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Far West Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Service

About Us

The Far West Mental Health Drug and Alcohol (MHDA) Service provides a range of services and programs for people living in Broken Hill, Balranald, Ivanhoe, Menindee, Tibooburra, Wentworth, Wilcannia and surrounding areas. Most of the services are based in Broken Hill, with some outreach clinics in other towns.
    
Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol (MHDA) services are integrated in the Far West. This means that clinicians who work in the community provide services to consumers with mental illness and / or drug & alcohol issues. This prevents difficulties in determining responsibility for the care of individual consumers and offers clinicians a broad range of professional development and clinical opportunities.

The MHDA Service strongly supports the recovery model of care for mental health consumers.

Click on the image above for more information on MHDA services	Click on the above image for information about the Mental Health Inpatient Unit

Destination Unknown

Accessing mental health services can be confusing, stigmatising and even frightening for some people and fear of the unknown may prevent them from seeking help when they most need it.

To alleviate these types of concerns the Far West Local Health District has a new ‘wayfinding’ short film that allow service users, their families and the community to understand the pathways through mental health services and what these services look like.

“Destination Unknown” introduces the viewer to the mental health services available at the Broken Hill Hospital in its Emergency Department and Mental Health Inpatient Unit (MHIPU), the mental health services in Primary Health and the Far West Mental Health Recovery Centre. CLICK ON the film below to watch “Destination Unknown”.

Gratitude and your wellbeing

Gratitude is an emotion that involves noticing and appreciating the positive aspects of life. Grateful people are generally happier, healthier and deal better with stress.

To get the benefits of gratitude, try ruminating on the positive. You can practice gratitude by setting yourself a challenge. For one month, think of three things every day that you’re grateful for.

It can be a little thing, like just waking up in the morning or feeling relief from the heat. It doesn’t matter what you’re grateful for, practicing it helps your well-being and also makes things better for the people around you.

Try using the Gratitude Journal, work on it every day for a month, and see how you feel once it’s finished.

Partnerships

Our partner organisations are an important part of mental health and drug & alcohol care in the Far West. Our main partners are:

Neami National operates our Far West Mental Health Recovery Centre on the Broken Hill Health Service campus.

Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation provides holistic care, including care for mental health and drug & alcohol issues, to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Far West.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides mental health and drug & alcohol outreach to remote communities.

Far West NSW Medicare Local and Lower Murray Medicare Local operate mental health programs throughout Far West Local Health District.  

The Broken Hill Department of Rural Health (URDH), University of Sydney supports mental health research and health students doing mental health placements in the Far West.  

Mission Australia and Richmond PRA provide services under the HASI program to people living with a mental illness in Broken Hill.  

CentaCare is our partner in the Family and Carer Mental Health Program.

Clinical Placements

For undergraduate or graduate entry students interested in securing a clinical placement at Broken Hill Health Service or any health service within Far West LHD, please contact the BHUDRH Reception on 08 8080 1200.