Whether you are suffering with significant distress, or are supporting a loved one there are 24/7 services and support lines available both locally and nationally. We have listed some resources, useful links, numbers and websites for you below. They can be a helpful adjunct to therapy or people to lean on when you are waiting for someone in our team.
| Organisation | Purpose | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Suicide Call Back Service | Phone and online counselling for people at risk of suicide or those bereaved by suicide. 24/7 | 1300 659 467 |
| Lifeline Crisis Support | Phone and real time online crisis support. 24/7 | 13 11 14 |
| Head to Health | A huge government resource that includes free counselling for both individuals and those who are supporting loved ones with mental health difficulties. | |
| Beyond Blue | Suicide safety planning to support people experiencing suicidal thoughts or who are going into crisis. | 1300 22 4636 |
| Kids Helpline | Phone and real time web-based crisis support | 1800 55 1800 |
| 1800 Respect | Telephone and online counselling to assist people experiencing sexual, domestic, and family violence | 1800 737 732 |
| MensLine Australia | Telephone and online counselling for men experiencing family and relationship concerns | 1300 78 99 78 |
Other Helpful Resources & Useful Links
There are also a number of really helpful online resources available for individuals, families and support people. They often include self-help worksheets and resources. Feel free to explore some of the links below.
The BRAVE Program is an online program for the treatment of anxiety in young people. It was developed by a team of researchers from the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the University of Southern Queensland, and has been specifically designed to teach young people the skills they need to reduce anxiety and to cope with stressful situations.
The BRAVE Program is based on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and has been running in Australia for over 13 years. Therapy techniques used in this program include: relaxation training, identification of emotions and thoughts, positive self-talk, coping skills, problem solving and graded exposure.
The BRAVE program was converted into a self-directed therapy program (BRAVE Self-Help), which is now freely available to all Australian young people, aged 8-17 years old, and their parents. The program is suitable for all types of anxiety. There are four different programs available: one for children aged 8-12 years, one for teenagers aged 12-17 years, and one for parents of children and teenagers of these age groups, respectively.
Mental health resources and support tools that you can trust knowing that everything they produce is research-informed and recommended by professionals.
The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed for use by patients and their behavioral health providers as an accessory to treatment. The VHB contains simple tools to help patients with coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking. Patients and providers can work together to personalize the VHB content on the patient’s own smartphone according to the patient’s specific needs. The patient can then use the VHB away from clinic, continuing to add or change content as needed.
Patients can use the VHB to store a variety of rich multimedia content that they find personally supportive in times of need. For example, a patient can include family photos, videos and recorded messages from loved ones, inspirational quotes, music they find especially soothing, reminders of previous successes, positive life experiences and future aspirations, and affirmations of their worth in their VHB. A patient can also collaborate with their provider to create coping cards to use in response to personal problem areas they experience. Finally, the VHB provides the patient with positive activity planning, distraction tools, and interactive relaxation exercises including guided imagery, controlled breathing and muscle relaxation.
