Strong Minds Western NSW

Strong Minds Western NSW is an evidence based, short-term counselling service offering up to 12 free psychological consultations for people with mental health difficulties.

Strong Minds delivers focused psychological services for people with diagnosable mild to moderate mental health difficulties. This service focuses on supporting individuals through recovery to wellness and is responsive and personalised for your needs and goals.

Mental health services are delivered by trained and experienced clinicians. Sessions are offered in person, via phone or via telehealth, dependent on availability in different locations.

Strong Minds Western NSW can assist those:

From rural, remote and under-serviced areas
Experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness
Experiencing perinatal depression
From culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
Designated high need population groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people at risk of suicide, but not acutely suicidal, and young people
Children under 12 (subject to clinician availability) – please call the Strong Minds Intake Line (02 6826 5271) for further information

How do I access Strong Minds Western NSW?

This service is available in towns throughout the Central, North, South and Far West of NSW.

Call the Strong Minds Western NSW Intake Line 02 6826 5271 for up-to-date service provider and town listings.

To access this service:

Ask your GP for a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Ask your GP to complete a referral form, listed below, and have them send this and the Mental Health Treatment Plan to the Marathon Health Centralised Intake secure email mental.health@marathonhealth.com.au.
In rural and remote areas of Far West NSW where GP access is limited, you may be eligible to receive up to three consultations prior to obtaining your MHTP, through a referral from a Community Health Worker. Further sessions are only available with MHTP from a GP. Check in with your local health service or contact us to check eligibility.
For Children under 12 years a Child Treatment Plan can be completed in place of a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Child referrals must be signed and consented to by a parent or carer.

Once a referral has been assessed and accepted, a Strong Minds Western NSW clinician will contact you to commence sessions. Your referrer will be notified of acceptance (or otherwise) and provided with your clinician’s details.

Operating hours

Strong Minds Western NSW operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding Public holidays). The secure email is not monitored out of office hours.

This is NOT a crisis service – for help in a crisis situation, call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 or if a life is in danger, call triple zero immediately.

Cancellation policy

Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel an appointment. Failure to provide at least 24 hours’ notice; or failing to attend a session without providing notice, will result in one of your sessions being forfeited.