We acknowledge the Dharug, Gundungurra and Wiradjuri people as the Traditional Owners of the region and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise that their sovereignty was never ceded and are committed to a positive future for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

We are committed to cultivating inclusive environments for people using our services, carers and staff. We celebrate, value and include people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, bodies and abilities.

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About

A new way to access support

A nationally connected service with a localised approach to accessing mental health and wellbeing support.

Run in partnership to support better outcomes

Penrith Head to Health is delivered by Neami National and funded by the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network.

Through co-design and collaboration with Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and local communities, Neami is developing and delivering four of the eight trial Adult Mental Health Centres, known as Head to Health services, across Australia.

Safe, welcoming and inclusive mental health and wellbeing support

Each Head to Health service is tailored to the needs of the local community and offers a combination of peer-led recovery and clinical support to provide a warm, welcoming and high-quality experience including:

  • immediate mental health support for people in distress
  • short-term mental health and wellbeing support
  • service navigation and helpful, relevant  information
  • connection and referral for ongoing support.

Townsville Head to Health aims to ease the burden on the public hospital system and provide more accessible services to those needing mental health support, their carers and families.

Neami National

Neami National is a community-based organisation providing mental health, homelessness and suicide prevention services that support over 9,000 Australians each year. Using a recovery approach, Neami supports people to improve their wellbeing, live independently and pursue a meaningful life.

Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network

Wentworth Healthcare is the provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network (NBMPHN). Wentworth Healthcare is a local not-for-profit organisation striving to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Lithgow and Penrith.

A safe and inclusive model of support

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in providing complex recovery-based support, Neami's Head to Health services provide a high-engagement, recovery-based experience for each person.

We know that building flexible services that accommodate changes in each person's needs enables us to provide or connect with the right support at the right time.

We demonstrate this flexibility by taking a person-centred approach from the first contact through to exit, as the best way to reach recovery.  

Collaborating with community

Designed in collaboration with the community, Head to Health services are shaped through a co-design process that brings together people with a lived experience of recovery, carers and family, mental health professionals, support services and first-responders.

To ensure Penrith Head to Health meets the need of the community, a rapid service design and establishment phase was carried out from June to September 2021.

Neami undertook a range of approaches (scoping and mapping, stakeholder engagement and co-design) to create connections with the local community, understand the existing service gaps and design a new service that would minimise duplication of existing support.

The Service Design report presents the insights and learnings from these processes and presents what has been considered in the development of Penrith Head to Health.

Service Design Report: Penrith Head to Health Establishment

The value of lived experience

A "Peer-First, Peer-Last" culture elevates the value of lived experience and recovery coaching to support each person to adjust, settle and develop trust.

Wellbeing Coaches draw on their lived experience to support visitors in their recovery. At Penrith Head to Health Wellbeing Coaches accompany each person through their time at the service.

Neami invests in the professional development and training of a lived experience workforce right across the country. Peer Work provides both an avenue for people to re-enter the workforce in a supportive work environment and is an important profession in supporting others recovering from mental illness into employment.

We are here to help,
every day of the week

Penrith Head to Health is located at 111 Henry Street, Penrith.

Penrith Head to Health is a free service. You can arrive between 1 pm – 9.30 pm (Mon, Wed - Sun), and 1 pm - 5 pm (Tues).

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call
1800 595 212

Refer someone you know

If you know someone who may benefit from visiting Penrith Head to Health we accept referrals from GPs, mental health services, community services, carers, families and individuals.

Make a referral

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We send out occasional emails with updates and announcements about Penrith Head to Health.

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Feedback and complaints

We welcome feedback and complaints. We respond directly to resolve issues in a timely manner and use feedback to improve our services.

Feedback and complaints