IN A telling boost to mental health in Mackay, the new $5.4 million Step Up Step Down residential facility is well under way, with construction set to be complete in May, 2019.

The facility will incorporate ten beds in an increased community support outreach, calling on the expertise of professionals with clinical, medical and nursing backgrounds and volunteers who draw from their own experiences with mental illness to assist incoming residents.

Mackay Base Hospital chief executive Jo Whitehead lauded the benefits the completed unit would bring to the region.

"The facility that we're developing here is a great partnership option for our patients who might need a little bit of extra support as they make their way out of the acute unit at Mackay Base Hospital prior to returning back to the community, or might need a little more help in the community but don't quite need the acute support Mackay Base can bring,” Ms Whitehead said.

"This new facility, building on the success of the temporary facility provided by mind, just really complements what we're trying to achieve; safe and supportive services for patients, whether they need acute care, community care or something in between.

"Our patients have different needs at different points in their treatment journey and it's just really lovely to be able to have these treatment options available to our patients.”

After beginning construction in August, the site civil works, foundations, structural floors and timber wall framing are complete.

The next phase will include roof sheeting to be completed in the new year, and the installation of timber trusses.

In the interim, Mackay Hospital and Health Services have run a similar service in collaboration with MINDS Australia, with 102 clients having resided in the six-room facility throughout its first year.

Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said the service was a testament to the hard work showcased by mental health advocates and professionals in Mackay.

"Already this service is proving its worth by helping people avoid a hospital admission,” Mrs Gilbert said.

"It's great to see that people are already benefiting from the interim facility which has six beds. Increasing the number of beds to 10 will allow more people to access care.”