WellSouth - Mental Health Services

WellSouth's Primary Mental Health Brief Intervention Service (BIS) provides support and assistance to people experiencing concerns related to their mental well-being. 

Issues most appropriate for the BIS are:

• Symptoms of depressed mood
• Symptoms of anxiety
• Physical health/adjustment to illness issues
• Stress related issues
• Significant, unexplained behaviour changes, where physical cause has been ruled out
• Psycho-education

All clinicians providing brief intervention are registered with a professional body, including nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists.

The clinician that makes contact with you can discuss the most appropriate follow up options for you which could include:

• Self-help options including e-therapy, books on prescription, apps
• Telephone support
• Advice on potentially more appropriate agencies/services
• Face to Face appointment or Vidyo (secure video conferencing) which would include an initial assessment with up to 4 follow up sessions

Family Mental Health Service in Mosgiel is a free community mental health service for individuals of all ages and families experiencing mental health difficulties.

Staff with assistance from the service user complete a comprehensive mental health assessment and develop an individualised treatment plan for those persons suspected to be suffering from moderate to severe mental health issues. Staff use recognised psychotherapeutic interventions and work with people for up to a 6-8 month period alongside their GPs and other health professionals.

The service provides strengths based mental health treatment and therapy service for infants, children, adolescents, youth and their families in a community setting. Staff provide specialised assessment and develop an individualised treatment plan for those persons suspected to be suffering from moderate to severe mental health issues.

The service works in partnership with a number of other organisations and schools including providing advice and information around the care of individuals with mental health issues.

Information and self-help worksheets:

View our website for a list of resources that we use in our practice which you may find helpful.

WellSouth provides a single point of entry for former refugees in the Dunedin and Invercargill areas to access mental health support.

GP referrals are triaged centrally by WellSouth in order to connect individuals with the most appropriate service for their needs. Mental health support may then be provided directly by WellSouth or by another local DHB or community based mental health service. 

The IMH – In Reach service aim to address the mental health needs of clients to improve the clients mental health, support participation in rehabilitation activities and facilitate reduction of offending. IMH clinicians provide comprehensive assessment, therapeutic intervention and are involved in release planning.

Through this service, clients may also be referred to other services available in prison, to community services on release, including the IMH community based team.

This service operates from Otago Corrections Facility and Invercargill Prison.

The IMH – Out Reach service aim to address mental health needs to support participation in rehabilitation activities and facilitate reduction of offending. IMH clinicians provide comprehensive assessment, treatment plan and referral to existing community services Clinicians can provide brief intervention for mild to moderate mental health needs as the clients await community services.

This service operates from Community Probation Central and Community Probation South - Dunedin.

Provides support to the families/whanau of offenders who are engaged in mental health services during their imprisonment or while serving a sentence or order in the community.

Holistic assessment with a plan to help navigate families towards the existing community services, to improve their social, health and education outcomes.

Families will be supported to reunite with offenders following a term of imprisonment or stay united while the offender is in the community, in turn, supporting the progress made by the offender whilst in prison or with Community Corrections.

This service operates from Community Corrections Dunedin Central and South.

WellSouth Suicide Prevention Co-ordinators facilitate a collaborative approach, alongside suicide postvention groups and community agencies, to address and reduce the risk of suicide in the Southern region.

WellSouth Co-ordinators provide education and training to professionals and resources and information to the wider community around suicide prevention. They also work to identify groups or individuals that may be at risk following a suicide event and aim to put appropriate supports in place.

The WellSouth Suicide Prevention website offer resources and information for those dealing with a suicide and practical plans for keeping safe.

If you need immediate support from a trained counsellor, contact 1737, Need to Talk? (Free text or call 1737, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.)