How we designed this service

Medicare Mental Health Check In has been designed with a simple goal: to create a free, national digital mental health service that is safe and helpful for people starting to experience mental health challenges such as stress or worry.

Our design principles

We designed this service to be:

How we keep Medicare Mental Health Check In safe

Our service meets the Australian Government standards for safe and high-quality care, through the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards. The Standards tell us how people living in Australia should be able to easily access services regardless of their background or circumstance and how the service should respond.

We apply clinical safety measures and oversight not only to the practitioners delivering the service, but also to the digital platform and how it works.

This means that:

• changes that affect how care is delivered must receive approval from experienced clinicians
• we apply risk management processes to both human and digital components
• we continuously monitor safety, quality and consumer experience.

This framework supports a culture of safety and transparency and means that we can keep learning and improving our service. 

Where did the service come from?

In 2024, the Australian Government committed to fund a new national early intervention service providing free digital mental health support.

The Federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing spent more than a year working closely with consumers, mental health services and experts to find the best and safest way to deliver this brand-new service in Australia.

One of the most effective and evidence-based clinical service models has been used for many years in the United Kingdom (UK). It's called "Talking Therapies". The Government commissioned the Black Dog Institute to adapt Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) program materials used in the UK to better suit the Australian context and local need. These materials form the basis of the Medicare Mental Health Check In programs.

This is just the start. We will continue to improve and expand the program and tailor it to meet specific needs; after all, each person has a different lived and living experience with mental health.

We know this service will benefit from your experience and the experience of everyone accessing Medicare Mental Health Check In, so we will actively seek feedback to shape continuous improvement.