What is the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program?
The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Program aims to improve the quality of care provided through general practice to Australians with a mental illness. The program comprises two components.
- Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) - enables General Practitioners (GPs) to refer consumers to allied health professionals who deliver focused psychological strategies services; and
- GP Psych Support Service - provides general practitioners with access to patient management advice from psychiatrists.
Why is this important?
Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care has addressed significant barriers to the early identification and treatment of mental disorders in Australia.
ATAPS provides an alternative referral pathway to Medicare funded psychological services for people seeking assistance, via their general practitioners for treatment of their mental illness.
Who benefits?
All Australians with a mental illness.
How does it work?
Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care improves community access to quality primary mental health services.
The ATAPS component provides funding to secure services from allied health professionals to support general practice delivery of mental health care.
Divisions of General Practice are allocated an annual budget, through a funding agreement with the Department of Health and Ageing, to broker allied mental health services for patients of general practitioners who would not otherwise access these services. Divisions are able to adopt a model that best suits their local arrangements and as a result a number of service delivery models are being used across the country.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is currently engaged through a funding agreement with the Department of Health and Ageing to deliver the GP Psych Support Service. This Service provides GPs with phone, fax and internet/email access to patient management advice from a psychiatrist within 24 hours of their request.
What funding is attached to this program?
The 2011-12 Budget includes $205.9 million over 5 years to expand the ATAPS Initiative, this represents a doubling of the current investment for ATAPS Australia wide. Through this additional funding, over 184,000 additional people will receive services through ATAPS, including children with mental illness and their families, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people from other hard to reach locations and groups.
This includes funding of $21.6 million provided through the Services for Children with Mental Health and Developmental Issues measure announced as part of the Taking Action to Tackle Suicide package.
Also announced as part of the Taking Action to Tackle Suicide package, the More Psychological Services for People who have attempted or are at Risk of Suicide measure provides funding of $23.5 million to roll out the ATAPS Suicide Prevention Service nationally.
Medicare Locals will take over the fund holding role for ATAPS by 2012-13, and fund holding arrangements for ATAPS will be transitioned from Divisions to Medicare Locals as these are established and demonstrate capacity to deliver mental health services.
When did the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program start?
The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Program started in July 2001, the ATAPS component commenced in 2003.
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Page currency, Latest update: 17 August, 2011