Factsheet 7: Support a Young Person to See a Mental Health Professional How to Encourage Appropriate Professional Help Supporting S upporting someone someone to to ssee ee a p professional rofessional about about their their mental mental health health can can be be difficult. difficult. A member of of the the community community your your main main role role is is to to support support the the young young person person to to seek seek Ass a member appropriate ass y you may be only person an a ppropriate ssupport, upport, a ou m ay b e tthe he o nly p erson who who has has given given tthem hem a n o pportunity to to a sk for for help. help. opportunity ask Often, young people with mental health problem are be O ften, y oung p eople sstruggling truggling w ith a m ental h ealth p roblem a re llooking ooking tto ob e orr p people who can help but won’t always know how ssteered teered ttowards owards rresources esources o eople w ho c an h elp tthem, hem, b ut w on’t a lways k now h ow tto o sstart tart tthe he conversation. conversation. Ask can A sk how how you you c an ssupport upport tthem: hem: might help?’ ‘‘What What do do you you tthink hink m ight h elp?’ professional. IIff they they are are struggling, struggling, suggest suggest they they sspeak peak to to a p rofessional. This This could could be be a school school c ounsellor, a doctor, doctor, a ttherapist, herapist, o pecialised y outh sservice er vice ((like like h eadspace o ids counsellor, orr a sspecialised youth headspace orr K Kids H elpline). It's It's important important to to keep keep encouraging encouraging them them to to seek seek professional professional support support after after Helpline). y ou've h ad a c onversation. you've had conversation.
Immediate Action: If it’s Urgent If you If you b believe elieve ssomeone omeone y you ou k know now iiss a att iimmediate mmediate rrisk isk o off h harm arm to to tthemselves hemselves or or others: others: Do Do not not lleave eave tthem hem alone. alone. Call (000) (000) immediately immediately o resent a he n earest E mergency D epartment. Call orr p present att tthe nearest Emergency Department. Get in in touch touch with with their their primary primary caregiver caregiver o mergency c ontact. Get orr e emergency contact. Suicide Call Call Back Back Service Ser vice 1300 1300 659 659 467 467 Suicide NSW Mental Mental Health Health Line Line 1800 1800 011 011 51 51 NSW Lifeline 13 13 11 11 14 14 Lifeline YARN 13 13 922 922 76 76 YARN Kids Helpline Helpline 1800 1800 55 55 1800 1800 Kids
Factsheet 7: Support a Young Person to See a Mental Health Professional Addressing Barriers to Seeking Help Sometimes S ometimes a young young person person might might be be hesitant hesitant to to seek seek help help because because they they fear fear it it will will a ffect their their "spot "spot on on the the team" team" o ake tthem hem llook ook ""weak." weak." You You can can counter counter tthis h is b y affect orr m make by fframing raming mental mental health health as as mental mental fitness. fitness. T ry a dding these these talking talking points: points: Try adding ""Just Just like like we we go go to to a p physio hysio ffor or a ttorn orn h hamstring, amstring, sspeaking peaking to to a p professional rofessional help help w ith the the stuff stuff we we can't can't see. see. It's It's about about getting getting you you back back to to your your b est." with best." Y oung people people often often have have ""What What Ifs." Ifs." Young B e rready eady tto oa nswer tthem: hem: Be answer parents ""My My p arents will will be be mad". mad". An A n example example response response could could be be "They "They c care are a about b o ut y you. ou. W We ec can an ffigure igure o out ut tthe he b best est way w ay to to tell tell them them together." together." playing.” ""II don't don't want want to to stop stop p laying.” An A ne example xample rresponse esponse c could ould b be e ""Seeking Seeking h help elp iiss a actually ctually tthe he ffastest astest w way ay tto om make ake can keep playing and enjoying ssure ure you you c an k eep p laying a nd e njoying the the game." game." By we and ensure B y normalising normalising mental mental health health conversations, conversations, w e rreduce educe sstigma t i g ma a nd e nsure that that no no young person y ou n g p erson has has to to sstruggle truggle alone. alone.
Offer a “Warm Handoff” A "warm "warm handoff" handoff" means means you you don't don't just just give give tthem hem a phone phone number number and and walk walk away—you away—you help actually h elp them them feel feel safe safe enough enough to to a ctually use use it. it. ""Would Would y ou llike ike m e tto o ssit it w ith y ou w hile y ou you me with you while you m ake the the c all?" make call?" your ""Would Would you you like like me me to to help help you you tell tell y o ur p arents what’s what’s going going on?" on?" parents R emind tthem hem tthat ha t w hile you you a re tthere here tto oh elp, Remind while are help, p rofessional services ser vices offer offer a private private space space to to professional ttalk alk through through things things they they might might not not want want to to tell tell ttheir heir family, family, friends friends or or teammates. teammates.
Factsheet 7: Support a Young Person to See a Mental Health Professional Find a Mental Health Professional Often O ften the the best best place place to to start start is is with with the the person’s person’s regular regular GP GP (doctor). (doctor). They They can can listen listen to to w hat has has been been happening happening for for the the young young person, person, including including any any changes changes in in behaviour behaviour what o symptons tthey hey m ay b ee xperiencing. They They can can aslo aslo help help refer refer the the young young person person to to orr symptons may be experiencing. a specialist specialist mental mental health health practitioner practitioner if if needed. needed. T he GP GP may may also also write write a m ental h ealth ttreatment reatment plan plan so so they they c an g et M edicare The mental health can get Medicare rrebates ebates ffor or p sychologist a ppointments. W hen tthey hey b ook tthe he G Pa ppointment, ask ask for fo r psychologist appointments. When book GP appointment, a longer longer appointment appointment to to ttalk alk a bout mental mental health. health. about Y ou c an also also book book directly directly with with a counsellor counsellor or or a psychologist. psychologist. Y ou d on’t n eed a You can You don’t need rreferral. eferral. F or more more information information about about how how to to find find a mental mental health health professional professional go go to to For MapMyRecovery M apMyRecovery ((www.mapmyrecovery.org.au). www.mapmyrecovery.org.au). IItt iiss a ffree ree rresource esource c connecting onnecting tthe he M urrumbidgee community community with with services ser vices that that provide provide ssupport upport ffor or m ental health health and and Murrumbidgee mental drug Local and Mental Health Resources d rug and and alcohol alcohol concerns. concerns. or or refer refer to to L ocal a nd M ental H ealth R esources & Helplines Helplines ffor or Y oung P eople. Young People.
