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Carer services and supports
Description: Carers' organisation aimed at providing information, education and resources to support carers. Use the Carer support group directory to help find support services near you.
Type: Website and organisation
Description: An Australian Government program providing free services and support for carers.
Type: Website
Description: Peak body for mental health carers in NSW. They engage in advocacy to reflect the voices and needs of carers and drive change in the mental health system.
Type: Website and organisation
Mental Health Carers Australia
Description: National advocacy group solely concerned with the well-being and promotion of the needs of families and carers supporting someone with mental ill health.
Type: Website and advocacy group
Description: Information and support for siblings of children and adults with disability.
Type: Website
Forums
Carer Gateway – Community Forum
Description: The Carer Forum provides a safe and anonymous space to connect with other carers and to support each other.
Type: Online forum
Description: Online forums for carers who are supporting someone with a mental health problem.
Type: Online forum
Description: Lived experience, family, carer and friends’ forums run by SANE Australia.
Type: Online forum
ReachOut – Parent Discussion Forum
Description: A discussion forum for parents to share and discuss concerns, and explore ideas and options.
Type: Online forum
Self-care
ReachOut – Self-care resources
Description: A collection of self-care resources and articles.
Type: Website resources
People Share Their Self-care Routines
Description: Video where people share what self-care means to them and the kinds of activities they do.
Type: Video
THIS WAY UP – Coping and Resilience Tools
Description: Free online tools to help you cope with tough times and build resilience.
Type: Self-help tool
Mental health information
3DN's Intellectual Disability Health Education – Carers and Family courses
Description: Free online learning courses to help carers and family members learn about mental health when supporting a person with intellectual disability. They were written with advice and input from carers and aim to help carers learn about what to do if they think the person needs support.
Type: e-Learning
Description: Beyond Blue provide information about mental health and mental health problems. They also have a telephone and online counselling service for anyone experiencing mental health problems- 1300 22 4636.
Type: Information website and phone Support Service
Description: The Black Dog Institute provide mental health resources and support tools, include Healthy Mind for people with intellectual disability, to help manage mental health problems.
Type: Information website
Description: Mental health information and support for young people aged 12-25.
Type: Website
Description: Head to Health contains resources, apps, online programs, online forums and phone services that can help to support mental health.
Type: Website
WayAhead Mental Health Information Line
Description: This phone support service provides information, support and referral on issues relating to mental health generally. You can call them on 1300 794 991.
Type: Phone support service
NSW Mental Health Line
Description: You can ring the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 any time, on any day. The mental health worker will ask you questions about your mental health and what sort of help you need. They may refer you to the local mental health team or they may give you information and contact details about other services that can help you.
Type: Phone support service
Finding services
Description: The Carer Connection Helpline assists mental health carers to navigate the NSW mental health system. They can be contacted on 1300 554 660 from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.
Type: Phone Support service
Description: Information and resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of people with intellectual disability. There is a searchable directory of mental health services Australia wide.
Type: Website and directory
healthdirect Find a Health Service
Description: healthdirect has a search directory for health services in addition to clear introductory information on a range of health and mental health topics.
Type: Directory and information website
Description: Information and services to help people with disability, their family, friends and carers to find the support they need.
Type: Website
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Description: Information about the NDIS and NDIS plans.
Type: Website
Australian Psychological Society – Find a Psychologist
Description: Directory to help find a psychologist in your local area.
Type: Directory
Your Health in Mind –Find a Psychiatrist
Description: Directory to help find a psychiatrist in your local area.
Type: Directory
Decision making and guardianship
WA's Individualised Services – Supported Decision Making
Description: A website with information and resources about supported decision-making. There are Easy Read resources and templates available.
Type: Website
ADACAS Advocacy – Support My Decisions
Description: A website with information, tools and resources about supported decision-making.
Type: Website
NSW Trustee & Guardian – Supported Decision-Making and Capacity
Description: Information about what supported decision-making is and what it means to lack capacity to make decisions.
Type: Website
Description: A toolkit that aims to help in correctly identifying whether an individual has the capacity to make a decision.
Type: Toolkit
Description: Information about helping a person to plan ahead, including information about Advance Care Planning, guardianship, Power of Attorney and emergency planning.
Type: Website
Carer Gateway – Planning for the Future
Description: Information about how support networks can help a person plan for the future, including information about Advance Care Planning.
Type: Website
Rights, advocacy and complaints
Disability Advocacy Network Australia
Description: DANA is the national representative body for a network of advocacy organisations throughout Australia. You can find information about advocacy and a list of advocacy organisations.
Type: Website and organisation
People with Disability Australia – Individual Advocacy
Description: Information about how People with Disability Australia can help you find an advocate.
Type: Advocacy service
Description: Search for a self-advocacy group in your state or territory.
Type: Directory
Intellectual Disability Rights Service
Description: A free legal advocacy service for people with intellectual disability.
Type: Advocacy Service
Mental Health Advocacy Service
Description: A statewide service of Legal Aid NSW that provides free legal information and assistance relating to mental health.
Type: Advocacy service
Health Care Complaints Commission
Description: An independent body that deals with complaints about all health services and providers in NSW. Their website provides information to consumers and health care providers.
Type: Complaints service
Treatment
Stopping Over Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or Both (STOMP)
Description: STOMP is a national project in the UK providing information about stopping the over medication of people with intellectual disability, autism or both with psychotropics (medications commonly used to treat mental health disorders).
Type: Website
Description: A medication pathway that can help with ensuring people with intellectual disability, autism or both only take the medication they need safely.
Type: Tool
Your Health in Mind – Medication for Mental Illness
Description: Information from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists about medication for mental illness and how to safely obtain medication.
Type: Website
Description: An introduction to different types of psychotherapy, or talking therapies, commonly used to help treat mental health concerns.
Type: Information website
Tools
Description: Diary that can be used by carers, family, and support workers to record how a person with intellectual disability is using coping strategies they have learnt.
Type: Diary tool
Supporting the mental health assessment process – A checklist tool for disability professionals
Description: This tool outlines key considerations and actions to take to support a person with intellectual disability during the mental health assessment process. It is designed for support workers and other disability professionals to use as a checklist and planning tool.
Type: Checklist tool
Description: A resource that can be used to record the wellbeing of a person with intellectual disability and any changes that occur.
Type: Tool
Description: The Hospital Communication Book contains useful tips to improve communication, and pages of pictures that can be used to aid communication in health settings.
Type: Communication tool
Health passports
Description: People with intellectual disability can use this passport to record information about their mental health to share with health professionals.
Type: Easy Read mental health passport3
Description: A folder from the Council for Intellectual Disability designed to improve communication between a person with intellectual disability and their health care providers. It brings together information about the person's preferred communication methods, personal routines and moods.
Type: Health passport
Admission2Discharge (A2D) Together Folder
Description: A folder that brings together information about a person's health, medications, and likes and dislikes.
Type: Health Passport
Health Passports and Hospital Companion Documents
Description: Examples of different health passports that can be helpful.
Type: Website