Public Sydney Psychologist & Psychiatrist Services

Public Sydney Psychologist & Psychiatrist Services

Accessing mental health care can be a challenge. Some initial questions that people have are 1) Who do I speak to? 2) Do I need a referral? 3) What the wait times and fees? It can be confusing and overwhelming; especially in the midst of dealing with a new mental health concern. We’ve put together a list, all on one page, of public mental health services in Sydney. Here you find public Sydney psychiatrists, mental health nurses and social workers. Some Sydney psychologists and occupational therapists work at these clinics.

Which clinic should I call?

We suggest you call the clinic closest to you. Often the receptionist will ask you where you live when you call. Clinics only see clients who live nearby. If you have called the wrong clinic, the receptionist there will give you the right number to call.

What if I call after hours?

If you call at night or early in the morning, you will probably hear a recorded message. Take a note of the after-hours number that is mentioned. After-hours you will be speaking to a mental health clinician, however, there can sometimes be a bit of a wait. If it is an emergency, call ‘000’.

Who will I speak to when I call?

During business hours your call will be answered by a receptionist. Generally, the person answering will not be a mental health clinician. However, they are likely to be experienced and will know where to direct you. If you are calling for the first time, they will probably direct you towards triage.

Mental Health Triage

Most of these clinics have experienced mental health clinician triage referrals and calls. They work locally, Sydney psychologist, social workers and mental health nurses usually perform this role. The person working in triage will want to know your contact details. They will also ask you lots of clarifying questions to better understand your concerns.

Can I get an appointment to see a Sydney Psychiatrist at these clinics?

Generally, when you call these numbers you will be directed to the local triage mental health clinician. It’s unlikely that you will be speaking to a Sydney psychiatrist straightaway. The triage person is based locally; either a Sydney psychologist, nurse or social worker. They will take your details, ask you a lot of questions to try to understand what’s going on for you.

In most cases, someone from their triage team will get back to you in the next couple of days. Their local team might do an assessment in person and a psychiatrist may be involved.

Can I get a case managed at one of these clinics?

Each clinic has its own unique way of working. Case management is provided for a longer-term client of these services. For clients who are being seen at the clinic for 3 or more months generally. Case managers are mental health clinicians. Over time, they develop close professional relationships with their clients. They provide support, mental health education advocacy and help link their clients in their local area.

Sydney psychologists that provide case management

As mentioned earlier each clinic is slightly different. Some clinics have a psychologist who provides case management services and therapy for their case managed clients. If you are a public case managed client you can also see an external psychologist in Sydney privately for therapy.

Knowing where to get care in Sydney

It’s hard knowing where to turn to get help. Your family doctor or GP is probably your best bet. We hope this list of public mental health services has helped. We do our best to keep the list up to date, and apologies in advance if any phone numbers have changed.

Knowing where to get care in Sydney

At Epsychiatry we work with Psychiatrists in Sydney and Psychologists. However, after the COVID19 outbreak, we are now an entirely telehealth based service. We no longer run our regional clinics. If you would like to see a Sydney Psychologist or Psychiatrist send our friendly support team a message to book an appointment.