Mental health support and services

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, remember you are not alone, and help is available. Seeking support is a sign of strength. There are people ready to listen and help. If you're unsure where to start, call one of the services below or speak to a trusted person.

Navigating mental health support in South Australia

• See a GP: Your GP can provide advice, mental health plans, and referrals to specialists.
• Self-referral and community-based programs offer free or low-cost support, including peer-led and culturally specific services. Referrals are not always required. Refer to their websites for more information.

The resources listed below in alphabetical order are just a few services that are available. More will be added over time.

Immediate crisis support

If you need urgent mental health assistance, please reach out to any of these services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• If it is an emergency, call 000
• SA Mental Health Triage Service: Call 13 14 65
• Suicide Call Back Service: Call 1300 659 467 or visit www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
• Urgent Mental Health Care Centre: Walk-in at 215 Grenfell St, Adelaide, or visit www.umhcc.org.au
• 13YARN: Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Call 13 92 76
• Doctors on Demand: Immediate online mental health support at a cost of around $20 after Medicare rebates. Book online: doctorsondemand.com.au
• Kids Helpline: Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Call 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelpline.com.au
• Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au
• Open Arms: Offering mental health and wellbeing support to anyone who has served at least one day of continuous fulltime service in the ADF and their immediate families. Call 1800 011 046 or visit www.openarms.gov.au

Non-urgent, community-based and/or peer-led mental health support

If you are looking for support but are not in immediate crisis, these services can help:

• Beyond Blue: For 24/7 mental health support for all Australians. Call 1300 22 4636 or visit www.beyondblue.org.au
• Carers SA: Support for those caring for a loved one with mental health challenges. Call 08 8291 5600 or visit www.carerssa.com.au
• Headspace: A youth-focused mental health support for ages 12-25. Call 1800 063 267 or visit www.headspace.org.au
• LETSS (Lived Experience Telephone Support Service): 365 days a year from 5pm until 11:30pm for people living in the Adelaide metropolitan area. Call 1800 013 755 or visit www.letss.org.au
• Medicare Mental Health (formerly Head to Health): A free mental health support for people in distress. No referral needed. Call 1800 595 212 or www.medicarementalhealth.gov.au
• MensLine Australia: A free telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men anywhere, anytime. Call 1300 78 99 78 or visit www.mensline.org.au
• Qlife: An anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support. Call 1800 184 527 (3pm-midnight every day) or visit www.qlife.org.au
• Safe Haven - Sonder: A drop-in support with lived experience peer workers. Open Tuesday to Friday, 5pm – 9pm. Visit www.sonder.net.au
• Sane Digital Peer Support: A service for anyone dealing with mental health concerns, connecting you with someone who really gets it. Visit www.sane.org/peer-support
• For complaints regarding health and care, contact the Office of the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner on (08) 8226 8666 during business hours.

AI-powered mental health navigation

If you're into AI, check out this free ChatGPT mental health support navigation tool from the SA Commissioner for Mental Health's Office. All you need is a ChatGPT account to access it. Click here to access it.

Disclaimer: This tool is a pilot and still in its testing phase. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need urgent support, please contact a crisis service or refer to the services listed above.

Use of this tool requires a ChatGPT account and is subject to OpenAI’s terms and privacy policy. The Commissioner's Office does not store or access ChatGPT conversations.

Join the Commissioner's mailing list

If you would like to join the Mental Health Commissioner's mailing list to receive the very occasional email, please click on this link, which will open a new page. Your contact details will not be associated with this Resources page.