A happy, functioning family is what all of us want. Part of this is having good mental health. If you suspect that one (or more) of your children or your family unit are showing signs of decaying mental well-being and you live in Bittern, support is not far away. Better Place Australia provides a trusted Family Mental Health Support Service near Bittern (FMHSS), at the Frankston location. Better Place Australia has been seeing positive outcomes for children and families for more than 35 years now, and we can support you and your children.
Our Frankston location is easy to get to from Bittern. Simply take the Frankston-Flinders Road or Stony Point Road and head towards Frankston. At the Nepean Highway, simply turn right, and you’ll find Better Place Australia Frankston at 435 Nepean Highway between Wells Street and Ross Smith Avenue.
It’s best to seek mental health counselling in Frankston sooner rather than later if you notice the mental well-being of your children or family deteriorating. Families and caregivers are supported during the process with the aim of providing early intervention skills for improving mental health outcomes.
What does the Family Mental Health Support Service near Bittern do?
Your child’s dips in moods may be more than just a moment of not feeling 100%. By being proactive, Better Place Australia’s mental health support service near Bittern can provide early intervention individual support for children, young people and families.
This includes:
- supporting the development of healthy coping strategies, communication skills and resilience
- increasing the awareness with children, young people, and their families
- preventing ongoing mental health concerns
- facilitating service coordination and access to other services for the individual where need be.
Parents or carers of the child can also participate in free group programs run by Better Place Australia. We provide safe spaces for children, families and carers to develop healthy self-coping strategies and behaviours, alongside emotional awareness and effective communication skills.
Individual case management is also accessible directly to the young person with the involvement of a family member or carer.
Sometimes, there may be the need for additional specialist services to assist in the process. Our practitioners will tell you about those and what the next steps could be.
This could include referrals for:
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- family violence
- drug issues
- alcohol issues
- specialist teams for crisis or sexual assault services.
Who is eligible for this free service?
In case you didn’t know, a person does not need to be formally diagnosed with a mental illness to access free mental health counselling in Frankston at Better Place Australia.
The service is available to:
- children or young people showing signs of, or are at risk of, developing difficulties with mental health
- a family member or caregiver of a child or young person actively engaged with the FMHSS team
- those who reside in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula local government areas.
Our practitioners adopt a whole of family approach and are not able to work with a child or young person without the involvement of a family member or carer.
Who can refer to the service?
Referring to family mental health support services can be done a number of ways.
You can:
- self-refer simply by calling us
- be referred by an external agency
- be referred by a school within the Frankston & Mornington Peninsula local government areas.
How much does the service cost?
Thanks to government funding, Better Place Australia’s Family Mental Health Support Service near Bittern is free to those who live in the area.
Who can access free family mental health support services?
If you are a resident in Frankston or one of the Mornington Peninsula local government areas, you can access this free service through Better Place Australia.
Enquiries
Make a confidential enquiry now by phone, or feel free to email us and we will endeavour to get back to you promptly.
Learn more about the mental health and well-being of your child
If you’d like to learn more about mental health and well-being in children and family units, visit the Centre for Better Relationships website.
Centre for Better Relationships is the research and advocacy arm of Better Place Australia, with resources for you to learn more.
Read sector news articles such as: Understanding Child Development; and Highlighting the Imperative of Investing in Children and Young People’s Safety.
There are also learning videos you can watch, such as: Preventing Emotional Abuse of Children; and Supporting Children Who Have Disclosed Trauma.
By learning more, you will be better equipped to protect your children and support them during tough times.
