Head to Health

Head to Health

Overview

Head to Health is a free mental health service funded by the Commonwealth Government, for people who are experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Anyone can access Head to Health and a GP referral is not required.

Head to Health can help you navigate mental health, suicide prevention service and alcohol and other drug services.

Call 1800 595 212  - Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 5pm (except public holidays)

When you call a trained mental health professional will talk to you and help direct you to an appropriate service. 

This is not a crisis service. If you need immediate help or are at risk of harm to yourself or others call 000.

For urgent support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or SuicideLine 1300 651 251.

Services are free and provide mental health support delivered by trained teams of mental health professionals.

Head to Health Truck Curtain Launch

In the velvety darkness of an outback night, they are often heard but not seen, as they rumble through our small outback towns, delivering the necessities of life for isolated residents across thousands of kilometres of our vast Australian interior.

Come daylight it’s a different story - you can see them coming from a mile away, especially the big, triple-trailer set ups - 50 metres long, more than 4 metres high with plenty of horsepower hauling all manner of goods from fencing wire to fridges.

But this road train is different and it’s a first for the transport industry, as the prime-mover “Western Star” with driver Brian Clothier at the helm embarked on a 3400km journey from Toowoomba to Darwin, carrying a payload that for some, might be a lifesaver.

---

---

“We got involved with this initiative because we employ over 700 people and the majority of those people work in remote, isolated conditions that can be trying at times for them,” Neil Mansell’s Transport (NMT) Director Robert Mansell said.

“They spend days, if not weeks on end just living in their truck, very isolated, and that can have an effect on some people’s mental health.”

“Our industry is renowned to be a tough industry which it is, and it employs tough people, and those people don't really ask for help when they need it, so we're trying to get the message out there that there's help available for them.”

The Neil Mansell Group have been in the transport industry for more than 40 years, but this is the first time they have partnered with a health organisation looking to spread an important message about mental health for rural and remote residents. It all started with a meeting at RHealth headquarters in Toowoomba, where the idea for a massive, mobile “billboard” was first put forward.

“One of our staff member’s Kerry Osborne, who has connections in the trucking industry, came up with the idea of advertising our new Western Queensland Head to Health service on the side of truck trailers,” RHealth General Manger Michelle Sieders said.

“The thing that surprised me the most was what we thought a cool idea in our office was also enthusiastically supported by industry people at Neil Mansell’s Transport, and that’s the real reason it actually came together.”

“It's so amazing to have this opportunity to promote such a valuable service in a really unique way and we really feel like this is going to get people talking.”

“TV and the internet can be patchy in the bush, so this is just a new way of getting the message out there on these massive truck trailers,” Michelle said.

The truck curtain “billboards” will carry details of the new Western Queensland Head to Health service, designed to help outback residents find the mental health support they need either locally or via telehealth. The Head to Health service is also available Australia wide. Tragically, the statistics don’t favour outback residents or truckies when it comes to mental health.

“Very remote residents are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than city-dwellers, with one in two workers in the transport industry reporting some level of psychological distress, compared to an average of 1 in 3 for working age Australian men,” reveals Western Queensland Primary Health Network Manager Deb Spanner.

“This is a great way to get the message out there that bush residents are supported, and that they have options available to them via this free, confidential service that they can call anytime, anywhere.”

The Head to Health trailers’ maiden journey to Darwin is just the beginning of a long haul commitment for NMT, as the trailers are folded into their regular services from the East Coast of Australia, deep into the Northern Territory and beyond.

“We are really happy to be supporting RHealth to bring this tautliner design to life,” said Attard’s State Manager Josh Furlong, whose company printed the new truck curtains.

“We helped RHealth all the way along to design it, to manufacture it, and we're really happy to support such a great cause.”

Head to Health Podcast

Listen to inspirational stories from the outback in this new series Need A Lift Mate. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. How to contact Head to Health services

  Anyone can contact Head to Health by calling 1800 595 212, Monday to Friday, 8.30am-5pm. A trained mental health professional will ask you a range of questions to ensure your needs are appropriately identified, and from there they can direct you to the right service.

  There is no after-hours or emergency mental health advice or support. In case of emergency, call 000. For urgent support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or SuicideLine 1300 651 251. 

• q. who can contact head to health?

  Head to Health is for all people. It is for anyone of any age, including children, young people and older adults, whose mental health is suffering.

• q. who can refer to head to health services?

  Anyone can refer to Head to Health. Support/services are accessible to everyone, at no cost. A Medicare card, ID or Mental Health Care Plan is not required. The team at Head to Health intake are clinicians who use the Initial Assessment Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) to make an assessment and refer people into the appropriate type of service, with their consent.

• q. how much are head to health services?

  There is no cost for using the Head to Health central 1800 595 212 intake, advice and referral service. However, if we believe you will benefit from support from another provider, where possible, we will ensure this is also a free or low-cost service.

• Q. how is Head to Health different from other mental health support services?
  

  Sometimes finding the support you need can seem overwhelming. Rather than jumping straight into a service that might not suit you, it can be helpful to talk to someone who can guide you to the right service for you. Staff on the 1800 number are trained clinicians and are like tour guides for the mental health world – they know which care options are out there, so they can help you find the best solution.       

For more information, visit the Head to Health website.