Autistic people experience dramatically poor mental health outcomes compared to the general population and report significant challenges identifying accessible and appropriate mental health services.
There are many barriers that make it harder for Autistic people to get the right mental health care which can include low autism awareness and understanding by mental health practitioners, communication difficulties (particularly when a person is non-speaking) and sensory sensitivities.
Funded by the Victorian Department of Health, Amaze has created a suite of resources which aims to build greater understanding of newly established Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals (MHWL) and to improve the capability of these mental health services to support Autistic people.
This fact sheet provides information about MHWLs in Victoria. It explains how MHWLs can support Autistic people experiencing mental health concerns, and how these services can be contacted.
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This survey will help us to evaluate the impact of these resources which were funded by the Diverse Communities Grant Program. It has been commissioned by the Department of Health and is conducted by Acil Allen. The survey will take about 5 minutes and is voluntary. Your responses are anonymous.
This toolkit was developed for staff at Victorian Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals (MHWL), and draws on insights gathered through consultations with team members from three MHWL locations across Victoria.
It comprises four resources designed to build knowledge across a range of topics. Each section begins with an introduction to the subject and concludes with practical, topic-specific advice.
This section will cover:
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If you are experiencing distress or poor mental health and need urgent crisis support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go to www.lifeline.org.au  (24/7).
Permission is granted for the content of this information guide to be reproduced in its entirety, provided Amaze is acknowledged as the source. Content is provided for educational and informational purposes only.