People experiencing mental health emergencies in New South Wales will increasingly be connected with specialist clinicians rather than automatically receiving a police-led response under a new statewide model announced by the NSW Government.
More than $270 million will be invested over ten years to establish a Virtual Mental Health Hub within NSW Ambulance and eight specialist mobile assessment teams.
The reform is intended to connect people with clinical support earlier, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and ensure police attend incidents primarily when safety risks or other circumstances require a law-enforcement response.
However, the new system has not yet been fully implemented. The government says it will be progressively rolled out, with the locations and commencement dates of the eight mobile teams yet to be announced.
Mental health specialists to assess Triple Zero calls
Under the new model, people will continue to call Triple Zero in a mental health emergency.
Relevant calls may then be connected with a dedicated team of mental health professionals who can assess the situation, provide immediate advice and identify the most appropriate response.
Depending on the person’s needs, this could include referral to counselling, community mental health services or an in-person assessment by a specialist NSW Ambulance team.
The change is designed to improve the clinical information available at the earliest stage of an emergency response.
For the public, the emergency contact process will remain the same: people should continue calling Triple Zero when there is an immediate risk to health or safety.
Eight specialist mobile teams planned
The government will establish eight Mental Health Acute Assessment Teams in areas identified as having high levels of need.
Each team will include a paramedic and a specialist mental health nurse.
The clinicians will attend selected mental health incidents, assess people in person and provide immediate support.
They may connect patients with ongoing community care or arrange transport to a NSW Health facility when further assessment or treatment is required.
The teams will operate for 12 hours each day, seven days a week.
This means the mobile component will not initially provide continuous 24-hour coverage or operate from every part of NSW.
Outside operating hours or in areas without a specialist team, incidents may continue to be managed through existing ambulance, police and health services.
Statewide virtual clinical support
A Virtual Mental Health Hub will be established within NSW Ambulance to provide specialist assessment and real-time clinical advice.
The hub will support the triage of mental health-related emergency calls and assist frontline responders in making safer and more informed decisions.
It may also help identify cases that can be managed through community services rather than transporting the person directly to a hospital emergency department.
The government describes the hub as statewide, although full operational details, staffing arrangements and the implementation timetable have not yet been released.
More than 100 new full-time positions are expected to be created across the broader program.
Police will continue attending higher-risk incidents
The reform does not remove NSW Police from mental health emergency responses.
Police will continue to attend when there is a threat to public safety, a weapon is involved, a crime may have occurred or officers are otherwise considered the most appropriate responders.
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said police had worked with NSW Health to develop the model and would continue responding whenever their presence was needed to protect the person, the community or emergency workers.
The intended change is that police will no longer be treated as the default lead agency for every mental health-related call.
Health clinicians may instead take the lead in lower-risk situations where a person primarily needs assessment, treatment or referral.
Existing PACER program to continue
The new model will operate alongside the existing Police Ambulance and Clinical Early Response program, known as PACER.
PACER brings together police, ambulance officers and mental health clinicians to respond to selected incidents in the community.
The government says PACER will continue while the new health-led system is introduced.
The relationship between PACER, the Virtual Mental Health Hub and the eight new assessment teams will become clearer as detailed implementation planning progresses.
Reform follows inquiries and fatal incidents
The government developed the model after several high-profile mental health emergencies raised concerns about the coordination of police and health responses.
The announcement responds to recommendations and findings from the Bondi Junction Coronial Inquest, the NSW parliamentary inquiry into community mental health care and an internal NSW Police review of mental health incident responses.
The Bondi Junction inquest called for stronger mental health outreach services and improved collaboration between NSW Health and police when responding to people experiencing serious psychological distress.
The new model has also been informed by the United Kingdom’s Right Care, Right Person approach, which seeks to ensure health agencies take greater responsibility for incidents where there is no significant policing need.
Advocates welcome reform but identify service gaps
Mental health advocates and families affected by previous emergency responses have generally welcomed the shift towards clinical care.
However, concerns remain about whether eight teams operating for only 12 hours a day will be enough to meet statewide demand.
The Australian Society of Psychiatrists described the model as a stronger entry point into the mental health system but warned that an improved emergency response must be supported by sufficient community-based services.
Without adequate follow-up care, people may continue cycling between crisis, emergency departments and discharge rather than receiving sustained treatment and support.
The government has acknowledged existing gaps in community mental healthcare and said consultation will continue during implementation.
Rollout details still to come
The announcement establishes the funding and broad structure of the new model, but several operational details remain unresolved.
The government has not yet confirmed:
- Where the eight Mental Health Acute Assessment Teams will be based
- When each team will begin operating
- Which mental health calls will qualify for a health-led response
- How coverage will work in rural and remote areas
- Whether the mobile teams will eventually expand to 24-hour operations
- How the outcomes of the program will be evaluated
Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson described the investment as a major first step rather than the final stage of reform.
The success of the model will depend not only on how emergency calls are assessed, but also on whether people can access appropriate treatment, accommodation and community support after the immediate crisis has passed.
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