A change in service delivery for carers – The Carer Gateway
HelpingMinds® would like to update you on a change in service delivery. Following a change in funding, some of our services will transition into the new Carer Gateway from 6 April 2020.
We have provided mental health carer services for over 40 years. Although there is going to be a change in how these supports are offered, we will continue to assist you and your family with quality supports.
The Australian Government has recognised the need to support and sustain the vital work of unpaid carers. As part of the Integrated Carer Support Service, a range of new early intervention services for Australia’s carers will be offered under the new Carer Gateway portal.
From 6 April 2020 the following services are offered through the Carer Gateway:
- Free telephone counselling
- In-person counselling
- Online self-guided carer coaching modules
- An online peer support community forum
- Carer skills courses
- Peer support
- Emergency respite
- Information about topics such as emergency planning, carer payments and legal matters
Some of the online supports are already available through the web-portal. The in-person and phone-counselling services will not commence until 6 April 2020.
The Carer Gateway will offer services for un-paid carers across mental health, aged care, disability and medical needs. This means that HelpingMinds, in conjunction with Carers WA, will offer supports not only to mental health carers, but unpaid carers across Western Australia.
You can access these supports and new online services through Carers Gateway or call 1800 422 737 from 6 April 2020, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, local time. You can also request for someone to call you by filling out the online form on www.carergateway.gov.au.
If your services are going to change, your HelpingMinds team member will discuss this with you.
If you have any questions or would like to talk about these changes, please contact our Intake Team via intake@helpingminds.org.au or call (08) 9427 7100.
To learn more about Carer Gateway, head to one of the Information Forums in metro Perth. Regional forums will be announced soon.