A free mental health clinic has opened in Muswellbrook, the third in the Hunter Region under the federal government's Head to Health program.
Free clinics also operate at Warners Bay and Cessnock.
Upper Hunter residents will have access to the Muswellbrook centre, along with outreach services to Singleton and Scone.
No referral is needed for the service, which is for adults.
The federal government vowed to create more Head to Health centres in this week's budget.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said they would be renamed as "Medicare Mental Health Centres" to lift their profile.
However, the Australian Psychological Society is concerned about a lack of federal investment to boost the mental health workforce.
It also raised concerns about "an average gap fee of $100" for private psychology services.
The free Head to Health services are commissioned through the Hunter's primary health network.
The network's chief executive Richard Nankervis said the aim of the service was to "simplify access to mental health care".
Not-for-profit Social Futures will run the Muswellbrook service, while Beam Health runs the Warners Bay and Cessnock clinics.
Social Futures chief executive Tony Davies said the service could help with challenges linked to family, work, finances and substance use.
"It's understandable that many people are feeling stressed and often pushed to the limit," Mr Davies said.
"You should not hesitate to reach out for support - it's an act of bravery."
Federal Hunter MP Dan Repacholi MP said "access to mental health services and support has never been more important".
In the budget, the Albanese government said it would boost the number of mental centres centres to 61 across the country by mid-2026.
Minister Butler said 20 of these centres had already opened.
"We're refocusing and extending their work to make sure that they focus on people with more complex needs," he said.
"That is really the gap in the system."
He said the service would receive "extra money to lift their clinical capabilities - their connections with psychiatrists, psychologists and GPs".
Australian Psychological Society president Catriona Davis-McCabe was surprised that the government had allocated only $29 million in the budget for the extra mental health centres.
She noted that the government made no change to mental health treatment plans, which allow people to claim up to 10 free sessions a year.
"We are profoundly disappointed the government has not committed to re-introducing the 20 Medicare-rebated sessions," Dr Davis-McCabe said.
She added that it was "extremely disappointing patients will continue to face an average gap fee of $100" for private psychology services.
"Too many people are using their credit card instead of a Medicare card to pay for their psychology treatment," Dr Davis-McCabe said.
The government planned to "explore the creation of a psychology assistant role".
Dr Davis-McCabe said there were not enough psychologists in Australia.
"Substantial investment in the psychology workforce is fundamental to any reform efforts," she said, adding that a lack of new funding for this was disappointing.
