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Home > Get support

SANE Support Services

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    Free Mental Health Support

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    Digital & Telehealth Access

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    Choose the supports that work for you

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    A community of people who understand

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    National Safety & Quality Digital Mental Health Standards Accreditation (NSQDMH)

SANE Support Services

SANE offers a range of free digital and telehealth support services for people over 18 years of age with complex mental health needs, and their family, friends and carers. We also provide mental health support to people with intellectual disability, autism or acquired brain injury.

SANE services are accredited against the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards (NSQDMH).

Different types and levels of support

We offer different types and levels of support, so you can find what works for you. Choose from counselling, peer support, online groups and events, 24/7 community forums, and online information and resources.
SANE services are not designed for acute mental health crises. If you or someone you know is at immediate risk, call 000 or visit your nearest hospital. For support with suicidal thoughts, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

We’re people like you

Lived experience runs through every level of our organisation, and our safe and inclusive services have been designed by people living with complex mental health needs and the people who support them - people like you.

Ways we can support you

Choose from a range of FREE complex mental health supports, including counselling, peer support, online groups and events, 24/7 community forums, and online information and resources.

Please note: We're working on improvements to our Support Line! We're making system enhancements, recruiting and training more counsellors and preparing for the relaunch of webchat. During this time, there will be reduced capacity on the Support Line, and we are anticipating longer than expected wait-times for callers to connect with a counsellor. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to improve capacity and accessibility. If you would like to provide feedback about this change, you can do so here.

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Support Line

Available Monday to Friday, 10am - 8pm (AEDT/AEST). SANE’s team of trained staff and volunteers provide free counselling, information and resources. Call 1800 187 263.
Free Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) 131 450.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Community Forums

Available 24/7. Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. They're safe and anonymous.

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RecoveryClub

Available Monday to Friday, 12-8pm (AEDT/AEST). A 6-month online program for people wanting to navigate their mental health recovery at their own pace. Access evidence-based recovery resources and online groups to help you manage your mental health and work towards your recovery goals.

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Guided Recovery

Available Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm (AEDT/AEST). A 15-week program for people wanting individual guidance and support with their mental health recovery. Includes 6 appointments with a dedicated counsellor or peer support worker and access to online groups.

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Peer Group Chat

Thursday and Sunday evenings. Live chat-based discussions, guided by SANE community builders. New topics each week.

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Mental Health Recovery Webinars

Last Wednesday of every month, 7-8pm (AEDT/AEST). Monthly community webinars with new topics and guests, including lived experience advocates and subject matter experts. 

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Information and Resources

Available 24/7. Access information you can trust on complex mental health issues. SANE factsheets and guides are easy to read and can help you understand what’s happening and what strategies can be helpful.

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Guidance for supporting someone at risk of suicide

Available 24/7. A resource that provides information and advice about supporting someone who has attempted, or is at risk of attempting, suicide.

Have questions? Click here to read our FAQs or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Latest discussions on the forum

If you sometimes struggle to say it out loud, or tell someone in person – try reaching out for support here: it’s anonymous, safe and supportive.

Latest discussions on the forums

Lived Experience

For anyone living with a complex mental health issue

Connect with others

Latest Discussions

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    Carers

    For anyone who cares about or for someone living with a mental health issue

    Connect with others

    Latest Discussions

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      Stories from the community

      SANE community members share their experiences of living with complex mental health issues.
      You’re not alone.

      Charlotte

      'I’d originally been diagnosed and treated for depression ten years before, so I knew what was happening, but that didn’t make it any easier to cope with. I knew I needed help, but I didn’t have an...
      Read More

      Joshua: challenging stereotypes of masculinity

      As a SANE Peer Ambassador, I’m so proud to be part of a national network of nearly 100 people who all share a common goal of reducing stigma and discrimination for those living with complex mental ...
      Read More

      Cameron: fame, change and isolation

      If there’s a central theme to the last five years for Cameron, it’s change. He’s changed perspectives: there was a time when a diagnosis of schizophrenia eighteen years ago meant that his brain wa...
      Read More

      Ali

      Growing up, I played a lot of sport and had a very big and loving family. But I began feeling overwhelmed by the world and where I’d fit in. When you’re in your own mind as a kid, you think that e...
      Read More

