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SNHN mental health service changes

Some of SNHN’s commissioned mental health, psychosocial and AOD services are changing to align with future planning for our Neighbourhood Health Hubs. 

From 11 May 2026, Medicare Mental Health (1800 595 212) commenced as the central intake service for SNHN-commissioned mental health, psychosocial and alcohol and other drug services. The SNHN Mental Health Triage Line (1300 782 391) will continue to operate during a transition period until 30 June 2026. Calls made to this number will be signposted to Medicare Mental Health.

At a glance – what you need to know

  • SNHN continues to fund mental health and AOD services
  • Some services will be delivered by new providers
  • Referral pathways may change, but access to care continues
  • Current patients remain with their provider until their episode of care is complete

Click on each change below to find out more.

Please note: These changes only concern Sydney North Health Network’s mental health services, not external services such as state-based ones.

Medicare Mental Health (operated in the Northern Sydney region by PCCS) now provides a central point for intake, assessment, and referral to appropriate local mental health, psychosocial and AOD services.

While Medicare Mental Health has commenced as the new intake service, the SNHN Mental Health Triage Line will continue to operate during a transition period until 30 June 2026.

This is to ensure continuity of care while the referral pathway transitions.

From 30 June 2026, the SNHN Mental Health Triage Line will no longer operate.

General Practitioners and others who previously referred to the SNHN Mental Health Triage Line should now direct referrals to Medicare Mental Health (MMH), using any of the following:

  • Phone: 1800 595 212 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am – 5:00pm, except public holidays)
  • Email: nswintake@pccs.org.au
  • HealthLink EDI: nsydmmhc
  • Referral form (PDF)
  • Referral form (RTF template for Best Practice and Medical Director)
    • Important: Do not open or view this template before importing into your clinical software. Opening the template in Word or your internet browser will corrupt the file, requiring you to download it again. You will need to right-click, copy and save or drag the .RTF template onto your desktop. Please read the instructions below on importing .RTF templates into Best Practice and Medical Director.

What this means for GPs and other referrers

From now until 30 June:

  • Referrals should be directed to Medicare Mental Health.
  • Referrals to the Sydney North Health Network Mental Health Triage Line will be supported during the transition period.
  • It is recommended you replace the Sydney North Health Network Mental Health Triage Line with Medicare Mental Health in your clinical software address book.

From 30 June:

  • All referrals should be directed to Medicare Mental Health*.
  • The SNHN Mental Health Triage Line will close.

*There are no changes to how GPs refer patients to private providers – please continue to follow usual process when referring to private psychologists. Medicare Mental Health should be used to refer patients to SNHN-funded mental health services. SNHN services are at no cost to patients.

Which service should I use?

Scenario

Service

Key details

Patient needs mental health support but is not in crisis

Medicare Mental Health

(1800 595 212)

Central intake for SNHN-commissioned services. Provides assessment, care navigation and referral (Mon–Fri, 8:30am – 5:00pm).

Patient has acute risk, deterioration, or needs urgent assessment

NSW Mental Health Line (1800 011 511)

24/7 statewide crisis and acute mental health triage service linked to NSW Health services.

 

What is NOT changing

  • The NSW Mental Health Line remains the pathway for urgent and crisis care
  • Access to SNHN-commissioned services continues via referral
  • You may still refer directly to known providers where appropriate (e.g. via LinkUp)

How referrals will now be managed

Referrals through Medicare Mental Health will:

  • be reviewed by clinicians
  • include an initial assessment
  • be directed to the most appropriate local service.

What is changing

From 30 June 2026, Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury will transition out of delivering group psychological therapy programs in the region. Final sessions will conclude with Manage Your Mood (adults) on 6 July, Manage Your Mood (adolescents) on 18 June, and Being Mums on 25 June.

What this means for your patients

Existing patients will complete their current program as planned. If they require ongoing or alternative support options, including other group programs or individual mental health services, please make a referral to the Medicare Mental Health line on 1800 595 212, which connects patients with trained professionals who will work with them to understand their needs and triage them to the most appropriate local services.

How to refer

Refer to Medicare Mental Health via any of the following:

  • Phone: 1800 595 212 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am – 5:00pm, except public holidays)
  • Email: nswintake@pccs.org.au
  • HealthLink EDI: nsydmmhc
  • Referral form (PDF)
  • Referral form (RTF template for Best Practice and Medical Director)
    • Important: Do not open or view this template before importing into your clinical software. Opening the template in Word or your internet browser will corrupt the file, requiring you to download it again. You will need to right-click, copy and save or drag the .RTF template onto your desktop. Please read the instructions below on importing .RTF templates into Best Practice and Medical Director.

