Thursday, March 11, 2010

FREE Mental Health Nurse Clinics in your Practice

Melbourne East GP Network has employed several well experienced Mental Health Nurses to provide free sessions of 3.5 hours for clinics.

For more information, go to the Mental Health Nurse page or contact Debbie Neill on T 8878 3755.



The Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative

The Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative, introduced November 1st 2006, now allows all GPs to refer patients for rebateable psychologist, social worker and occupational therapist services. To access the rebates, GPs must complete the GP Mental Health Care Plan (Item 2710) which incorporates an Assessment and Plan, then Review (2712) 4 weeks to 6 months after the plan. To meet medicare requirements as detailed int he explanatory notes, an outcome tool must be used at assessment. Many GPs have found the K10 to be user-friendly when obtaining outcome measures for patients with mental health concerns.

Please note: the original 3 step mental health plan, which can be found in recent versions of Medical Director, is the same in content and can be used for the purposes of the GP Mental Health Care Plan in claiming item 2710 or 2702.


2710 GP Mental Health Plan
K10 MD Template
GP to Psychiatrist referral template
K10 with instructions
FAQs about the new MBS items
Flowchart
GP Item Descriptors
GPMHC Explanatory Notes
Patient Pathways
Patient Rebates
Q&As
Outcome measures-K10

 
Psychologists
Go to the Australian Psychological Society at www.psychology.org.au and click the 'Search for a Psychologist' button on the right to search for Psychologist registered with Medicare.
Mental Health Social Workers

Go to www.aasw.asn.au to search for a Mental Health Social Worker for referral under Better Access to Mental Health Care.
 

Occupational Therapists
Go to www.ausot.com.au to search for an occupational therapist registered as a provider under Better Access to Mental Health Care.


Mental Health

St Vincent's Mental Health Service Flow Chart
An easy to read flowchart to assist GPs in referral to Eastern Health Mental Health Services via the Triage Number 1300 721 927 Eastern Health Mental Health Service Flowchart

Culturally And Linguisticaly Diverse (CALD)

Services for Culturally And Linguisticaly Diverse (CALD) Patients with Mental Health issues

A user friendly listing of services is avaialable with simple information on how the service can support you and your patient. The second page provides a peer-reviewed questionaire to assess CALD patients with mental health issues.

Psychiatric Disability Support Services (PDSS)

Psychiatric Disability Support Services (PDSS)
Easy to use 2 page resource developed for GPs to quickly identify appropriate support services for patients experiencing mental health problems. Services listed include housing support, psychosocial support, respite services, self help programs and employment assistance.

Problem Gambling Support

Accessing Problem Gambling Support
Easy to use flowchart to assist GPs to identify patients who may be experiencing problem gambling and support service contact details.

Primary Mental Health & Early Intervention Team (PMHT)

Referrals to PMHT

PMHT can assist GPs to assess & provide intervention for people in the community who have anxiety, depression of a related disorder and/or young people with early onset of mental illness.

PMHT provides:

·Telephone assistance to GPs;
· Information about mental health support/services to GPs;
· Linking GP patients with mental health support/services;
· Support/secondary consultation via phone or in GP's practice;
· Joint assessments and care plan formulation;
· Short term intervention in conjunction with GP

PMHT is a multi-disciplinary team comprising mental health clinicians, including psychiatrist & GP.

Phone: 9875 1600 or Fax: 9894 2854

Mental Health & Alcohol Services

A comprehensive listing of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Services by Local Government Area. Covers local mental health service teams, counselling, pharmacotherapy, emergengy relief, acute/psychiatric, ant/post natal, crisis lines, help for weblinks and more:

Whitehorse
Manningham
Maroondah
Boroondara
Knox
Yarra Ranges
Cardinia

Eastern Health Mental Health Services Summary

Easternhealth Mental Health services summary
Provides a quick summary of mental health services for GPs and is easy to use. The Mental Health chart provides brief outline of each service, age criteria for service, and business and after hours contact details.

Emergency Services

After Hours Emergency Services Numbers