Mental Health Support

Upon referral, the HIV Outreach Team has the capacity to assess and refer clients for mental health support.

People living with HIV have higher rates of depression in comparison to the general population (1). People living with a severe mental illness in Australia live significantly less than the rest of the Australian population (2).

The team does not provide acute mental health care or replicate formal mental health services but works in partnership with agencies that provide specialised community mental health support.

The partnerships include community mental health providers/teams, General Practitioners, Inpatient Mental Health Units, HIV clinics and families/carers.

Photo of jigsaw spelling mental health

Mental health support provided includes:

Formal and informal mental health assessment and specialised community mental health support in the context of HIV
Psychosocial support
Improved engagement and access to mental health care
Improved engagement and access for people suffering from a severe mental illness to HIV care
Prevention of mental health crisis and avoiding presentations to emergency departments and mental health crisis teams and admissions.
Supporting HIV and mental health services to provide comprehensive specialist health care for people living with a severe mental health condition
HIV/mental health consultation to government and non-government agencies

The mental health approach used by the HIV outreach team is holistic and involves integrating people's physical health, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Care provision is on an individual basis and is client led.