Further information: https://www.pccs.org.au/mmh/

The Medicare Mental Health Check-In is a new national service that provides accessible, low-intensity support, available to all Australians at no cost. In response, the SNHN low-intensity service Emotional Wellbeing Space delivered by Anglicare will cease on 30 June 2026.

Medicare Mental Health Check In

The Australian Government has invested in this initiative to make this free, nationally available service a permanent part of how Australians access mental health support. It is designed for people experiencing stress, anxiety, or early signs of mental health challenges.

Delivered by St Vincent’s Health Australia, the service offers Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) evidence-based tools and strategies proven to help people build resilience and manage their wellbeing before difficulties escalate. Support is available via phone, video, or self-guided online tools.

How to refer

Medicare Mental Health is the single-entry point for mental health support in our region. Medicare Mental Health Check In sits within this service, and anyone aged 16 and over can be referred or self-refer. No GP referral, Mental Health Treatment Plan, or diagnosis is required.

Self-referral options:

  • Phone: 1800 595 212, Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5pm (excl. public holidays)
  • Online: Register, explore digital tools, or connect with a practitioner via telehealth at medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au
  • Walk-In: Medicare Mental Health Centre Ryde – free, face-to-face support. No appointment needed. Shop C3001, Top Ryde City, Corner of Blaxland Road and Devlin Street Ryde NSW 2112. Operated by Primary & Community Care Services.

If GPs or other health professionals do wish to refer, please use one of the referral options below:

  • Phone: 1800 595 212 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am – 5:00pm, except public holidays)
  • Email: nswintake@pccs.org.au
  • HealthLink EDI: nsydmmhc
  • Referral form (PDF)
  • Referral form (RTF template for Best Practice and Medical Director)
    • Important: Do not open or view this template before importing into your clinical software. Opening the template in Word or your internet browser will corrupt the file, requiring you to download it again. You will need to right-click, copy and save or drag the .RTF template onto your desktop. Please read the instructions below on importing .RTF templates into Best Practice and Medical Director.

From 1 July 2026 psychology services currently delivered by New Vision Psychology will transition to PCCS via their Access+ service. Access+ is available to all patients, including access to clinicians who speak languages other than English, broadening access while maintaining culturally responsive support.

What’s staying the same and what’s enhanced

  • The core service remains unchanged: individual psychological therapies for people with mild to moderate mental health needs
  • Access+ is available to all patients
  • Continued access to multilingual clinicians, maintaining culturally responsive care while broadening availability
  • No gap in service availability

How to refer

You can refer patients via the following options:

  • Phone: 1800 595 212 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am – 5:00pm, except public holidays)
  • Email: nswintake@pccs.org.au
  • HealthLink EDI: nsydmmhc
  • Referral form (PDF)
  • Referral form (RTF template for Best Practice and Medical Director)
    • Important: Do not open or view this template before importing into your clinical software. Opening the template in Word or your internet browser will corrupt the file, requiring you to download it again. You will need to right-click, copy and save or drag the .RTF template onto your desktop. Please read the instructions below on importing .RTF templates into Best Practice and Medical Director.

Alternatively, patients can self-refer to the service via Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212.

Patients currently receiving care with New Vision Psychology will complete their episode of care. Patients who wish to continue privately with their existing clinician may do so (gap fees apply).

Healthpathways

The following Healthpathways pages have been updated in line with the above information:

About Neighbourhood Health Hubs (NHHs)

The changes outlined on this page are part of our strategy to create local Neighbourhood Health Hubs. They will bring together service providers to deliver care collaboratively to better meet community need.

Neighbourhood Health Hubs are a place‑based approach to care being introduced across Ryde, Northern Beaches and Hornsby.

Initially, these hubs will operate as care teams working together across organisations to better coordinate support around patients. Over time, some hubs will evolve to include physical locations, where this adds value for communities and clinicians.

The hubs are designed to better support general practice by strengthening connections with allied health, mental health, alcohol and other drug, and community services. The focus is on coordinated care that’s easier for patients to access and simpler for clinicians to navigate, informed by local service data and feedback from health professionals and the community.

