, government agencies and corporate hardship teams across Australia to help clients find support.

eMHprac Digital Mental Health Resources – An e-document listing various reputable Australian institutions and organisations that provide mental health treatment programs, information, and phone and web-based support. It is catalogued into four categories (Crisis, Diagnosis, Target Group, Delivery Mode) to support easy referral for clinicians and consumers.

National Health Services Directory (NHSD) – Provides directory information about a broad range of health services such as mental health services, general practitioners, pharmacists, emergency departments, hospitals, aged care case management, allergy and immunology, accommodation support, trauma counselling, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and more. Users can filter information by useful filters such as bulk billing clinics, urgent care, wheelchair access and videoconference availability.

Self-help supports

BeyondNow – Phone application that provides a template for safety planning for those at risk of suicide. Developed by BeyondBlue.

Food & Mood Free Online Course: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition – A free online course for anyone interested in exploring the relationship between nutrition and brain health, why it matters, and how to work towards positive food changes.

Niggle – An app that helps young people track their wellbeing and find info, quizzes, videos, podcasts, and tips to help tame their “niggles” and improve their social and emotional health.

Centre for Clinical Interventions – Provides free self-help workbooks and modules for a range of mental health issues.

eCentre Clinic – Develops and tests free online treatment courses for depression, anxiety, and health conditions, for people across a range of demographics. As the eCentre Clinic is an active research centre, all programs are not always available – check the website for current programs.

E-Couch – Self-help interactive program with modules for depression, generalised anxiety and worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss and grief. It teaches evidence-based strategies drawn from cognitive behavioural and interpersonal therapies.

MindSpot Clinic – Online courses for pain, chronic health difficulties and a range of other issues. Includes assessment, courses, feedback and therapist support

Healthy Families – Provides information, knowledge and confidence for parents, guardians, and other adults to support the young people in their life while taking care of their own mental health and wellbeing.

Disorder-specific information and services

Bipolar Australia – Provides information, booklets and resources about Bipolar Disorder, including information for families and carers.

Dementia Australia – Provides information, resources, counselling (telephone and webchat) and support for people living with dementia, their families, and carers.

Eating Disorders Australia – Website providing information, resources and stories of recovery for those affected by eating disorders. Also includes the EDV Hub phone line for information, brief support and referral (to VIC-based treatment services).

Inside Out Institute for Eating Disorders – Online screening and assessment tools, as well as information and resources for individuals with eating disorders and their supports. Training, resources and information for health professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) – Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and Aboriginal Medical Services in each state and territory.

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) – Comprehensive list of Aboriginal health services in each state and territory.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet – Information about Indigenous health, including detailed overviews of specific health topics.

WellMob – Online resources to help support the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. 

Stay Strong – Therapist-guided tablet app for Indigenous clients with wellbeing concerns, chronic disease or substance misuse problems.

Yarning Safe’N’Strong – A national 24/7 helpline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, established by Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).

The National Indigenous Postvention Service – 1800 805 801 – Telephone service that provides after-suicide support 24/7 for individuals, families, and communities affected by suicide or other significant trauma.

iBobbly – A wellbeing and suicide prevention self-help app for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 15 years and older.

Kurdiji – An app being created by Australian Indigenous elders designed to save young Indigenous lives.

Supports for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health – Website including health and service information for consumers and communities and health professionals. Allows users to choose a language as they enter site. Also provides list of key mental health services in users’ pre-selected language, including crisis support directory and state-based mental health services.

National Health Services Directory (NHSD) – Provides directory information about a broad range of health services. Services can be sorted by location, group-specific criteria and more. Users can filter information by useful filters such as bulk billing clinics, urgent care, wheelchair access and videoconference availability.

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) – Offers immediate and pre-booked phone interpreting services. Immediate phone interpreting is available 24 hours per day on 13 14 50.

New Roots – An app to support and build the health and wellbeing of men from Arabic, Farsi, and Tamil-speaking backgrounds, who have recently arrived in Australia.

Supports for LGBTIQ

QLife – Phone and online counselling and referrals for people of diverse sex, genders, and sexualities.

ACON – Helps support the physical, social, and mental health of LGBTI people. Their website includes a range of helpful information, tip sheets and guides.

Ageing and elderly

My Aged Care – An Australian government initiative designed to support provision of care for the ageing and elderly. Includes resources for elderly people, carers and family, and health professionals.

Support for carers

Mental Health Carers Australia – 1300 554 660 – National advocacy group concerned with the wellbeing and promotion pf needs of families and carers supporting someone with mental ill health. The National Information and Support Line diverts callers to local professionals where available. Carers can also access online forums to seek peer support.

Eating Disorders Families Australia – An information website for families/carers of people with an eating disorder.

The Shared Table – Provides a free online meal support training program to assist carers of people with eating disorders in the provision of meal support.

Financial and resource supports

Meals on Wheels – An organisation that provides delivered meals to over 200,000 older Australians every year across a network of over 590 service locations. This aims to support the nutrition, independence, social connection and wellbeing for individuals and communities.

A Life Plus (A+) Meals – NDIS approved meal delivery service available across most Australian states and territories. Also includes healthy recipes.

Dineamic Meals – NDIS approved meal delivery service providing affordable, healthy, and high-quality meals across most Australian states and territories.

No Money No Time – Website that provides strategies for cooking and eating healthy meals with basic equipment, a low budget and a busy life. Offers a quiz – The Healthy Eating Quiz – approved by the Dietitians Association Australia as well as various recipes, e-books, and information in accessible language.

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand – Provides loans and financial services with no or low interest rates to low-income earners.  Also runs financial counselling programs that support people on low incomes to manage their finances.

Learning from lived experience

The Mental Health Literacy Responsiveness Framework – Provides a series of action areas that health and community organisations can take to be more responsive to people with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Created from ideas generated during workshops held with people with lived experience of mental health issues, their families and carers, and service providers.

Information for health professionals

Mental Health And Nutrition & Dietetic Information (MHANDi) – Collection of resources providing support for professional development, practical tips, and guidance about the intersection of mental and dietary health. Includes a series of documents detailing current evidence for nutrition needs in mental health, and working with nutrition in populations with mental health difficulties.

Nutrition Australia – Nutrition Australia is an independent, member organisation that provides nutrition information, resources, and training.

Equally Well – Initiative developed to put the health care of people living with mental illness on an equal footing with rest of the population. Developed through the National Mental Health Commission and a priority action of The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and committed to by all Australian governments. Website includes resources for consumers, carers, professionals and service providers.