NSW Gov Link NSW Health Far West Local Health District



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Services

Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Emergency Contacts

  1. Mental Health Information and Support Service: 1800 011 511
     
  2. Drug and Alcohol Helpline: 1300 887 000
     
  3. NSW Drug and Alcohol Specialist Advisory Service (DASAS) Health Professionals: 1800 023 687
     
  4. Alcohol and Drug Information Service: 1800 422 599

 

 Far West LHD MHDA Services – Information Book 

This guide provides information for those accessing Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol (MHDA) Services in the Far West Local Health District. It was developed by consumers, carers and staff who are aware of the difficulties faced by those accessing services. Reaching out for assistance isn't easy; it can also be overwhelming and frightening, especially when you are in distress and your loved ones are experiencing it for the first time. It is our hope that this guide will help make this a little easier by explaining what services are available through MHDA, how to contact them, what the response should be, and what you can do if this doesn't happen.


Broken Hill Health Service

As Broken Hill is the largest population centre in the Far West, most services for the region are located in the Silver City.

  1. Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit (MHIPU) – Broken Hill Health Service - 08 8080 1547
    This is a 6 bed inpatient ward (2 x 2 bed rooms + 2 x single bedrooms) that provides short term care for people in the acute stages of mental illness from across the Local Health District (LHD). It is staffed by two Registered Nurses per shift. The MHIPU is a declared facility under the NSW Mental Health Act (2007), meaning it can accept both voluntary and involuntary patients.
     
  2. Far West Mental Health Recovery Centre – 08 8080 1365
    The Mental Health Recovery Centre is a 10 bed unit designed to help people recover from conditions that affect their mental health. This unit is not declared under the NSW Mental Health Act, so cannot accept involuntary inpatients.

    The Recovery Centre is operated by Neami National, a Community Managered Organisation (CMO) in partnership with the Far West MHDA Service. Staff will work with guests of the unit to encourage self sufficiency and community participation.

    Community Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol (MHDA) Teams
     

  3. There are two Community Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Teams in the Far West. These are located in Broken Hill and Dareton. Clinicians in both teams provide a range of services to people with both mental health and drug & alcohol issues. They offer assessment, case management, psycho-education and a range of therapies.

    Both teams provide weekly mental health and drug & alcohol outreach clinics in neighbouring communities; the Broken Hill team supports Menindee and Wilcannia and the Dareton team supports Balranald.
     
  4. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) – 08 8082 6111
    The CAMHS team provides assessments, referrals, support and case management to children and young people who are experiencing mental health issues. It also plays a significant role in supporting families. 
     
  5. Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) – 08 8088 7199
    MERIT is a flexible 12 week program available to people facing court charges and struggling with drug and alcohol issues. MERIT helps people gain control over their substance use and to aims to prevent subsequent court appearances. It is a voluntary program and participants can refer themselves or be referred by the police, a lawyer, magistrate or other service.