The Alfred Mental Health and Gambling Harm Program
The Alfred Mental Health and Gambling Harm Program is a state-wide multidisciplinary service that provides support to front-line problem gambling services in their work with clients that are experiencing mental health as well as gambling difficulties.
The program is staffed by highly experienced and qualified clinicians with a background in psychiatry, psychology and social work who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of co-morbid mental health and problem gambling disorders.
Their mission is to increase knowledge and capacity within Gambler's Help Services and to promote partnerships between Gambler's Help Services and Victorian Area Mental Health Services to provide optimal outcomes for clients who present with co-occurring Problem Gambling and Mental Illness.
Client services
The program provides a diverse range of services including assessment and short-term treatment for co-occurring mental health difficulties with acceptance of client referrals as detailed below.
- Assessment: Multidisciplinary bio-psycho-social assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
- Short-term treatment for co-occurring gambling and mental health difficulties addressing pharmaceutical, social and psychological needs of clients, with an emphasis on linkages and sustainable treatment planning.
- Being a secondary support service the program can only accepts referrals from primary service providers such as Gamblers Help counsellors, GPs and mental health clinicians. Direct client contact is with the intention of providing feedback and support in the provision of sustainable treatments by the primary service providers.
Client referral form
Client referral requires the use of a client referral form.
Professional support and consultation services
The program provides telephone consultations and support to Gambler's Help service providers.
Outreach consultations are provided for regular or single-session Gambler's Help service visits for the following:
- Case-presentations and discussions
- Treatment planning and linkages
- Peer supervision and mentoring programs, and
- Joint assessments and treatment planning.
Periodic or single-day outreach rural clinics are run in rural Gambler's Help centres involving multidisciplinary input with the aim of promoting skill development and capacity building for counsellors as well as collaboration between Gambler's Help, mental health and medical services. This is achieved through the following activity:
- Client assessments (independent or with counsellor involvement)
- Treatment planning and linkages
- Case-presentations and discussions
- Peer supervision and mentoring programs, and
- Multi-agency case clinical review.
Education for Gambler's Help counsellors and mental health clinicians
The program contributes to Foundation Professional Development Centre activities
- The team assists in delivering training on topics relating to mental illness and the mental health system through webinars, seminars and other events hosted by the Professional Development Centre.
Responding to requests for training on problem gambling and mental illness
- The team are available to deliver training to your staff in assessing and responding to people with co-morbid problem gambling and mental illness.
How to access services
If you are experiencing gambling and mental health problems ask your gambling counsellor, GP or primary mental health support person to make a referral on your behalf.
For client referrals contact one of the clinicians on (03) 9076 9888 , Monday through Friday from 9am to 4.30pm.
To make a referral, complete a referral form fax and send it to (03) 9076 9855.
To access any of our other services please contact us Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm at (03) 9076 9888.
Contact the program for any service enquiries including:
- Rural outreach clinics
- Professional support and consultation
- Education requests
Contact us
The program is located at the following address:
St Kilda Road Clinic - Community Mental Health Service
Level 3, 607 St Kilda Road
Melbourne VIC 3001
Services that are not provided
Please note, services that are not provided are outlined below:
- Crisis interventions - in case of a crisis, such as acute suicidality, psychosis or mania, contact the triage team in your local Area Mental Health Service. See Victorian Government Health Information for a list of Area Mental Health Service telephone numbers.
- Long-term case management or treatment - as this is a consultation and short-term assessment and treatment service. Clients are encouraged to remain linked-in with their referrer to ensure their long-term management needs are met. Recommendations for ongoing management and appropriate services are made to the client and referrer verbally and in a comprehensive report following a clinical assessment.
- The program does not provide reports for legal proceedings or WorkCover.