Help for suicide emergency – Crisis assessment and treatment teams

If someone’s life is in danger or there is an immediate risk of harm, call 000. 

What are Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams (CATTs)?  

Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams (CATTs) are multi-disciplinary teams typically based at a major hospital that provide help during a mental health crisis. A CATT team can include mental health nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists. 

Depending on where you are in Australia, CATTs may also be called acute care teams, psychiatric triage, or psychiatric emergency teams. 

A CATT team responds to urgent requests to help people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. CATT teams assess the situation and determine the best way to help the person. They can also refer the person to longer-term support if that is needed. 

CATTs also work with other services, including the police, ambulance, alcohol and drug services, child protection, and community services where required. 

Contacting CATTs during a mental health crisis 

If you think there is an immediate threat or risk of harm to yourself or others, call 000 immediately. 

When someone is having a mental health crisis, calling a mental health triage service can help connect you to a CATT or similar service.  

Below is a list of services by state and territory to help you access mental health crisis support.  

ACT – Access Mental Health: 1800 629 354 

• Access Mental Health Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• Access Mental Health Line is for people of any age who have concerns about their own mental health. 

• Carers, family, friends, GPs, health professionals, support providers, and other members of the public can also contact the Access Mental Health Line to seek advice about or refer someone who may be experiencing mental health issues. 

• Access Mental Health can refer you to an acute response team for urgent intervention and short-term mental health support. 

New South Wales – Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511 

• Mental Health Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• The service is staffed by mental health professionals who can offer mental health advice, undertake a brief assessment, and make recommendations and referrals to NSW Health mental health services.  

• Health professionals (e.g. psychiatrists, psychologists, GPs, school counsellors), NGO workers, and first responders may also call to find out which service might be best for their patient or client.  

Northern Territory – NT Mental Health Line: 1800 682 288 

• NT Mental Health Line is a 24-hour mental health hotline. 

Queensland – 1300 MH CALL: 1300 642 255 

• 1300 MH CALL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• 1300 MH CALL is a mental health telephone triage service that provides the first point of contact to public mental health services to Queenslanders. 

• The service can provide support, information, advice, and referrals. 

• The service can provide advice and information in a mental health emergency or crisis. 

• 1300 MH CALL is staffed by mental health clinicians. 

• The service will provide a mental health triage and refer to acute care teams where appropriate. 

South Australia – Mental Health Triage Service: 13 14 65 

• Mental Health Triage Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• This service is the main point of access to state-funded mental health services and can provide advice and information in a mental health emergency or crisis. 

• The service is staffed by mental health clinicians who will assess and refer to acute response teams where appropriate. 

Tasmania – Access Mental Health: 1800 332 388 

• Access Mental Health is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• Access Mental Health is a phone line for mental health support, triage, and referral. 

• The service provides immediate counselling support over the phone, information about the Tasmanian mental health system, and help making a referral to public mental health services. 

• Access Mental Health is operated by mental health professionals. 

• GPs and other treating health professionals can call Access Mental Health to make referrals. 

Victoria – Contact your nearest major public hospital or visit the Department of Health website 

• CATTs are connected to major public hospitals in Victoria. To reach a team, contact your nearest major hospital.   

• The Victorian Department of Health has more information on mental health services available in the state.  

Western Australia – Mental Health Emergency Response Line: 1300 555 788 (Metro) or 1800 676 822 (Peel) 

• Mental Health Emergency Response Line is a 24-hour telephone service for people in the Perth metropolitan area experiencing a mental health crisis. 

• The service is operated by mental health clinicians.  

• The service provides mental health assessment, crisis support, crisis planning and brief intervention, mental health system navigation, and referrals when required.  

• The service is available for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis who feel that they need urgent assistance, families or carers of people with a mental illness, members of the public who witness a mental health crisis and need assistance, health professionals, and community welfare service providers. 

For the most up-to-date list of CATT and mental health triage services in your area, please visit the Healthdirect website. 

If you are seeking help for someone in a crisis, you can also go to the emergency department of your local hospital.  

 What happens when you call a CATT or triage service? 

Your local CATT service may vary depending on where you are located. However, you can usually expect the service to undertake an initial risk and assessment over the phone, and they may contact other treating practitioners. From the initial assessment, the CATT service will decide how to best support the person in crisis. The CATT service may assess the person’s current mental state, their psychiatric history, and what social support they have in place. They will work with the person involved, their family, and/or immediate carer to determine the best way to help.  

When you call a CATT or triage service, you may be asked the following: 

• Your name and contact details 

• Your location 

• Your concerns (reason for calling) 

• Number of people involved 

• Current condition of the person in crisis 

• Any assistance that is being given. 

Further information or details may be required. 

If someone’s life is in danger or there is an immediate risk of harm, call 000. 

If you need to talk to a counsellor, call Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or click on the floating chat button on the right to start an online chat. 

If it is an emergency, dial 000.