Medicare Mental Health Check In: Free support and where it fits

If you have been feeling stressed, flat or more worried than usual, you may have heard about Medicare Mental Health Check In. It is a free national service, funded by the Australian Government, that teaches practical skills based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You do not need a GP referral or a diagnosis to use it.¹

This guide is for anyone aged 16 or over wondering whether it is the right place to start, and for family and friends trying to help. It covers what the service offers in mid-2026, who it is designed for, what to expect, and how it fits alongside your GP, a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a psychologist.

Free low-intensity support and psychological therapy are not rivals. They are different levels of care, and the aim here is to help you work out which one suits where you are now.

What is Medicare Mental Health Check In?

Medicare Mental Health Check In is a free digital mental health service delivered by St Vincent’s Health Australia for the Australian Government.¹ Its website, medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au, went live on 1 January 2026, and the service was added to in stages:

• From 1 January 2026: the website, with evidence-based information and practical self-care tips.²
• From 30 March 2026: guided support, where a trained practitioner works through a program with you by phone or video after an intake call.²
• From 30 May 2026: self-guided online tools you can use at your own pace.²

The programs use low-intensity CBT. Rather than open-ended therapy, it focuses on learning and practising a small number of practical skills with structured tools. Each program takes around six weeks, and guided support is delivered over several sessions.³ The tools cover everyday challenges such as stress, trouble sleeping, worries and low mood.³

Who it is designed for, and who it is not

Check In is open to people aged 16 and over who live in Australia.³ It is aimed at people who have, or are at risk of, emerging mental health difficulties or temporary distress: stress, worry, low mood or poor sleep that is starting to get in the way but still feels broadly manageable.¹

The service describes itself as a short-term, low-intensity option for mild symptoms, not a crisis or high-intensity service.⁴ Its guidance for health professionals says people with more intensive or urgent needs should be guided to other supports, such as their GP, a Medicare Mental Health Centre or emergency services. So it is not designed for you if:

• you are in crisis or worried about your safety right now;
• your difficulties are severe or complex, for example several problems at once, or symptoms that make it very hard to function day to day;
• you are under 16, in which case a GP or a trusted adult can help you find support suited to your age.

If you need help urgently, our urgent help page lists where to go.

What to expect when you get in touch

1. Make a phone call. Call Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212, weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm (not public holidays), and say you are interested in Check In. A trained professional does a short intake assessment to check whether low-intensity CBT suits your needs.¹
2. Choose how to work. If it fits, you can work through a program with a practitioner by telehealth, or on your own with the self-guided tools.³
3. Expect to practise. Like other CBT-based approaches, the programs involve trying skills out in daily life between check-ins.
4. If it is not the right fit. The phone service assesses what people need and can refer them to a more suitable service, such as a Medicare Mental Health Centre, a local community service or a private provider.⁶

The service is free and confidential. Interpreters are available in more than 150 languages for guided sessions, Auslan interpreting is available for guided support, and you can ask for an interpreter when you call.⁴

Where Check In sits within Medicare Mental Health

Check In is one part of Medicare Mental Health (previously known as Head to Health), the Australian Government’s free mental health gateway.⁵⁶ It also includes the Medicare Mental Health website, the 1800 595 212 phone line, where a trained professional can help you find free or low-cost local services, and Medicare Mental Health Centres, which you can walk into without a referral or diagnosis and which open extended hours.⁵ Kids Hubs support children aged 0 to 12 and their families.⁵

How it fits with your GP, a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a psychologist

Check In sits alongside the usual pathway through your GP rather than replacing it.

Your GP

A GP can look at the whole picture, including physical health, sleep and medication. They can talk through options, including Check In, and prepare a Mental Health Treatment Plan (often called a mental health care plan) if you need more support. Our guide on how to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan walks through the steps.

A Mental Health Treatment Plan and Better Access

Through the Better Access initiative, people with a diagnosed mental disorder can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with an eligible psychologist, social worker or occupational therapist, in person or by telehealth.⁷ A referral covers an initial course of up to six sessions, and a new referral is needed for the rest.⁷ Since 1 November 2025, the plan and referrals generally need to come from the practice where you are registered for MyMedicare, or from your usual GP.⁷ Our Medicare page explains how rebates work for psychology sessions.

A psychologist

Therapy with a psychologist is usually longer and more individualised than a structured program. It starts with an assessment, builds a shared understanding of what is keeping things stuck, and adjusts as you go. That makes it a better match for severe, complex or long-standing difficulties, including those tangled up with trauma, grief or a health condition. If you are unsure who does what, see our guide to psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors.

