Do I need a Crisis or a Non-Crisis Service?

"Crisis support" is a common term in mental health, but what does it really mean?

Crisis Services

A crisis service is a service that can support you if you are experiencing  distressing mental health symptoms and need support immediately. Examples of this might include:

• suicidal thoughts or planning
• severe depression or anxiety
• a significant personal loss or life change
• a recent trauma

Please note that if you are at imminent risk of suicide, a crisis service may call 000 on your behalf. Imminent risk means that you are currently planning to and/or intend to end your life. Having suicidal ideation (thoughts), or thinking about suicide without planning/intent to end your life is not an example of imminent risk.

Non-Crisis Services

A non-crisis service is a service that can support you when you simply need someone to talk to. A service like this can...

• help you cope during a difficult time
• lend a listening ear
• let you speak to someone who has been where you are now (in the case of peer support services, which are staffed by people with lived experience)
• give you information about where to go next

After-Hours Services

An after-hours service can be a crisis or non-crisis service. This term simply means that the service is open outside of standard Australian business hours, when other mental health services would usually be closed.