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What can i do
What information is needed
What if they refuse
Urgent help
What happens after
It is important to encourage the person to seek help. Talking with someone about the situation is also important for you. Your General Practitioner is a good place to start when dealing with any health problem including mental health issues. Advice and information can also be obtained from your local mental health service. Contact the public hospital in your area to find out what services are available. Other options for help include Private Psychiatrists, Community Health Centres, private mental health services, and community organisations as per below:
Mental Health Carers, Arafmi Qld
Arafmi Qld is a not for profit community organisation that provides support for carers and families where a member has a mental health problem and/or disability.
24 hour phone support - 07 3254 1881 (Brisbane), 1800 35 1881 (Regional QLD)
http://www.arafmiqld.org/
Asking questions is how services find out what is happening and how they might be able to help. Being prepared for these questions will help you feel less anxious and enable the services to assess the situation better. Here are some basic questions for you to consider:
Other general types of information will also be needed eg. Name, date of birth, address etc.
Sometimes people don’t feel they need help or refuse to accept help. This can be a difficult situation for families and friends who are concerned about the person. Talk with your General Practitioner who can request a Mental Health Assessment or contact your Mental Health Service for information and advice.
If the person is talking or behaving in a way that suggests they are going to hurt themselves or another person, help needs to be obtained urgently. Everyone's safety is important. You can get help by calling the police or the ambulance on 000. The police and ambulance are authorised under the Mental Health Act to make an Emergency Examination Order to allow them to take the person to the nearest authorised mental health service even if the person does not agree. Your local Mental Health Service can also provide you with information and advice.
Queensland Health and the Queensland Police Service are working together to train police and ambulance in how to respond in a mental health crisis. In an emergency ask that a unit is sent who has completed mental health training.
This depends on individual circumstances and how unwell the person is. In some circumstances, the person may need to be admitted to hospital where they can receive the necessary treatment in an environment where they have access to specialist staff and are safe. Other people may be okay with getting treatment and support in the community from public mental health services, private mental health practitioners, other community services or their General Practitioner.
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