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Getting Help

For kids from the St. George & Sutherland Shires who come from families affected by mental illness.

The Copmi Program

The adult mental health service in the Sutherland Shire and St. George areas has a counsellor for kids who live in families affected by mental illness. This service can support you and your family. You can meet the counsellor at home, at school or at the health centre. You can also talk to the counsellor on the phone or send emails. This is a free service. If you are under 14 you will need permission from your family first.

Website: www.copmi.net.au
Phone: 9522 1002
This is for day time only

Child and Family Counselling Program

This is a free health service with counsellors who can see you and your family. Usually you have to go into their office for this and they only see you in the daytime.
If you are under 14 you will need permission from your family first.

Sutherland shire: 9522 1017
St George area: 9113 2495

The National Carers Counselling Program

If you are looking after some one ill at home, then you can get free counselling through this service. They will link you with a private counsellor near where you live and you can see them up to six visits or more if needed.
You will need family consent for this if you are under 14.

Call commonwealth carer resource centre
Free Call: 1800 242 636

Emergency

If there is a mental health crisis with your relative and the person is hurting themselves or others call the police or ambulance first.

If the person has become repeatedly unwell again but they are not hurting themselves or others, call the mental health crisis teams in your area.

Phone 000 for emergency police/ambulance

St. George hospital acute care team
9113 1111

Sutherland hospital acute care team
9450 7831

What to say when you make an emergency call

Give your name, address and phone numbers (home and mobile). Also tell them:

  • The name of the person that you are worried about
  • What relation they are to you
  • Exactly what you are worried about (what is the person doing)
  • Why you are asking for urgent help

If the person is acting in a dangerous way and there is no other adult in the home to help, it is best to get out of the place and stay with a neighbour -if you live with other kids, take them with you. Let the police know where you are staying.

Phone support

Anytime you would just like to talk to someone on the phone for a bit of support, there are kids help lines - you don't have to say your name and you can reach them 24/7.

Kids help line: 1800 551 800

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Other important services

Commonwealth Carer Respite Service

Phone: 1800 059 059

If you are looking after someone ill at home, this service can give you some one to help with the care, to let you have some time off.
They can also get you help with your school work if you are in high school and struggling to cope. These services are free.

Carers NSW, Young Carers Project

Phone: 1800 242 636

Get on their mailing list or go to their annual camp. You can get information from them on lots of other camp programs and workshops.
Share your news with other kids through their website.
www.youngcarersnsw.asn.au

The Legends

Phone: 9542 5699
Website: reconnect.salvos.org.au

This is a peer support group run by the Reconnect Program Salvation Army Sutherland. It's for high school kids from the Sutherland Shire living in families affected by mental illness - they have an outing each term which is free. Speak to Ian or Rob if you are interested. Parent consent is required.

On Fire

Phone: 0413 294 808
Email: onfiresydney@iprimus.com.au

This is a peer support group offering a camp and outings for kids in primary and high school, who come from families affected by mental illness. Kids from the Sutherland Shire and St. George areas can go.
This group was set up by nickolas yu who grew up with a parent who has a mental illness. The program is free. Nickolas also offers a life coaching course for kids who are in this program.

Stewart House

This is a holiday centre in Dee Why that you can go to for two weeks with a referral from your school principal. The centre has lots of outings and fun stuff to do. Your parent or guardian has to give written permission and speak to the school principal.

Mentoring programs

A mentoring program can provide you with an adult support person to spend time with and to take you out. These services are free and all the volunteers who go in these programs are screened to ensure they are safe. Your parent or guardian has to give permission and make the contact for you to be in these programs.

Aunties and Uncles

Phone: 9638 2480

For kids up to the age of 12. The aunty and uncle will take you out for the day, once a month. When people have got to know each other, kids can then sleep over for the weekend once a month, if they wish.
There is one set of aunties and uncles for each child in the family - you don't go with your brothers and sisters on the outings. Kids can keep their aunties and uncles for an extended time. This is a free service.

Baranardos Temporary Family Care

Phone: 9599 8911

This is like Aunties and Uncles but brother and sisters can go together. This is also a free service and kids can stay over with their aunty and uncle for longer than a weekend under certain circumstances, like when a parent goes to hospital.

Youth services

These services are for all young people - not just kids with mental illness in the family. You can get someone to talk to, help you with your family problems, help you get into activities in your area and help you with school work. These are good services to meet others and make friends.

For kids in the Sutherland Shire

Shire wide Youth Services : 9527 2033

For kids in St. George:

Reconnect. 9556 1769
St. George backstop: 9567 4080

Lisgar Youth Support
9553 7747

This service is only for kids who are being looked after by doctors and may or may not be still living with their families. They offer a lot of help but you have to be referred by a doctor.

Cool websites

These are good sites for young people - lots of information on kids issues, including mental illness and looking after yourself.