Information for young people

We support young people who are experiencing significant distress and disruption to their lives, due to mental health challenges.

Sometimes life gets complicated. Your thoughts and feelings might become overwhelming, confusing, or just too much to handle alone. That’s why we’re here – a place made just for young people.

At PYMHWS, you’ll find people who listen without judgment, a space where you can be yourself, and support that’s designed around what works for you. You don’t need to have it all figured out – we can work through things together.

How we can help

We support over 1000+ young people each year who are feeling down or stuck, dealing with stress or anxiety, experiencing confusing thoughts or just going through a tough time. Whatever you’re experiencing, we want to help you live a fulfilling, enjoyable life.

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One-on-one support

Connect with someone who’s trained to help young people. Your support person will work with you to understand what’s going on and find strategies that help.

Group programs

Meet other young people going through similar experiences in a safe, supportive environment. We run different groups focusing on specific challenges or skills.

Inpatient support

If you’re going through a really tough time and need extra support, our youth inpatient unit provides a safe space with 24/7 care.

What you can expect

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Before you arrive

Referral

Most young people come to us through a referral from a health worker, such as a GP. However, you don’t need a referral.

You or someone on your behalf can contact us directly. We can help guide you through the process.

What to expect

If someone else or a health worker referred you, they might share some information about what’s going on for you.
If you self-refer, we’ll ask you some questions to understand a bit more about your needs, experiences and goals.
You don’t need to have everything figured out – that’s what we’re here to help with.
From here, we might provide some recommendations to you or to your supporters, or offer an assessment appointment.

Getting here

Each of our locations has good public transport access. Check out Our Locations section to find the best way to get to your nearest centre.

Can I bring someone?

Absolutely. You’re welcome to bring a friend, family member, or anyone else who makes you feel comfortable.

Your first visit

We’ll talk with you about what’s been going on for you
There’s no pressure to share everything right away
We’ll explain how we work and what support options might help
You can ask any questions you have
Together, we’ll figure out next steps that feel right for you

What to bring

Medicare card (if you have one)
Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
Medicines you need to take during your visit
List of current medications (or medication boxes), including over-the-counter medicines, herbal supplements, and vitamins
Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
Any referral information you might have been given
A family member, supporter, carer or kin, if you would like them with you.

How long does it take?

Your first appointment is usually about an hour, but we can go at your pace.

What if I’m nervous?

That’s completely normal. Our team knows that coming here for the first time can feel overwhelming, and we’ll make sure you feel comfortable.

After your first visit

We’ll work with you to create a plan for ongoing support
You may be linked with one of our Continuing Care Teams

Your support team

When you’re getting support from us, you’ll work with a team of different people who are all here to help you. Don’t worry – you won’t meet everyone at once! We’ll introduce you to people as and when you need them.

Everyone on your team follows the same privacy rules – what you share stays within your team. They can all see your file so they know how to help you best, and your case manager will always know when other team members have been involved in your care.

Your team might include:

Case managers
Doctors
Duty workers
Peer workers
YAT (Youth Access Team)
Inpatient Unit team (if you need to stay overnight)

Case managers

When you start with us, you’ll be matched with a case manager who will be your main person. They might be a psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, or mental health nurse – all trained to work with young people.

Your case manager will:

Help you understand what’s going on for you
Work with you one-on-one through counselling or other support
Help you figure out your goals and how to reach them
Connect you with other services that might help (like education, housing, or job support)

Doctors

You will also be supported by a doctor (usually a psychiatrist – that’s a doctor who specializes in mental health). They work alongside your case manager to:

Help figure out what’s happening for you
Make sure there aren’t any physical health issues affecting your mental health
Talk about whether medication might help
Check in on how you’re going

Family support workers

Family support workers work in each of our specialist teams, and work to ensure families are supported and included in young people’s care. We know that ‘family’ looks different for everyone, so our specialist family workers will take their time understanding who’s most important to each young person, and to find ways to best include them.

Peer support workers

A Peer Support Worker draws on their own lived experiences of mental health challenges, distress, trauma and recovery to support others. Our Youth Peer Support Workers are employed across some teams at PYMHWS, and offer one-on-one or group support. Seeing a Peer Support Worker is voluntary, and would work with you alongside your treating team if you would like.

A Peer Support Worker will:

Share their own lived experience in a meaningful way
Talk about mental health or non-mental health related topics
Share their own resources and strategies with you, and learn from what has worked for you
Help you to navigate the PYMHWS and what they have to offer, or explore other options that may be available in the community
Advocate with you by supporting you to understand your rights, provide feedback to your treating team or make a complaint
Engage in fun activities, such as art, music, sport or groups.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing Workers

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing Workers work alongside other staff at PYMHWS to improve the cultural responsiveness of care provided, and aim to improve young people and their family members, carers, supporters and kin experience of cultural safety. If you are an Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, you may be contacted by a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Worker to offer support in your journey with PYMHWS. If you haven’t already been contacted, please let us know you would like a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Worker involved in your care.

Inpatient Unit team

If you need extra support and stay in our youth unit at Footscray, you’ll work with a whole team including:

Doctors and registrars (doctors training to be psychiatrists)
Nurses
Allied health staff and group workers (who run groups and activities)
Peer support workers (people with lived experience of mental health challenges as a young person)
Spiritual Care team (if you want spiritual support)

Duty workers

If your usual case manager isn’t available and you need help urgently during business hours, duty workers can step in. They’re other case managers who can access your file and help you out.

During normal business hours, please call the site you are receiving services at.

