Improving mental health for Queensland women

• The Miles Labor Government is partnering with Women’s Health and Equality Queensland to deliver a new statewide mental telehealth service for women.
• The service will provide therapeutic counselling and support for women’s mental health and wellbeing through virtual and telephone services.
• It will address issues disproportionately experienced by women like miscarriage stillbirth, or neonatal death and domestic, family, and sexual violence and forms part of the Miles Government’s more than $1 billion Women and Girls Health Strategy 2032.

The Miles Labor Government has invested more than $11 million over four years to establish a new statewide telehealth service that will provide enhanced mental health support and care for women.

Women’s Health and Equality Queensland has been engaged to deliver the service, which will provide therapeutic counselling and support for women’s mental health and wellbeing through virtual and telephone platforms.

The new statewide model will provide care to women through a variety of platforms, including webchat, online and telephone services. Website resources will also be available.

The service will address a range of low-acuity mental health challenges, such as those experienced by women who have survived domestic and family violence, sexual assault, miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death.  

All women in Queensland will be able to access the service, with a particular focus on priority communities that face significant barriers to mental healthcare access, including those in rural, regional, and remote communities.

The new telehealth service is expected to launch later this year and will be part of the government’s broader investment in women and girls’ health and wellbeing.

This initiative is part of the more than $1 billion Women and Girls’ Health Strategy, which aims to improve health equity and address the social determinants of women and girls’ health.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman:

“I’m thrilled we’re delivering this crucial mental telehealth service to make it easier for all Queensland women to get the help they need.

“We heard from thousands of Queensland women and girls that increasing access and services for mental health care was one of their top health issues.

“When women don’t get the mental health support they need, it can impact their work, family life, and their ability to engage in the social, cultural, and economic opportunities across Queensland. 

“That’s why we’ve listened and acted to deliver what women and girls need to live healthy, well lives in Queensland.

“Women’s Health and Equality have been empowering Queensland women for over 40 years, and I know this new service will improve the lives of Queensland’s women and girls, no matter where they live.”

Quotes attributable to Emma Iwinska, Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Health and Equality Queensland

“The Women’s Wellbeing Line removes so many barriers to service access by providing support that is free, virtual, and has extended hours of operation.

“One of the really important things about the Women’s Wellbeing Line is that it delivers a model of care that is developed and delivered by women, to meet the needs of women and girls in Queensland.

“When women call they are listened to, they are respected, they get to work with the same counsellor in an ongoing therapeutic way to support their mental wellbeing.

“The service focuses on women and girls’ strengths, on supporting them with healing, helping them understand their experiences, connecting them with the right resources, and empowering them with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive.

“The Women’s Wellbeing Line will ensure women and girls, no matter where they live in Queensland, will be able to access trauma-informed continuity of care mental health support at no cost to them.

“This service will make a very real difference in the lives of so many women and girls in Queensland, particularly those in rural and remote parts of the state, and those living in poverty or with limited access to resources. We thank the Minister for Health and the Queensland Government for making women’s health a priority.

“By investing in mental health services for women, we improve the health and wellbeing of whole families and ultimately create healthier communities for Queensland.

ENDS

Media contact – healthmedia@ministerial.qld.gov.au

Background

More information about the service and how women can access it will be released later this year, closer to the launch date.