Emergencies & Crises
Minds & Hearts is not a crisis service and we are not equipped to provide urgent or immediate care.
If you or someone you care for is in danger or needs urgent mental health or medical support, please take one of the following steps:
- Call 000 (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
- Attend the nearest hospital emergency department
- Contact a 24-hour crisis support service (listed below)
Understanding the Difference: Emergency vs Crisis
What is an Emergency?
An emergency is a situation involving immediate and serious risk to someone’s life, safety, or physical health. This may include:
- Suicidal behaviour or attempts
- Risk of harm to self or others
- Severe self-harm or injury
- Medical emergencies linked to mental health or substance use
In these situations, call 000 or go to your local emergency department without delay
What is a Crisis?
A crisis is a situation where a person feels overwhelmed, unsafe, or emotionally unwell, but there may not be an immediate threat to life. It may involve:
- Intense emotional distress or dysregulation
- Suicidal thoughts without immediate intent or plan
- Sudden shutdowns, panic, or spirals in mental health
- Parents feeling unable or close to being unwilling to ensure a child’s physical or emotional wellbeing
While not life-threatening, a crisis may still require urgent support.
Minds & Hearts is a private practice operating by appointment only.
We cannot guarantee immediate assistance in a crisis. We strongly encourage contacting one of the support services listed below.
What to Do After a Crisis
Once the crisis has been safely managed:
- Contact your Minds & Hearts clinician to check whether an earlier appointment is available.
- Ask hospital or crisis staff to send a discharge summary to your clinician (with your consent) to ensure continuity of care.
24/7 Crisis Support Lines
- Lifeline
Phone: 13 11 14 | SMS & chat: lifeline.org.au
National support for anyone in crisis. Available 24/7. - Kids Helpline
Phone: 1800 55 1800 | Chat: kidshelpine.com.au
Support for children and young people (ages 5–25). 24/7 phone, webchat, and email. - Suicide Call Back Service
Phone: 1300 659 467 | suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Phone and online counselling for people affected by suicide. Staffed 10am–8:30pm daily. - Parentline QLD & NT
Phone: 1300 30 1300 | parentline.com.au
Support for parents and carers. Available 8am–10pm daily. - 13YARN
Phone: 13 92 76 | 13yarn.org.au A 24/7 culturally safe service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. - QLife
Phone: 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au
Peer support and referral for LGBTIQA+ people. Available 3pm–midnight daily. - 1800RESPECT
Phone: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au
24/7 support for people affected by domestic, family or sexual violence. - Salvo Care Line
Phone: 1300 363 622 | salvationarmy.org.au 24/7 phone counselling and spiritual support.
Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS – QLD)
The Child and Youth Mental Health Service supports children and teens (0–18) with complex mental health needs.
Referral Process:
- In an emergency:
Take the young person to the closest emergency department or call 000.
You can also contact the Acute Response Team (ART), a 24-hour service based at Queensland Children’s Hospital:
Phone: (07) 3068 2555 - Non-urgent referrals:
Referrals can be made by GPs, paediatricians, school counsellors, or health professionals.
If you’re unsure whether CYMHS is the right option, one of these professionals can help guide next steps.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS – NSW)
CAMHS supports children and teens with significant emotional or behavioural issues.
Referral Process:
- Who can refer:
Parents, GPs, teachers, school counsellors, or the young person themselves. - Where to start:
Call the NSW Mental Health Line 24/7 for assessment and referral support:
Phone: 1800 011 511
Concerns about the well-being of a child or children
If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is experiencing, or is at risk of, significant harm—such as neglect, physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, or sexual abuse—it is important to act.
Reasonable grounds to suspect means you have seen or heard something—such as changes in a child’s behaviour, concerning comments, injuries, or signs of neglect—that causes concern for the child’s safety or wellbeing.
If it is an emergency call 000 now. If it is not an imminent emergency, you can seek advice or make a report by calling the relevant number in your state:
- Queensland: Child Safety Services on 1800 177 135
- New South Wales: Child Protection Helpline on 132 111
These services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.