      Declan

      When I first started talking to people about having borderline personality disorder, it was hard to open up. I was trying to ‘be a man’ about it, and not show my emotions. It was usually at a party...
      Read More

      Mahlie

      I’ve always had a strong sense of identity and am quite strong willed. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 27, because I was so resistant to seeking help. I eventually found a psychologist because thing...
      Read More

      Tim

      A few years ago I attended an OCD support group where people would discuss their symptoms and talk about how they were going. One regular often had trouble explaining himself to the group. He would...
      Read More

      Tilly: my mental health toolbox

      I am not bipolar. I have bipolar disorder. My diagnosis and my identity are linked only in so far as experiencing mental illness has contributed to my personal growth. My perspectives have broaden...
      Read More

      Kaitlin: finding my voice

      The most effective tool I have is my voice. Speaking out when things are troubling should never be ignored or disrespected. All of our experiences are valid and hold powerful emotions that need to ...
      Read More

      Finn: being my genuine self

      Although being transgender isn’t a mental illness, many within our community do experience it. I am a trans man, meaning I was assigned female at birth but my gender is male. I’ve lived with severa...
      Read More

      Kat: defeating the ‘tortured artist’ stereotype

      Suffering is not a sign of creativity, it’s a sign of illness, and no one should have to be ill to be counted an artist. When I was 15, my friend told me I would become depressed later in life bec...
      Read More

      Tim: owning my identities

      Throughout our lives, we will identify with many different groups. We apply many labels to ourselves to help understand who we are and what we do. For example, only recently did I start identifyin...
      Read More

      Hannah

      When I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at 18, I thought that I’d be sitting in a room for the rest of my life. I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to do anything I wanted to do. I felt so hop...
      Read More

      Mark

      1983 sticks out to me. I did a really bad pre-season. I was down, I couldn’t train properly. I felt like I had a really bad flu. That was the start of my mental health problems, but it was decades ...
      Read More

      Nicole

      There’s no information about mental illness in Papua New Guinea. I’ve never heard of a counsellor or psychologist there. If you ask people what it is they describe what they see in the movies — ext...
      Read More

      Dov

      As a doctor living with bipolar disorder, I’m often dismayed at how people with mental illnesses are treated, even within the medical establishment. The problem with mental illness is that the symp...
      Read More

      Matt

      I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 19 years ago when I was at TAFE. It came as a bit of a shock as I could not fathom how this could happen to me. I didn’t know much about mental illness or bipo...
      Read More

      Jo

      TW: This article mentions suicide.  A lot of people think carers are saints, they don’t think of them as human beings. But they are real people who absolutely do suffer from isolation, stress...
      Read More

      Denielle

      From the outside, my life looks pretty idyllic. I live in a beautiful part of country Victoria with my three wonderful children. But, as with many people, I’ve faced my share of demons. Mental illn...
      Read More

      Stephanie

      I love my life and have been quite privileged. I have also struggled with different mental illnesses for almost a decade. I was diagnosed with bulimia at 18 and had my first suicide attempt just be...
      Read More

        Other Support Services

        SANE services are not designed for crisis support. If you require immediate support, please contact one of the service providers below.

        If you need immediate support and can’t reach us, contact the services below. In an emergency contact 000. 

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        SANE logo
        Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care NSQDMH Accreditation logo

        Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.

        Donate Now
        National Standards for Mental Health Services - IHCA Certified
        Aboriginal flag
        Torres Strait Islander flag
        LGBT flag
        Transgender flag

        SANE acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as traditional custodians of the land on which it operates. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and value the rich history, unbroken culture and ongoing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to country.

        SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

        Back to top
        SANE logo
        Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care NSQDMH Accreditation logo

        Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.

        Donate Now
        National Standards for Mental Health Services - IHCA Certified
        Aboriginal flag
        Torres Strait Islander flag
        LGBT flag
        Transgender flag

        SANE acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as traditional custodians of the land on which it operates. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and value the rich history, unbroken culture and ongoing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to country.

        SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

        SANE is a public company limited by guarantee and registered tax-exempt charity with DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status.

        Charity ABN 92 006 533 606. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. SANE, PO Box 1226, Carlton VIC 3053.