All Hours Suicide Support Service

What is All Hours Suicide Support Service (AHS)?

All Hours Suicide Support Service (formerly called ATAPS Suicide Support Service) is a free phone counselling service that supports Primary Health Network clients when their allied health practitioner is not available.

All Hours Suicide Support Service (AHS) provides support to clients with low-to-medium risk of suicide 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring clients have access to professional counselling around the clock.

AHS professionally trained counsellors make outbound calls to check in with a client. These calls can occur once a day for up to two weeks at a time. If additional calls are required, this will need to be confirmed with AHS.

AHS is a free service.

Please note that AHS is not responsible for the ongoing case management of a client.

Note: If you are a client who has not been referred to this service and requires counselling support, please call Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 at any time. In an emergency, please call 000.

Who is eligible to use AHS?

Which health practitioners can use the service?

Allied health practitioners (e.g. psychologists, counsellors, mental health nurses, and social workers) who are registered with a Primary Health Network (PHN) can refer their clients to the All Hours Suicide Support Service. AHS can provide short-term interim counselling when:

• A new client has to wait more than three days to receive their first appointment.
• A client is going through a difficult period and needs support after-hours.
• A client has a long gap in between appointments.
• A practitioner is going on leave and won’t be able to see their client for a period of time.

GPs who have referred their patients to a PHN for psychological therapy services can also use AHS if the PHN practitioner has a long waiting period.

Which clients are eligible for the service?

Only clients referred to or receiving Primary Health Network psychological therapy services are eligible for the All Hours Suicide Support Service. In addition:

• All clients who are referred to us must be assessed as low-to-medium risk of suicide.
• All clients must be 15 years or older.
• Clients need to have an ongoing treating practitioner or are in the process of being linked in with one.
• The allied health practitioner must be registered with a PHN and should have successfully completed their Suicide Prevention Service Training.

I’m an Allied Health Professional or GP – how do I sign up to use AHS?

Practitioner registration is required

Allied health practitioners or GPs must register with AHS to refer clients to the service. To register, click on the Practitioner Details Form link below to download and save the form to your desktop. Please complete the form and email it to [email protected].

• Download the Practitioner Details Form

A practitioner only needs to register with AHS one time.

Please note: If you are a Head to Health practitioner you do not need to register with AHS to refer clients. Please download this Head to Health Only Client Referral Form and submit via email instead.

Referring clients to AHS

To refer your clients to AHS, please click on the Client Referral Form below to download and save the form to your desktop. Complete the form and email it to [email protected].

• Download the Client Referral Form

Please note that:

• Client referrals are only accepted via email.
• Referrals must be advised at least 1 business day before the first call is due to be made to your client.
• Incomplete forms may cause a delay in our ability to support your client at the required time.
• Time windows to make the call will be in three-hour blocks, e.g. 3pm – 6pm.
• Please advise your client to expect the first scheduled call and that the call will be from a private number.
• You can direct your referred client to contact 1800 859 585 should they require additional support between appointments.
• If consent is provided by the client, session notes for each call made by AHS will be securely emailed to the allied health practitioner.