On 9 March 2010, the Board of Directors of depressioNet resolved to place the company into Voluntary Administration pursuant to Section 436A of the Corporations Act and as such this service is now closed.

There are a range of alternative Australian Government funded services that clients of depressioNet may wish to access as outlined below.

beyondblue provides a 24 hour telephone information service which is available to provide information on depression and anxiety and advice on how to get help, where to get services and support Australia-wide. beyondblue has indicated that its infoline service would welcome calls from individuals who had previously used depressioNet. The beyondblue website also provides information on depression, anxiety and related disorders for individuals and carers.

The beyondblue telephone information line is.1300 22 4636

The website is www.beyondblue.org.au (click here to go to beyondblue’s website), and www.youthbeyondblue.com (click here for beyondblue’s website for young people.

Lifeline Australia also provides a free, confidential and anonymous, 24-hour telephone counselling service for adults. Life can be contacted on 13 11 14

Mensline Australia provides confidential and anonymous, 24-hour telephone counselling service for the cost of a local call to men with relationship and family concerns. Mensline can be contacted on 1300 78 99 78

Suicide Call Back Service

Information and help for people who are feeling suicidal or are concerned about someone else or who are bereaved by suicide can obtain help from the Suicide Call Back Service at http://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/Links.aspx

The suicide call back line be contacted on 1300 659 467

SANE Helpline (telephone and online) is also available for information, advice and referral on the full range of mental illnesses. 1800 18 SANE (7263) or at www.sane.org

Kids Help Line - a service for 5 - 25 year olds has qualified and experienced counsellors available to take calls or contacts from across Australia.

Information is available at kidshelp.com.au and its phone contact is

1800 55 1800.

Clients from Queensland and the Northern Territory may access counsellors who can provide support for older adults through Parentline. The contact number is 1300 30 1300.

The Centre for Mental Health Research provides online self help treatment through the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in a suite of online modules, such as MoodGYM, BlueBoard, BluePages and e-couch. These programs are targeted at youth and adults. e-Hub can be accessed at www.ehub.anu.edu.au

Information about depression and how to get help can be found at

http://bluepages.anu.edu.au/

Peer-to-peer online support for depression (bulletin board) can be found at

http://blueboard.anu.edu.au/

 

The CRUfAD Virtual Clinic can offer depressioNet users the option of applying for its new Wellbeing program, with applications opening on March 22nd. Please note that this is a research trial of the new clinician-guided program, the Wellbeing Program, designed for people with depression and/or anxiety.

  • This trial involves a 10 week program, it is free, and the actual Program will begin on about 22 April. Participants will be randomly allocated to either receive immediate access to the clinician-guided program, or will have to wait 12 weeks before beginning treatment. More details about the Wellbeing Program can be found at the website (www.virtualclinic.org.au).

  • In addition to the above service there is also the option to visit your own GP after downloading the referral letter from www.crufadclinic.org . This shows the GP how to download a free prescription pad to prescribe access to the Virtual Clinic service for the patient at the time of their visit.

  • www.anxietyonilne.org.au is an internet- based assessment and treatment clinic for Australians with anxiety disorders. Anxiety Online provides information about anxiety disorders, free automated psychological assessment and self help treatment programs, plus low cost therapist- assisted programs over twelve weeks.

    Reach Out - reachout.com - is a web-based initiative for 14-25 year olds that offers information, support and resources to help young people improve their understanding of mental health issues, develop resilience, and increase their coping skills and help-seeking behaviour.
    Anonymous and available 24 hours a day, Reach Out serves young people, in particular those who are geographically or socially isolated, who may not be comfortable seeking professional help, or who are unsure about where to find the help they need in their community.
    The service aims to break down the stigma attached to seeking help, and connect young people so they can share their stories and provide support to each other in a safe and positive environment.

    When a young person visits Reach Out they experience an online environment that provides engaging and evidence-based resources to help them get through difficult times.

    • · Factsheets, stories and interviews enable young people to better understand their experience and to reach out for the help they need.

    • · Community forums provide a safe and moderated network, made up of Reach Out staff and other young people. The forums provide opportunities for young people to connect with and share their story with peers, give or receive support and positive reinforcement, and develop strategies for managing adversity and seeking help.

    • · Digital storytelling enables young people to tell their own stories about getting through tough times, weaving together video, photos, art, music, narration, print, and sound effects using simple multimedia publishing tools. And podcasts, 15-minute audio clips covering topics such as depression and seeking help, starting university or managing alcohol, can be saved to an MP3 player and played on demand.