Safety and quality in digital mental health
It's important to be able to trust the digital mental health services you use.
To ensure quality and safety of these services, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) has developed the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards—or ‘Digital Mental Health Standards’.
The Digital Mental Health Standards are a set of requirements that ensure service providers:
- keep improving the safety and quality of their services, and make sure they are person-centred, safe and effective
- develop, implement and maintain systems to partner with people who use their services and their support people
- establish a model of care to deliver high-quality services, and minimise the risk of harm to people who use them.
For more information on the Digital Mental Health Standards, visit the Commissions website.
Accredited service providers
If a service provider has proven to meet the level of care required by these standards, they can become accredited. You can identify accredited service providers on Head to Health by the accreditation badge on their provider and service pages.
You can be confident that a service from an accredited service provider is evidence-based, and that they will keep your information private.
Accredited providers must go through a thorough assessment process and show evidence that they meet the requirements of the Digital Mental Health Standards. They are reviewed by an independent agency that has been trained to identify quality and safety issues.
To remain compliant with the Digital Mental Health Standards, providers must renew their accreditation every 3 years.
For a full register of accredited providers and their accreditation expiry dates, visit the Commission’s website.
Should I still use services from providers that are not accredited?
All services listed on Head to Health are from trusted and well established Australian providers.
Some service providers are still working towards getting accredited for the services they offer. It can take time to get ready to meet the Digital Mental Health Standards.
If a provider does not renew their accreditation and it expires, it does not mean that the service is unsafe or inaccessible.
Other service providers might not need accreditation. This is because the Digital Mental Health Standards only apply when offering certain types of services. Providers that only offer wellbeing services, for example, do not need accreditation.
Becoming an accredited provider
If you’re a service provider, receiving accreditation can help build trust with the people who access your services.
Assessment is conducted by an accrediting agency approved by the Commission, and involves a thorough review process.
To learn more about how to become accredited, visit the Commission’s website.