Access & Referral

Health workers/clinicians please note: 

Due to increased call volume and referral complexity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the SEMPHN Access & Referral team is currently experiencing delays of up to 7 business days in responding to Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug referrals and enquiries.

If you have not heard from us within 7 business days of sending a referral, or sooner if you have left a telephone message, please call us on 1800 862 363 so we can follow up your enquiry.

Thank you for your patience at this time.

If you are unable to fax a referral, please click here to securely upload the referral document instead. 

Community members:

If you are looking for support or caring for someone who may need support, please call us on 1800 862 363, 8.30am-4.30 pm Monday to Friday.

Contact Access & Referral

Contact A&R to make a referral, to discuss eligibility or to find services within an area.

Telephone: 1800 862 363 (8.30am-4.30pm weekdays)
Fax: 1300 354 053
Securely upload a referral form: click here

SEMPHN Access & Referral does not provide after-hours or emergency advice or support. In case of emergency, call 000. 
Consent is needed for clients to receive services.

About SEMPHN Access & Referral

Team members of SEMPHN’s Access & Referral (A&R) service have a range of qualifications and experiences in relation to mental health, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), youth and other community and health areas within our local community.

Their role is to work with members of the community, including the providers of services, consumers and others who may care for anyone within our community.

A&R provide up-to-date access, information and support primarily to mental health and AOD services, but the team also have knowledge of local community and health supports.
Referrals can be made via A&R to the SEMPHN-funded commissioned services, which provide support to hard-to-reach and low-income groups within our communities.

Refer to SEMPHN-funded commissioned services

Connect - Low Intensity Service for adults
Connect offers a range of peer support programs for adults with or at risk of a mild mental illness.

For more information, click here.

Accessible Psychological Services (API)
Short-term, goal-focused, psychological interventions for consumers with a mild to moderate mental health illness.

For more information, click here.

Mental health video consultations
An alternative opportunity for Accessible Psychological Intervention (API) as face-to-face counselling, this service is via a secure online platform. After referral, the consumer accesses an app via their smartphone to receive professional psychological interventions through video consultations with API providers.

For more information, click here.

Residential Aged Care Facilities-psychological support services (RACF)
Goal-focused psychological interventions that are provided in-reach to residents with low to mild symptoms of mental illness within specific RACFs.

For more information click here.

Mental Health Integrated Complex Care (MHICC)
This program offers support to consumers with a severe mental illness and complex needs who would benefit from care coordination over an extended period of time, approximately 6–12 months.

For more information click here.

BounceBack
A youth mental health service that provides support to young people aged 12-25 experiencing or at risk of, severe and complex mental health difficulties. The service includes case management, care coordination and psychological therapy to young people and their families.
The program operates from the local government areas of Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Frankston, Casey, Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula.

For more information click here.

National Psychosocial Supports

Provides psychosocial support services to consumers who are currently unable to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and who are significantly affected by a severe mental illness. These psychosocial supports are specialised and time limited.

For more information click here.

ResetLife
Evidence-based, alcohol and other drug (AOD), intensive, outpatient-treatment program. It involves 16 weeks of structured treatment, followed by 36 weeks of continuing care. This program is provided within the local government areas of Port Phillip and Frankston.

For more information click here.

Please note: To refer to the ResetLife Youth program, contact Task Force on 9532 0811.

Referral forms

If you are unable to fax a referral, please click here to securely upload the referral document instead. 

• Accessible Psychological Interventions (API), Mental Health Integrated Complex Care (MHICC), BounceBack and Connect
  • Referral forms for faxing
    • 1. In order for the PDFs to remain writable please access them via Google Chrome
      2. Right click on link and select Save Target As.
      3. Select a location on hard drive (which you can find later, such as the desktop) and save.
    • Forms for GPs
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Child
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adolescent
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adult
    • Forms for other professionals
      • Referral Form - Child
      • Referral Form - Adolescent
      • Referral Form - Adult
  • Best Practice
    • 1. Open a New Letter and from Templates menu select Import Templates
      2. Locate downloaded file and open
      3. From File menu select Save as. Type an appropriate Template name and click on Save.
    • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Child
    • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adolescent
    • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adult
  • ZedMed
    • 1. Click on Tools > Clinical WP Setup > WP Templates
      2. File > Import Template
      3. Find the file where you saved it and highlight it and then click Open
      4. Enter the template name into the Description. Click on OK.
    • Templates
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Child
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adolescent
      • Referral Form and GP MH Treatment Plan - Adult
  • Medical Director
    • 1. Open Medical Director and then LetterWriter
      2. File menu > Select Modify Template > Select Black template
      3. File > Select Import - locate downloaded file and click on Open
      4. File > Select Save as template - type in an appropriate name and click on Save
    • Templates
      • Referral form GP MH Treatment Plan - Child
      • Referral form GP MH Treatment Plan - Adolescent
      • Referral form GP MH Treatment Plan - Adult
• Psychosocial Support