Helpingminds

What Helpingminds does

Helping Minds is a registered Australian charity headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, that delivers free mental health services, education, and carer support to people aged seven and over. Founded in 1976 as ARAFMI WA (Association for the Relatives and Friends of the Mentally Ill) and rebranded approximately five years ago, the organisation operates 15 service locations across metropolitan Perth and regional WA (including Broome, Bunbury, Carnarvon, Geraldton, Mandurah, and South Hedland). Its service portfolio spans four primary areas: Mental Health Carer Support (counselling, Carer Gateway access, respite), Young People Services (Young Carers program, Young Minds early intervention, school holiday programs), Adults Services (NDIS support and direct mental health services), and Education Programs (school workshops, workplace workshops, community presentations, and the WA Recovery College Alliance).

The organisation runs no proprietary technology platform; it is a service-delivery non-profit using a website-based service checker, Eventbrite for event bookings, and standard CRM/marketing tools. Its underlying technology footprint is essentially administrative — supporting outreach, enrolment, and referral workflows rather than constituting a product. Revenue is derived almost entirely from government grants and program funding (Mental Health Commission of WA, Australian Government Department of Social Services, WA Primary Health Alliance, NDIS) supplemented by donations and philanthropic support (notably Telethon). All services are provided free of charge to end users; pricing to "customers" (i.e., funders) is governed by recurring government contracts and grant cycles.

Go-to-market is community-led rather than sales-led: the organisation relies on partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, workplaces, and community organisations, plus word-of-mouth referrals and outreach to regional and remote communities. The customer base is split between individual/family service recipients (the end beneficiaries), institutional partners (schools, employers, community groups who purchase education programs), and government funders who underwrite the bulk of operations.

Name

Helpingminds

Legal name

Helping Minds

Website

https://helpingminds.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Helping Minds is a Perth-based registered charity, founded in 1976, that provides free mental health services, education, and carer support across 15 locations in Western Australia to people aged seven and over, funded primarily by government grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Carer support programs
• Community mental health
• Counselling services
• Mental health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Helping Minds receives core operational funding from government sources including the Mental Health Commission of WA, Australian Government Department of Social Services, WA Primary Health Alliance, and NDIS. This funding enables the organization to provide free services to the community.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from the public to support its mental health services and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Helping Minds provides free mental health services, education, and carer support to people aged seven and over across Western Australia. Core offerings span four service areas: Mental Health Carer Support (counselling, support, Carer Gateway access), Young People Services (Young Carers, Young Minds early intervention, school holiday programs), Adults Services (NDIS support, mental health counselling), and Education Programs (workshops for schools, workplaces, and community groups, plus WA Recovery College courses). All services are delivered at no cost to clients, funded through government grants and public donations.

Product overview

Helping Minds is a mental health services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of free support services across Western Australia. The core offerings span four main service areas: Mental Health Carer Support (including counselling, support, and Carer Gateway access), Young People Services (Young Carers, Young Minds early intervention, and school holiday programs), Adults Services (including NDIS support), and Education Programs. The education division provides workshops for schools, workplaces, and community groups, including specific offerings like Accidental Counsellor Training, Mind Dance movement therapy, and school-based programs on social media, bullying, and mental health. The organization also operates the WA Recovery College Alliance, delivering free mental health education courses. Additional offerings include information stalls at community events, Sunday Self-Care Reflections blog content, and new early intervention programs like Little Minds Growing Brave. All services are free and available to people aged seven and over across Western Australia since 1976.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Carer Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Services provided free of charge to all clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Greater Bunbury Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership through WA Recovery College Alliance (WARCA) supporting the Dirt n Dust Run initiative - a fundraising and community engagement partnership
• WA Primary Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary health network partnership providing funding and strategic alignment for mental health services in Western Australia
• Mental Health Commission of WAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government body providing core funding and policy direction for mental health services in Western Australia
• Australian Government Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government department providing funding for mental health and carer support services
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational disability insurance scheme providing funding packages for eligible individuals with disability including psychosocial disability
• The Kids Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership supporting evidence-based approaches to child and adolescent mental health
• Act Belong CommitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMental health promotion campaign partnership encouraging positive mental health behaviors in the community
• East Metropolitan Health Service Mental Health DirectoratecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through WA Recovery College Alliance (WARCA) to support mental health learning and education across the healthcare system
• headspace GeraldtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership at Geraldton Hub providing integrated youth mental health services in regional Western Australia
• Youth FocuscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership at Geraldton Hub providing complementary youth mental health services in regional Western Australia
• STAY GeraldtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership at Geraldton Hub providing youth support services in regional Western Australia

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Black Dog Institute: Australia's leading research and clinical translation institute for mood disorders. Comparable as a mental health service and education provider with strong evidence-based reputation; competes for research partnerships (e.g., Kids Research Institute) and grants.
• ReachOut Australia: Digital-first mental health service for young people in Australia. Comparable target population (youth/early intervention) but opposite delivery model — pure online vs. Helping Minds' physical regional offices; represents the digital competition Helping Minds faces.

Direct peers

• Carers WA: Western Australian peak body for unpaid family carers including mental health carers. Directly comparable in carer advocacy, education, and support; co-funds and co-delivers Carer Gateway services that Helping Minds also accesses.
• SANE Australia: National mental health charity focused on complex mental illness and support for family/carers. Directly comparable to Helping Minds' carer support mission and free service model, with overlap in psychosocial disability and NDIS-related work.
• ARAFMI (Mental Health Carers NSW): NSW-based mental health carer support organization sharing the same historical ARAFMI lineage as Helping Minds (formerly ARAFMI WA). Closest functional peer — same mission, similar free service model, and shared origin story.
• Youth Focus: WA-based youth mental health charity providing early intervention and counselling for 12-25 year olds. Co-located with Helping Minds at Geraldton Hub and directly competes for youth mental health funding and school partnerships across Western Australia.
• Mental Health Carers Australia (MHCA): National peak body for mental health carers in Australia. Directly comparable mission to Helping Minds' carer support division; competes for federal DSS funding and policy influence on carer recognition legislation.

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Blue: National mental health charity providing information, support, and referrals across anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention. Comparable as a free, government and donor-funded mental health awareness and support service; serves overlapping beneficiary populations and competes for federal/state funding.
• headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation): Australia's primary youth mental health organization with national footprint of 150+ centers. Directly comparable as a free mental health services provider targeting young people; Helping Minds already partners with headspace Geraldton and competes for the same youth cohort and government funding.
• Lifeline Australia: National crisis support and suicide prevention charity operating a 24/7 helpline. Comparable as a free, charity-funded mental health support provider with national reach; competes for donor dollars and government mental health contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMLPtLCROZfQJSncu-YTzPw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/HelpingMinds-162097980527375
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/helping-minds-formally-arafmi-wa-
• Instagraminstagram.com/helpingmindsau
• Xx.com/helpingmindsaus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Helpingminds