About Us

New or expecting parents, from the start of pregnancy up until the baby is 12 months old, experiencing moderate to severe perinatal and infant mental health issues.

A family member, support person, or your health professional can also contact us on a parent’s behalf for information or advice. We won’t begin supporting a parent until they have provided consent.

You can expect to feel heard. We will give you space and time to tell us about what’s currently going on. You will talk directly with one of our clinical navigators who provide a safe, calm, and welcoming environment to have an open and judgement free conversation. We’ll ask you some questions to get a better idea of how you are coping. This includes your past mental health and experiences. Some of this may be difficult to talk about. Just let us know and we can take a break or resume the call another time. At any time if we don’t feel you or your infant are safe, we’ll refer you onto other services.

We use phone calls, email or SMS to communicate with you.

We are a short term service lasting about one month and can tailor our support level to meet your needs.

We will help get you connected to the services you choose. Sometimes we may finish up with you before you start the service we’ve recommended and sometimes we’ll wait until you’ve had your first appointment. We’ll decide together on the best time to say goodbye. If things don’t work out or if you need a different service, you can always come back.

As a health professional referring someone to ForWhen, you can expect that we’ll keep you updated and let you know our recommendations.

We are open 9:00am-4:30pm Monday to Friday in each State and Territory. The service is closed on public holidays and weekends.

Alternatively you can contact us on our website HERE. 

ForWhen is not a crisis service. If you need urgent help now, call 000, Lifeline 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

ForWhen is a free National service. Any call costs incurred are according to your phone provider. Some services we discuss with you may have a cost.

You can choose to access ForWhen services anonymously. There may be limitations in the service we can provide.

ForWhen Navigators are our clinically trained health professionals. They often have a background in child and family health as nurses, midwives or allied health clinicians with specific perinatal and infant mental health expertise. They are located in your State or Territory so understand where you live and the services available. When you call you are connected directly with a Navigator.

There are some requirements to access the ForWhen service.

1. You need to be a new or expecting parent or carer with a baby under 12 months old. If you have recently lost a baby, we can help you too.
2. If you are a referring health professional, you need to have the consent of the client you are referring.
3. You need to be based in Australia
4. You need to be ready to get help for your mental health. Sometimes life is complex and other things are taking priority, like finding a safe place to live or dealing with substance use. It may be better to deal with these bigger, challenging things first. Contact us when you’re ready to get help.
5. You need access to a phone.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights apply to all people in all places where health care is provided in Australia.

The Charter describes what you, or someone you care for, can expect when receiving health care. Follow the link HERE to read more about your healthcare rights.

When accessing ForWhen, we will respect your privacy and comply with any applicable laws and regulations regarding any personal information we may collect about you. You can read our Privacy Policy HERE

You have the right to an interpreter. Find out more about how to access an interpreter HERE

We ask all our clients if they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. This helps us to understand each individual client, so we can make ForWhen a supportive and safe space. It also helps us measure the impact of our service and can help us talk to you about what services are available to you. You may like to have someone else from your community or mob on the call with you for support. We can do that, it’s your choice.

If you prefer not to be referred to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander service, we can find you a different service, no matter if you answer yes or no to the question about your origin.

If you choose not to answer, that’s ok. It doesn’t affect the standard of service you receive from us.