For people experiencing mental health challenges, knowing where to turn for help can sometimes be the biggest hurdle.

But in Mount Gambier, a free walk-in service is making that first step easier, providing immediate support and connecting people with the care they need.

The Mount Gambier Medicare Mental Health Centre is helping to bridge a critical gap in mental health services, offering early intervention and support without the need for appointments, referrals or lengthy waiting periods.

Clinical Lead and Educator Sandi Seymour said the service was developed in response to growing concerns about the time people were waiting to access mental health support.

Around 2019, national research identified significant gaps in early intervention services, with people sometimes waiting months between initially seeking help and receiving appropriate treatment.

“By the time people got to see a GP, and here that could be six to eight weeks, and then they got a mental health treatment plan and then they got access to a counsellor, it could be between six and 12 months before they would see somebody,” Ms Seymour said.

“What the research showed is people’s mental health really deteriorated over that time.”

The Medicare Mental Health Centre model was designed to change that experience, providing an accessible first point of contact for people experiencing mental health distress.

The Mount Gambier centre, which opened three years ago, was the first of its kind in regional South Australia.

Provided by FocusOne Health the centre operates from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, providing a combination of peer and clinical support, with services tailored to each individual’s circumstances.

Ms Seymour said one of the most important features was the welcoming environment created by the centre’s peer workers, who bring their own lived experience of mental health challenges to their roles.

“Anybody can walk in the door, they’re greeted by a peer worker,” she said.

“A peer worker is someone that has lived experience of mental health issues.”

For some visitors, a conversation with a peer worker is all they need.

Others may benefit from additional clinical support, particularly when dealing with relationship breakdowns, employment difficulties, domestic violence, trauma or other challenging life circumstances.

Importantly, the centre is not designed to replace existing mental health services or provide long-term therapy.

Instead, its role is to help people navigate what can often be a complicated system and connect them with the most appropriate ongoing support.

That may include referrals to local practitioners, telehealth services, other clinicians or specialist organisations.

The centre also works closely with other health and community organisations, including drug and alcohol services, domestic violence support services and the hospital’s mental health team.

Ms Seymour said people requiring more intensive or urgent psychiatric care could be assessed and supported to access appropriate hospital-based services.

A key principle underpinning the centre’s approach is ensuring individuals remain involved in decisions about their own care.

“There’s lots of different pathways that people will put people in contact with and it really depends on what they choose out of a suite of options that we give them,” she said.

“So, at all times the person really is in charge of what they want to do around managing their mental health journey.”

The centre’s team includes peer workers and clinicians, with additional clinical staff expected to join the service.

Alongside individual support, Ms Seymour is involved in community education, including the development of Let’s Talk programs covering a range of mental health topics.

Online resources are also available through Medicare Mental Health, including supported courses addressing issues such as social anxiety and sleep difficulties.

All services provided by the Mount Gambier Medicare Mental Health Centre are free – funded by Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN program.

Ms Seymour said the message for the community was simple – help is available, and people do not need to wait until their mental health deteriorates before reaching out.

HERE TO HELP: The Mount Gambier Medicare Mental Health Centre’s Sandi Seymour, Tori Ghezzi and Steve Van Den Hoogen provide immediate support and connect people with the care they need.