In a ground breaking move towards more accessible and effective mental health care, Virtual Psychologist is proud to announce the launch of its free virtual mental health services. The service is funded through the WNSW PHN Ministry of Health Grant – Central West Mental Health and Wellbeing Flood Recovery Package in response to the recent floods. However, we acknowledge that the floods may be only part of the problem or may have exacerbated existing issues for people and we are here to help regardless.

Mental health support is evolving rapidly, as part of the RU OK Day campaign, the platform is now offering individuals the unique opportunity to assess their mental well-being through text-based conversations with qualified and experienced mental health practitioners with ongoing text, video, and audio services available for up to 12 months as part of the WNSW PHN funding.

Virtual Psychologist is introducing text-based mental health services along with video and audio services that allow users to engage with professionals through a medium that suits their comfort and lifestyle.

“Virtual Psychologist is not just a platform; it’s a movement toward democratizing mental health care. We believe that everyone deserves access to professional support on their own terms, and our text, video and audio-based services provide exactly that. With the generous funding from WNSW PHN and the RU OK Day campaign approaching, we are excited to extend our services to help individuals take a proactive approach to their mental well-being,” said Dervla Loughnane, CEO of Virtual Psychologist.

To participate in the RU OK Day campaign simply text or WhatsApp 0488 807 266.

Kids Helpline is seeing a significant increase in suicide related contacts requiring an urgent “duty of care” response. yourtown CEO, Tracy Adams, said Kids Helpline provided 4,608 duty of care interventions between 1 July 2022 to 30 th June 2023. 

“Of these duty of care responses, 2,000 were undertaken where young people were at immediate risk of suicide and required emergency intervention. This is higher than we have ever experienced,” Ms Adams continued. 

“A duty of care intervention is where Kids Helpline contacts police, child safety or ambulance when a child or young person is deemed to be at imminent risk,” said Ms Adams. 

“We need to take this opportunity to raise awareness of suicide and to promote action that will reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts by children and young children. “Our hope is to encourage conversations and spread awareness in an effort to prevent youth suicide,” Ms Adams continued. 

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only national 24/7 counselling and support service specifically for children and young people aged between 5 and 25 years. Free call 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelpline.com.au 

Pictured is MC and Guest Speaker Dr Norman Swan, Producer and presenter of the Health Report, Dr Norman Swan, is a multi-award winning producer and broadcaster.

Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) along with partners invites community members and professionals to the 2023 Suicide Prevention Forum in Orange NSW.

WNSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) invite community members and those with an interest in suicide prevention to come together on 12th October for the WNSW PHN Suicide Prevention Forum. The forum aims to encourage conversations, break the stigma and collaborate and learn about the future of suicide prevention in western NSW. All too often, people in marginalised or economically disadvantaged groups or those living in rural and remote areas find it difficult to access timely, appropriate and relevant support. 

Recent times have also brought on many challenges including recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, record breaking and devastating floods in the region, and more recently the cost of living crisis, there has never been a better time to get the conversation going.

WNSW PHN aim to create a space for people to connect with each other. Bringing together approximately 300 healthcare professionals, community members with an interest in suicide prevention, a number of presenters from service providers, the Western NSW Local Health District and keynote speaker and MC, Dr Norman Swan, from ABC RN’s The Health Report, the day is an opportunity to share the latest knowledge, information, hear stories of lived experience and collaborate together to identify gaps and discuss solutions.

This event is free for all attendees however spots are strictly limited. Catering will be provided on the day. Tickets are available at www.123tix.com.au/events/39686/wnsw-phn-suicide-prevention-forum-2023.