The RFDS in QLD
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Each year, approximately one in five, or 960,000, rural and remote Australians experience a mental illness. While data suggests the rates are similar in major cities, the accessibility of mental health services significantly differs in rural and remote areas. Farmers, young men, the elderly and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at the highest risk of suicide and self-harm, making the services RFDS offers in Queensland vital.
RFDS (Queensland Section) delivers more than 12,100 mental health consultation annually and has the largest mental health service of RFDS sections across Australia. Our clinicians operate in areas as remote as Lockhart River in the Cape York and all the way to Camooweal on the Northern Territory Border.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Service contains several specialised teams which provide psychological therapies and tailored programs for rural and remote Queenslanders.
The RFDS (Queensland Section) Mental Health and Wellbeing Service:
- Provides a high standard of clinical intervention, by specifically trained mental health professionals
- Continuously reviews and develops evidence-based, best practice models which define service delivery
- Ensures flexibility within the community, to enable a service which is responsive to community need
- Targets assistance in areas of specific need
- Partners with a wide range of other key stakeholders to strengthen community relations which in turn enables smooth service delivery.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is working towards increasing access to mental health services in regional and rural Queensland through the development and distribution of the new book ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing on the Land’.
This valuable resource, which has been funded by a grant provided by Thankful4Farmers, aims to provide support to individuals and families who are struggling with mental health issues and help break down the barriers that prevent people from seeking help.
Find out about the booklet here.
The RFDS Outback Mental Health service consists of three mental health programs that operate across parts of western Queensland. These three programs include the Drought Wellbeing Service, the Remote Wellbeing Service and Wellbeing Out West.
The Far North Mental Health and Wellbeing Service supports people living in communities across Far North Queensland, by providing culturally appropriate, evidence-based, psychological therapies to individuals who present with mild to moderate mental health needs.
The Central West Mental Health and Wellbeing Service operates on a hub-and-spoke basis with the Longreach office being the primary base for clinicians offering services in surrounding communities. The multi-disciplinary team consists of clinicians with qualifications in psychology, social work, mental health nursing and occupational therapy.
headspace Cairns is a welcoming, safe space for young people aged between 12 and 25 providing access, support and information for a broad range of concerns, including mental health, physical/sexual health, drug and alcohol, employment and education and support for families and carers. headspace Cairns is operated by Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section).
RFDS (Queensland Section) Mental Health and Wellbeing services cover a wide area of Queensland.
For further information about our Mental Health Service, please contact the relevant area.
Outback Mental Health - 1300 010 174 or outback@rfdsqld.com.au
Far North Mental Health and Wellbeing Services - (07) 4040 0444 or MHadmin@rfdsqld.com.au
Central West Mental Health and Wellbeing Services - (07) 4652 5800 or rfds_lng@rfdsqld.com.au
headspace Cairns - 07 4041 3780
RFDS Mental Health aims to reach the furthest corner and provide the finest care so what better way than making our resources available to you online. Click below to access FREE tipsheets, podcasts, pocket reference and much more.
Mental Health Resources