Support Someone at Their First Mental Health Professional Appointment Your Y our ssupport upport at at this this early early stage stage can can be be important important in in helping helping them them get get effective effective ttreatment. reatment. It’s It’s also also important important to to keep keep up up their their motivation motivation during during ongoing ongoing treatment. treatment. R emember tthe he p erson you’re you’re ssupporting upporting needs needs to to ffeel eel iin nc ontrol and and take take Remember person control rresponsibility esponsibility for for their their own own treatment treatment as as well. well. Make Make sure sure they’re they’re actively actively involved involved in in d ecisions. Taking Taking over over a nd d oing e verything ffor or tthem he m c an rrisk isk tthem hem w ithdrawing from from decisions. and doing everything can withdrawing you and y ou a nd ffurther urther ttreatment. reatment. H ow can can you you be be involved? involved? How Talk person you about be appointment T alk to to tthe he p erson y ou ssupport upport a bout how how you’ll you’ll b e iinvolved nvolved iin n tthe he ffirst irst a ppointment and a nd the the ongoing ongoing treatment treatment process. process. It It can can be be useful useful to to view view this this as as a partnership partnership to to sseek eek effective effective ttreatment reatment and and work work towards towards recovery. recovery. You You may may want want to to agree agree on: on: with mental health 11.. What What information information you’ll you’ll sshare hare w ith tthe he m ental h ealth professional. professional. 2 Whether you’ll you’ll a ttend p arts o he a ppointment – for for example, example, you you m ight a ttend 2.. Whether attend parts off tthe appointment might attend tthe he ffirst irst p art, tthe he llast ast p art o ust w ait iin n tthe he w aiting room. room. part, part orr jjust wait waiting
Factsheet 7: Support a Young Person to See a Mental Health Professional Is it helpful to go to appointments with someone you’re supporting? Accompanying A ccompanying a y young oung p person erson to to ttheir heir a appointment ppointment can can be be incredibly incredibly valuable. valuable. You You c an help help support support them them to to a rticulate w ha t h as b een h appening, iincluding ncluding a ny rrecent ecent can articulate what has been happening, any changes c hanges in in their their behavior behavior or or symptoms. symptoms. This This is is especially especially helpful helpful if if they they ffind ind it it difficult difficult tto oe xpress tthemselves. hemselves. express att tthe end IItt is is also also beneficial beneficial to to be be involved involved a he e nd of of the the session. session. This This allows allows you you to to collaborate and best ways young person between c ollaborate a nd llearn earn tthe he b est w ays to to ssupport upport tthe he y oung p erson b et ween appointments. a ppointments.
Support Someone at Their First Mental Health Professional Appointment Talk T alk to to tthe he p person erson y you’re ou’re ssupporting upporting a about bout sseeing eeing a G General eneral P Practitioner ractitioner o orr M Mental ental Health H ealth Professional. Professional. This This could could include: include: Encouraging E ncouraging them them to to book book an an appointment. appointment. You You could could say, say, “Consulting “Consulting a (GP) (GP) is is a great are address mental health g reat first first step, step, as as they they a re ttrained rained tto oa ddress m ental h ealth concerns concerns and and are are bound by confidentiality.” b ound b y strict strict c onfidentiality.” Before B efore they they g go, o, ssuggest uggest they they n note ote d down own a any ny c changes hanges iin n ttheir heir tthoughts, houghts, mood, mood, ssleep, leep, or or daily daily life, life, as as well well as as any any specific specific questions questions they they want want to to ask. ask. You You can can offer offer go along extra you comfortable. tto og oa long ffor or e x tra ssupport upport iiff y ou ffeel eel c omfortable. Explain E xplain why why they they n need eed to to b be ec completely ompletely h honest onest with with the the doctor doctor so so they they can can p rovide tthe he b est c are o ptions, w hich m ay iinclude nclude a M ental H ealth T reatment P lan provide best care options, which may Mental Health Treatment Plan part ffor or subsidised subsidised specialist specialist sessions. sessions. Remember Remember that that they they should should be be an an active active p art of of a ecisions, a nd tthey hey c an a lways seek seek a second second opinion opinion if if they they d on't ffeel eel allll d decisions, and can always don't ssupported. upported. Check C heck in in to to ssee ee h how ow tthey hey w went ent a and nd iiff tthey hey h have ave a an na agreed greed ttreatment reatment plan plan or or have have m ade another another appointment appointment to to follow follow up. up. made R ural A dversity M ental H ealth P rogram (RAMHP) (RAMHP) have have c reated a g reat resource resource Rural Adversity Mental Health Program created great c alled “Lets “Lets Talk Talk - Seeing Seeing Your Your GP” GP” which which is is included included with with this this toolkit. toolkit. called The information in this factsheet is designed to help you better understand mental health and what you can do to better support a young person who might be going through a tough time. It is to provide you with support and in turn confidence to offer initial assistance and guide a young person toward professional help.