From July, we’ll begin testing small‑scale care models within each Neighbourhood Health Hub in Ryde, Northern Beaches and Hornsby. These models will:

  • be limited in scope and carefully monitored
  • help us understand what works best locally
  • not affect services already in place from 1 July 2026.

Each Hub will continue to be shaped by its local context to improve care for its local community.

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Jacqui Emery

Jacqui is a passionate advocate for equity in healthcare and an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience across the not-for-profit, corporate, and media sectors.

Most recently, she served as CEO of Royal Far West, where she championed access to developmental, mental health, and allied health services for children in rural and remote communities. Her work has driven early intervention, education, and advocacy initiatives that have influenced policy and funding outcomes nationwide.

Jacqui’s deep commitment to creating opportunities for those who need them most aligns perfectly with SNHN’s vision:continuing to work collaboratively to help our community live their best health.

Ramon del Carmen

Ramon is a senior organisational leader with extensive experience in highly competitive and heavily regulated environments including banking and telecommunications as well as the not-for-profit health sector with over 12 years of CEO experience and 9 years of CFO experience. He combines innovation and strategic thinking with strong leadership to deliver results in challenging environments that are undergoing significant and time-critical change.

Ramon is currently a non-executive director and Treasurer of Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and held previous non-executive director positions with Your Side Australia and Primary and Community Care Services (PCCS).

Ramon has a Bachelor of Economics from The University of Sydney, an MBA and MA (Business Research) from Macquarie Graduate School of Management. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountant Australia and New Zealand, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Eugene McGarrell

Eugene has more than 45 years of experience in the health, social and wellbeing sectors across the UK and Australia, with roles in clinical, community development, management, and executive leadership. As CEO of Healthy Australia, he led initiatives like Safe, feedAustralia, and Thriving Together, which promoted children’s health and learning. He introduced innovative approaches in workers’ compensation, such as social prescribing, to prevent injuries and aid recovery.

A systems thinker, Eugene advocates for challenging convention and disrupting the status quo to address complex social problems. His career began as a mental health nurse, and he has worked across government and social services to tackle issues facing vulnerable communities. Notably, in 1998, he co-led a project in Kingston that reduced suicide rates by 40%.

Eugene co-designed The Collective NSW in 2013, bringing together community, government, and business to break the cycle of disadvantage, leading to successful initiatives like the Greenway Wellbeing Centre and SILC. He is dedicated to empowering communities to design their own solutions and improve health, social, and economic outcomes.

He holds a PG Dip in Care Policy and Management from London Guildhall University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sara Warburton

Sara is a skilled strategic leader with a wealth of experience in customer-centric leadership roles within the health and care sector. Her extensive career spans senior positions in business development, strategy, marketing communications, service innovation, and operational excellence across both the UK and Australia.

Sara has demonstrated her expertise in both for-profit and non-profit sectors, as well as within government contracts, where she has successfully driven organisational transformation programs and enhanced access and experience for patients and communities. Her dedication to excellence is further demonstrated by her volunteer roles, including serving as a Strategic Advisor to Frontline Yoga and most recently as Chief-of-Staff for a mental health startup.

Sara holds a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Business Management from Oxford Brookes University and has completed the MBA Essentials Course at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Additionally, she participated in the development of the McKinsey Not-For-Profit Executive Leadership Program and has informally studied behavioural economics and technology in healthcare.

Deb Pallavicini

Deborah’s general management responsibilities include teams working with and supporting primary healthcare providers across our region, including General Practitioners and Allied Health Professionals. Her strategic approach to role responsibilities provides solid direction for those teams engaged in quality improvement, chronic disease management, digital health, emergency response, improved service integration, corporate communications, and marketing. Deborah is also responsible for directing the Clinical Engagement team, ensuring our professional members’ capabilities are continually enhanced for delivering the right care to our local community at the right time and place.

With over 12 years of experience working as a Practice Manager in medium to large General Practices, Deborah has also worked with the Improvement Foundation (IF), taking part in the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives on two occasions. The experience she gained over this period has translated into a strong and practical understanding of the Primary Care environment and the importance of Quality Improvement for enhancing patient outcomes.

Deborah’s experience at SNHN is inclusive of involvement in the development and rollout of quality improvement programs inclusive of dementia management in general practice and broader chronic disease management programs; the COVID-19 response across the region’s primary care providers inclusive of RACFs, coupled with the later rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Deborah holds a Master’s in Health Management focusing on Quality and Safety in Healthcare and a Graduate Certificate in Health Science.