Key messages
- Access to Mental Health Community Support Services programs such as Youth Residential Rehabilitation Services is through the catchment-based intake assessment services.
- Access to all other mental health community support services is directly via the programs.
- The service provides a telephone-based assessment to determine a person’s eligibility for MHCSS, as well as their priority.
Intake assessment service
The intake assessment function operates in all 15 MHCSS service catchments.
The service provides a telephone-based assessment to determine a person's eligibility and priority for MHCSS youth residential rehabilitation services.
- screens and determines eligibility to receive support
- prioritises referrals for people most in need
- refers eligible people to support services, such as NDIS for people with a psychosocial disability
- provides self-management information and follow-up contact with people on the needs register as required
- provides general mental health information and facilitates referrals to other services
- coordinates the regional bed-based selection panel
- ensures that a person’s consent is given for the transfer of their information to local service providers.
All state-funded mental health community support services must accept referrals via the catchment-based system.
Agencies involved
The three agencies delivering this service across the catchment areas are Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO), Eastern Access Community Health (EACH) and Neami National.
Any agency or individual that supports a person with a psychosocial disability can make a referral to their local intake assessment agency.
MHCSS providers, as well as other health and community services, should make a supported referral to their local intake assessment agency when they have identified a person who may benefit from MHCSS.
How to contact catchment-based intake assessment services
Regional Victoria
Contact: ACSO, 1300 022 760, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday, for all regional areas:
- Gippsland
- Goulburn Valley
- Grampians
- Great South Coast
- Hume
- Barwon
- Loddon Mallee
Metropolitan Melbourne – North, Inner East, East
EACH covers the North, Inner East and East catchments. These comprise the following local government areas: Banyule, Boroondara, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Greater Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Shire of Nillumbik, Shire of Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse and Whittlesea.
Contact: EACH, 1300 003 224, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
Metropolitan Melbourne – South West, North East, Inner North, Bayside and Frankston
Neami National covers the South West, North East, Inner North, Bayside and Frankston catchments. These comprise the following local government areas: Bayside, Brimbank, Frankston, Glen Eira, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Melton, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Wyndham and Yarra.
Contact: Neami National, 1300 379 462, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
Reviewed 26 May 2022