Mental health
Access to Allied Psychological Services / Brisbane MIND
The Australian Government's Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program provides access to private psychological services for people who who would otherwise be disadvantaged. ATAPS programs compliment the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative, which allows referral to mental health professionals as part of the GP Mental Health Treatment Plan
Since 2003, Brisbane MIND, the ATAPS program has helped more than 6,500 Brisbane north residents with conditions including anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues to see a psychologist. From 1 July 2011, the Brisbane MIND ATAPS program was expanded into the Moreton Bay region after the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local was created.
Brisbane MIND provides subsidised psychological treatment to Health Care Card and Pension Card holders via a referral from their GP to one of our contracted Pscyhologists.
Patient satisfaction surveys show significant improvement in mental health after therapy with a Brisbane MIND contracted psychologist. Surveys collected since 2005 show that 69 per cent of people rated their mental health as extremely poor or poor prior to treatment, compared with only nine per cent post-treatment.
In a review of ATAPS program in March 2010, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing found that the programs were highly successful and had helped more than 150,000 people to access much needed psychological care. The review highlighted that ATAPS programs had successfully adapted to target specific populations and were providing a high number of services to low income earners (68 per cent of the total number of people receiving ATAPS services).1
GPs and Psycologists interested in participating in Brisbane MIND must contact our Coordinator in the first instance.
1. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, March 2010, Outcomes and proposed next steps: Review of the Access to Allied Psychological Services component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program.
Partners in Mind
Partners in Mind aims to improve existing links between mental health services, specialist mental health services, local GPs and private allied mental health professionals. Partners in Mind is a collaboration between Medicare Locals/divisions of general practice and local government mental health services to implement a Queensland Framework for Primary Mental Health Care. The goal of this framework is to create an 'ideal' primary mental health care sector. The project is managed through General Practice Queensland and funded by Queensland Health.
Post Discharge Care for Patients Presenting to Emergency Departments with Deliberate Self Harm or Suicide
This project funded by Queensland Health and the Department of Health and Ageing is trialing a model of care that will identify people who are at risk of deliberate self-harm or suicide and help them to get help sooner. The project is a collaboration between Metro South Health Service District and Metro North Health Service District, the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local and Brisbane South Division and will be trialled with the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Queensland Health Suicide Prevention Officers will be employed in emergency departments to provide direct outreach follow-up support to people who present with self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
The aim is to improve discharge planning, engagement with medical practitioners, referral and community support for people at risk of deliberate self harm/suicide and who present at the hospital’s emergency departments.
Project Officers will work toward establishing effective working relationships between clinical staff at the hospitals, community based services and general practitioners.