YAT (Youth Access Team)

YAT is available when we’re closed – evenings, weekends, and public holidays. They can:

Talk you through a crisis
Come out to see you if needed
Provide support until you can see your usual team

They’ll let your case manager know they’ve helped you, and everything stays confidential.

Phone 1800 888 320

During normal business hours, please call the site you are receiving services at.

Your rights

As a client at PYMHWS, a range of rights and responsibilities apply to you. These rights and responsibilities come from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022, The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.

For information about your rights if you are receiving compulsory treatment, please visit Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA).

It’s very important that you are aware of what your rights are as a consumer of mental health services, and that you feel able to speak up if you don’t feel they are being met.

You may also want to identify a Nominated Person to be involved in your care, and develop an Advance Statement of Preferences about the kind of care that will be most helpful for you. You can learn more by visiting the Victorian Department of Health website.

All people using PYMHWS have the right to:

Be and feel physically and emotionally safe
Be treated with respect and dignity
Be spoken to in a respectful manner
Have an opinion, express an opinion and be listened to
Have their need for private time and space recognised
Not be discriminated against
Have access to an interpreter as required
Be respected with regard to the confidentiality and privacy of their information

Understanding your medication and making informed decisions

We’ve recently partnered with Choice and Medication to create fact sheets to help you, your families, carers, supports and kin understand your medicines and make informed decisions. Visit for information about different medications, to help you make informed decisions.

Types of mental health medication

There are many different types of medications in use and it can be confusing to keep track of them all, including any side effects that they may cause.

Basically, there are four main types of medication.

Some medications:

Treat depression or low mood
Stabilise your mood
Treat anxiety
Treat psychosis or altered thought patterns

Finding the right medication for you

The response to medication can vary from person to person. What is helpful to one person might not help another. Finding the right medication and dosage for your needs can take some time. It is important that you are fully informed of your options and what to expect from each medication.

Use this resource page and work with your treating team so you can understand:

What results to expect from your medication
How long it will take to experience a difference
How to take your medication effectively
How to keep track of what medications works for you (a medication diary can be useful)
What to do if the medication doesn’t work as expected
What to do if you experience any unpleasant or unbearable side effects

We encourage all young people and their families to be engaged with their treating teams.

Young people can write Recovery and Wellness plans and Advance Statements to let the treating team know what has worked or not worked for them. Carers and families can also receive information from the treating team via family meetings.

Young people also have the right to:

Receive a copy of their rights, know their legal status, whether voluntary or involuntary, and have their rights explained so that they understand them
Be informed of what is happening at all times and be involved in making decisions about their treatment and care
Receive information and ask questions so that they are able to fully understand everything
Know how to make suggestions, compliments and complaints and be assisted to do this if needed
Request the assistance of an advocate.

Your responsibilities

People using PYMHWS also have some responsibilities:

To be aware of the rights of others
To communicate openly and honestly
To discuss changes in condition and treatment plans
To discuss and clarify diagnosis and treatment
To discuss and clarify side effects of treatment
To work together to improve the effectiveness of treatment
To provide feedback on the service and or care

If you would like to provide feedback or make a complaint, please visit the Feedback page.

If at any time you would like to know more about your rights and responsibilities you can ask your case manager.

Get involved

Want to help shape our services or connect with others who understand?

Platform Team

Join our youth advisory group to help improve our services.

We know that young people who use our services have the best insights about what works, what’s challenging, and how we can improve. The Platform Team is your chance to have a real say in how we do things and help make our services better for other young people.

What you could do:

Share feedback about your experience using our services
Work alongside staff on working groups and committees aimed at creating change and making improvements to our service
Be involved in choosing who works at PYMHWS
Be involved in training new staff and existing staff
Advocate to staff about your own ideas

You can get involved in whatever interests you – whether that’s one activity or lots of different things.

Who can join

Anyone who currently uses our services or has used them in the past 5 years. The only special skills that you need are your experience of using PYMHWS or Orygen Specialist Program, and a hope to create change!

What’s in it for you

Make a real difference to services for other young people
Meet other young people with similar experiences
Learn new skills and gain valuable experience
Work on creative and meaningful projects
Get reimbursed for your time and contributions

How it works

The Platform Team meets once a month to discuss improvements, share ideas, and plan upcoming projects. Between meetings, you might join working groups, consultations, or be involved in staff training. If you can’t make meetings, there are other ways to get involved.

Want to know more?

Ask your case manager about Platform
Talk to a Peer Support Worker
Call or text our Youth Lived Experience Consultant on 0427 321 793
Come along to a meeting to see what we do

Your voice matters – help us make our services even better for young people.

Learn more

Volunteer Peer Support

Connect with others who’ve been through similar experiences.

Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who really gets what you’re going through – another young person who’s experienced mental health challenges and used our services. That’s where our Volunteer Peer Support Workers come in.

Who are the Volunteer Peer Support Workers?
They’re young people who used to be clients here and are no longer accessing the service. They’re passionate about helping other young people and want to share their stories and support.

What can you talk about?
Pretty much anything! You might have specific questions or want to hear how someone else handled a particular situation. Many young people just want to chat about how they’re feeling with someone who’s been through similar stuff.

People talk about things like:

Friendships and relationships
School, uni, or work
Managing symptoms and medications
Coping strategies and self-care
Dealing with stigma
Making the most of your time here
What happens when you’re discharged

How to connect with them: Volunteer Peer Support Workers are at the Inpatient Unit regularly throughout the week. You can ask any member of the inpatient team when they’ll next be around.

Want to become a Volunteer Peer Support Worker? If you’ve used our services (or are coming up for discharge) and want to help other young people, we’d love to hear from you!

How to apply: