Mental Health Telephone Triage

Our Mental Health Telephone Triage (MHTT) is the first point of contact for people seeking a specialist mental health response for themselves, people they care about or their clients in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Area.

Our MHTT operates 24 hours, seven days per week providing phone assessments, support and advice. Our MHTT is staffed by mental health clinicians including mental health nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. MHTT also has a psychiatrist that can be consulted as required.

After spending time understanding your unique needs and (with permission) gaining information from your family, carers or supporters our MHTT clinicians may:

• provide you with support and advice which may be acted on independently
• initiate a referral to an external agency on your behalf
• initiate a referral to a Peninsula Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
• arrange for our Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT) to provide you with a face-to-face assessment either same day or following day
• encourage you to attend hospital or call emergency services in acute crisis situations

While we always work to provide a timely response, it is important to know that MHTT is not an emergency service. If the MHTT are busy you may be asked to leave a message and a clinician will promptly return your call. If you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact emergency services on 000.

Who we care for

Anyone can call MHTT on 1300 792 977 to seek advice and support.

You can initiate contact for yourself or on behalf of a family member, carer or friend. MHTT also receives referrals and requests for service from other professionals involved in your care such as general practitioners and community health services.

In some instances, there may be an alternative mental health telephone triage service better able to support you with direct referrals to service. This is the case with people under the age of 12 where you will be directed to contact Monash Health Mental Health Telephone Triage (1300 369 012) as this hospital network provides specialist mental health care to children and adolescents in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Area.

How to access this service

Please call 1300 792 977 24 hours a day, seven days a week to access MHTT.

If you require support for somebody 11 years or younger please contact Monash Mental Health Triage on 1300 369 012.