A Carer Consultant is a person who previously or currently cares for a person with a mental illness.
The Carer Consultant’s understanding of the needs of families derives from their lived experience. This experiential knowledge complements the professional knowledge of the clinician, and is a vital component of support for families. The role will represent the broad range of carer views in a professional manner.
A Carer Consultant can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7612.
Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) provides mental health consultations to any of the acute and sub-acute bed based units in Bendigo Health. It also includes a service to the Peter MacCallum Clinic.
The CLP staff include a Consultant Psychiatrist, Medical Staff and Mental Health Clinicians.
The program is provided seven days a week (9-5) with after hours and weekend service backup from the mental health service duty roster.
CLP is able to conduct consultations via the phone or in person and can provide information, assessment, or management recommendations for current inpatients with perceived mental health issues. Where appropriate, CLP will facilitate a formal referral to mental health services. These referrals can be inclusive of patient/clients who may be an inpatient admission or need a community based follow-up.
CLP works collaboratively with the Clinical Liaison Nurse – Behavioural Disturbance. That role is employed under Acute Health Nursing Access and Demand Services.
CLP also provides medical coverage to acute and sub-acute units when Mental Health inpatients require transfer for treatment in such settings.
Referrals are made directly to Consultation Liaison (CLP) Ph: 5454 7648.
A Consumer Consultant is a person who has been a patient of mental health services and now acts as a consumer/patient representative across the mental health service. The consultant works in conjunction with consumers, the Consumer Participation Group (CPG), community visitors, advocacy groups and staff to enhance service delivery.
The consumer consultant can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7612.
Dual Diagnosis is when a person is affected by both mental illness and the use of alcohol or drugs.
A Dual Diagnosis Clinician is available to support and assist people who would like to reduce or stop the use of substances. This position is available from Monday to Friday and can be accessed via referral directly or through staff on the inpatient units.
To contact the Dual Diagnosis Clinician please call Ph: 03 5454 7765 or 03 5454 7612.
The FaPMI Strategy has three broad objectives which are: To increase the capacity of specialist mental health services (clinical and community mental health support services), to provide a family focused response of the broader service network to recognize and respond appropriately to parental mental illness and lastly in partnership with consumers and carers strengthen the capacity of the service systems to support the needs of all family members.
The FaPMI coordinators are available for secondary consultation, about specific families or interagency issues for Bendigo Health Mental Health Service Clinicians as well as other service providers.
FaPMI MHPDU can be contacted on Ph: 5454 7612.
The Forensic Clinical Specialist Program is coordinated between Mental Health Services and Forensicare with the focus of building capacity through: Clinical Consultation, education/training, service development, partnership and networking.
The program can be accessed via the Forensic Specialist Clinician located at Mental Health Services John Bomford Centre, Bendigo.
Referrals are often direct and can be via certain committees the position is represented on.
This role can be contacted on Ph: 5440 6500
The Family and Carer Project Worker provides carers with support, information and education in many ways individual emotional support, regular support groups, workshops, a bi-annual carer conference, respite activities, linking carers in with support services within their local community and carer specific booklets and brochures.
Kids with Confidence and Family and Carer Project Worker can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7612
Mental Health Services recognises and values your spiritual wellbeing as an important part of your recovery and ongoing mental wellness.
Pastoral or spiritual care includes your spiritual, emotional, cultural and religious needs and is available to patients, families and carers engaged with in all settings.
If you would like to speak with or receive a visit from the Mental Health Spiritual Care Practitioner, please speak to any Bendigo Health staff member or contact:
Bendigo Hospital
General enquiries
Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5pm
Ph: 03 5454 6000
Mental Health Services employs Post Discharge Peer Support Workers. Peer support workers are people with lived experience of a mental illness. The workers use this experience to support other patients and foster hope.
The peer support workers are a part of the Adult and Youth community clinical teams in Bendigo. A key part of their work is focused on supporting people who have recently been in hospital.
They can be contacted on Ph: 03 5440 6500 Adult or 03 5454 7753.
The Reducing Restrictive Interventions (RRI) Project commenced at Bendigo Health to reduce, and where possible eliminate, restrictive interventions in the Mental Health Services and emergency department. The RRI Coordinator for Bendigo Health is responsible for the review of current restrictive practices within the inpatient units of Mental Health Services and the Emergency Department (ED). In an effort to make continuous improvement in the reduction of restrictive interventions, the effective use of data and feedback to identify areas of strength and reflection is used.
The RRI coordinator can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7765.
The Specialist Family Violence Advisor in Mental Health role was created to strengthen the capacity of mental health staff and services to recognise and respond to family violence and promote partnership approaches between mental health, alcohol and other drug and specialist family violence services.
The Specialist Family Violence Advisor role leads processes and system changes within mental health services to meet the obligations of the new legislative schemes and risk management framework.
The Specialist Family Violence Advisor can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7612
The Perinatal Emotional Health Program (PEHP) was established in 2010 to respond to the needs of this group of families with prevention and early intervention initiatives clearly identified as effective in reducing the burden of illness and prevent the onset of illness.
The program will encompass a range of interventions including psychological treatments, attachment based therapies, parenting education and skill development, emotional support and family therapy.
All PEHP referrals will be taken through the Regional Triage Service. Referrals that are not accepted will be directed to alternative appropriate services.
Contact can be made via Mental Health Regional Triage on Ph: 1300 363 788
This position is an initiative of Mental Health Services to help support clients to reduce or cease tobacco use depending on their circumstances and wishes. The TTSN also provides advice to in-patients regarding management of reduced capacity to smoke, or abstinence, while an in-patient. The role assists clients to improve health outcomes, and try to decrease the financial disadvantage that smoking can cause. The TTSN is available 8.30-3pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 8.30-4pm on Thursdays.
The TTSN can be contacted on Ph: 03 5454 7765.
The Women’s Mental Health Program is a non-clinical, health promotion service open to all women.
We care for all women in the community, any women in the community can access our group programs. Call to inquire about group programs. No referral is required.
For further information please contact Ph: 03 5454 7670.
