Mental health services in Nepean Blue Mountains

Our Access teams based at Penrith and Katoomba provide care across the Nepean, Blue Mountains and Lithgow areas. You can contact them to discuss any immediate mental health concerns.

The teams provide assessment and short-term support options, and referral to appropriate community-based services for ongoing care.

Call 1800 011 511 any time to connect with this service.

Adults

Our Adult Community Mental Health teams are based in Katoomba, Lithgow, Penrith, Springwood, St Marys and Windsor.

They are staffed by mental health clinicians and case managers from a range of professional backgrounds including nursing, social work, psychology and occupational therapy.

The assistance they provide will depend on a person’s mental health needs, goals and individual circumstances. It may include support with social and relationship skills, physical health, self-care management, housing, education and employment goals.

Our teams can also work closely with a person’s family and their existing support networks.

When you contact our service, we will ask for information about you in order to better understand your situation and to determine what service is the most appropriate for your care needs.

Child, youth and family

Child, Youth and Family Mental Health provides services and supports to children, young people and their families or carers living in the Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Lithgow local government areas.

Child, Youth and Family Mental Health Services takes a collaborative approach to mental health care. Teams work together and consult with each other on a regular basis. A child, young person or family’s care team may consist of people from one or more of the following disciplines: psychiatry, psychology, social work, occupational therapy, family therapy and specialist nursing.

Services are delivered by community-based teams providing centre-based appointments and home visiting. Services are also provided at Nepean Hospital through consultation liaison services and outpatient clinics.

Virtual care (telehealth) appointments are also offered. Find out more about Virtual care in Nepean Blue Mountains.

Our Child, Youth and Family Mental Health Services are:

• Perinatal Infant Mental Health Service (PIMHS) and Safe Start Coordinator.
• Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS).
• Whole Family Team (WFT).

Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS)

Our Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS, pronounced “Kims”) assists children and young people aged 5 to 17 with moderate to severe or complex mental health problems.

Mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions are provided using a team approach to ensure the needs of the child or young person and their family or carers are addressed.

Interventions may consist of individual, family and/or group therapy. This can occur at the CYMHS office in Penrith, or at local community health centres. Staff are also available for home or school visits.

CYMHS has a specialist who provides educational and vocational support. CYMHS collaborates with schools through the School-Link and Got It programs. Find out more about these state-wide Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) - Mental health (nsw.gov.au).

The Early Psychosis Intervention Team provides services for young people aged 12 to 24 years.

CYMHS is based at 606 High St, Penrith, in the same building as headspace.

For referral contact the Mental Health Line 1800 011 511.

Whole Family Team (WFT)

The WFT is a team of mental health and drug and alcohol clinicians who work with families when a parent or carer has a mental health or drug and alcohol issue that is impacting on their child’s wellbeing.

The team works with families in a place that is most comfortable for them, which is often their home, or a local community health centre to help them be the best parent or carer they can be. WFT generally work with families for up to 12 months.

Families are referred to the Whole Family Team by the Department of Communities and Justice. They also work closely with other services that may be involved in a family’s welfare.

Caseworkers can refer families by calling us on (02) 4734 4464.

Pregnancy support

NSW Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services (PIMHS) is a free, state-wide mental health service that makes specialist services available to women with severe and complex mental illness during pregnancy.

In Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, PIMHS offers coordinated care for the mother’s mental health needs during pregnancy through:

• hospital in-reach
• community follow-up of mothers identified as vulnerable through the Safe Start pathway
• psychiatric review through the STAR antenatal outpatient clinic
• consultation to other teams and service providers caring for women during pregnancy and early parenthood.

Our staff are trained to identify women who may need extra services and supports through the Safe Start pathway when they book into the Birth Unit. Women may also be linked into PIMHS by their health care provider through the adult mental health service.

Read more about Pregnancy, birth and baby services in Nepean Blue Mountains.

In addition to our Child, Youth and Family Mental Health services, a range of other services and resources are available to support children and young people.

Child and family counselling 

Child and family counsellors are available at 7 of our community health centres.

They can help you work through issues or concerns, including child anxiety, behavioural issues and depression. They also run group programs for parents and children to help address particular issues or challenges.

Call 1800 222 608 for details.

Headspace

Headspace provides mental health services for 12 to 25 year olds.

Penrith headspace offers online and in-person mental health, physical health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug services.

Visit Penrith headspace or call (02) 4720 8800.

Inpatient units

We provide inpatient mental health services for people experiencing acute mental health issues at Nepean Hospital and Blue Mountains Hospital.

Admission can be voluntary, or involuntary under the NSW Mental Health Act.

Admission can be through the Emergency Department at a hospital, through the Nepean Mental Health Triage and Assessment Centre, or by calling the Mental Health Line 1800 011 511.

Disaster recovery (bushfire and COVID-19)

Nepean Blue Mountains LHD has 2 disaster recovery mental health specialists, to support individuals and communities affected by natural disasters including bushfire and flooding. Find out more about Mental health disaster recovery.

People seeking urgent mental health care at Nepean Hospital can get help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at our dedicated triage and assessment centre, rather than going to the hospital's emergency department. Find out more about the Triage and Assessment Centre.

The NSW Family and Carer Mental Health Program is a statewide program funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.

In Nepean Blue Mountains the program is delivered by Uniting and provides:

• individual support for family members and carers
• workshops and education to help family members and carers learn about mental health problems, how they can support the person they care about, and how to look after their own wellbeing.
• support groups for carers to connect, share and learn together.

For details, call (02) 8880 8160 or email fcmhinfonbm@uniting.org.

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government program providing free services and support for carers.

In Nepean Blue Mountains, Carer Gateway services including support and counselling for carers are provided by Wellways.

Find out more about Wellways or call them on 1800 422 737.

Carers NSW provides a range of services for family members and carers of people experiencing mental illness, including an online education program and a support program for young people who are carers.

Call the Carer Line 1800 242 636 for information, emotional support and referrals to other organisations.

Find out more at Carers NSW.