Using more than one

The service’s guidance for health professionals describes Check In as part of a stepped-care approach, where support can step up as needs change.⁴ Some people find a six-week program is enough. Others use it as a first step and move on to therapy if they need more. If you already see a psychologist, talk with them before adding a program so the two fit together.

Choosing between free low-intensity support and psychological therapy

Neither option is right for everyone. The useful question is which one fits your situation now:

• Impact. If you are still mostly managing work, study and relationships, a low-intensity program is a reasonable place to start. If getting through the day is a struggle, a GP and a psychologist are likely to suit you better.
• Duration. A recent spell of stress or low mood is different from a pattern that has lasted many months or keeps coming back.
• Complexity. Trauma, several problems at once, or difficulties that have not shifted with self-help usually call for a fuller assessment and a tailored plan.
• Preference. Some people like structured tools and a light touch. Others want time to talk things through with one person over a longer period.
• Safety. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, skip the low-intensity step and get help now.

Research supports both options for the right person. A large study pooling individual data from 39 trials of internet-based CBT for depression found that guided and self-guided programs were both linked with better results than control conditions.⁸ Support from a person made more difference for people with moderate to severe symptoms, while for milder symptoms the gap was small.⁸ The findings suggest that the more you are struggling, the more a person’s support is worth having.

If you would like to try some skills on your own first, our article on self-help for anxiety and low mood covers what tends to help and the signs it is not enough.

When and how to get help

It is worth talking to someone soon if:

• stress, worry or low mood has lasted a few weeks or more and is affecting sleep, work, study or relationships;
• you are avoiding things you used to manage, or relying on alcohol or other drugs to cope;
• you have tried self-help or a low-intensity program and things have not improved or have got worse;
• you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

For mild or emerging difficulties, calling Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212 about Check In is a sensible first step. Your GP can check your physical health and prepare a Mental Health Treatment Plan if you need a psychologist, and a Medicare Mental Health Centre can see you without a referral.

At Mind Health we see people in person in Parramatta and by telehealth across Australia. If you are wondering what an appointment involves, our guide to what to expect in a first session may help.

Frequently asked questions

Is Medicare Mental Health Check In really free?

Yes. The service is fully funded by the Australian Government, and there is no cost for the programs or for guided sessions with a practitioner. You do not need a referral, a Mental Health Treatment Plan or a diagnosis to use it.

Do I need to see my GP before using Check In?

No. You can contact the service directly by calling Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212. Seeing a GP is still worthwhile if you have physical symptoms, are wondering about medication, or might need a Mental Health Treatment Plan for sessions with a psychologist.

Who is Check In not designed for?

It is not a crisis or high-intensity service. If you are in crisis, worried about your safety, or living with severe or complex difficulties, a GP, a psychologist, a Medicare Mental Health Centre or emergency services are better placed to help. It is also only open to people aged 16 and over.

What is the difference between guided and self-guided Check In?

In the guided pathway, a trained practitioner works through the program with you over several telehealth sessions by phone or video. In the self-guided pathway, available since late May 2026, you use the online tools on your own, at your own pace. Each program takes around six weeks.

References

1. Butler, M., & McBride, E. (2026, 1 April). Free mental health therapy now available [Joint media release]. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/free-mental-health-therapy-now-available
2. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). Medicare Mental Health Check In: online now [News]. Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/news/medicare-mental-health-check-in-online-now
3. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). Medicare Mental Health Check In launches self-guided service [News]. Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/news/medicare-mental-health-check-in-launches-self-guided-service
4. Medicare Mental Health Check In. (2026). Health professionals guide for multicultural patients. Australian Government and St Vincent’s Health Australia. https://www.medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-06/health-professionals-guide-multicultural-patients.pdf
5. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). Medicare Mental Health. Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/medicare-mental-health
6. Department of Health and Aged Care. (2025). National service model: Medicare Mental Health phone service (Version 3.0). Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-05/national-service-model-medicare-mental-health-phone-service.pdf
7. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2025). Better Access initiative: patient factsheet. Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-10/better-access-fact-sheet-patients_0.pdf
8. Karyotaki, E., Efthimiou, O., Miguel, C., Bermpohl, F. M. G., Furukawa, T. A., Cuijpers, P., et al. (2021). Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depression: a systematic review and individual patient data network meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(4), 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.4364

Related reading

• Telehealth Psychology in Australia
• How Much Does a Psychologist Cost in Australia
• What Actually Happens in a Psychology Session

This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personal advice from a qualified health professional. If you are concerned about your mental health, please speak with your GP or a psychologist.

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