ATAPS is a targeted program designed to increase the capacity of Divisions of General Practice to give priority to hard to reach groups who continue to miss out on Medicare subsidised services under Better Access. These include: people who are less able to pay fees; culturally and linguistically diverse communities; people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and people in rural and remote locations.
The short term, goal oriented focused psychological strategies services that ATAPS provides are of most therapeutic value to individuals with common mental disorders of mild to moderate severity. The program also has dedicated funding to provide innovative services to people who have self harmed or attempted suicide or are at risk of suicide, Indigenous people, children and their families and women with perinatal depression. This is often referred to as Tier 2 ATAPS.
ATAPS has always been a complementary program to Better Access and is not designed to offset or top up services delivered under Better Access. The changes to Better Access announced in the recent Budget do not alter this relationship.
The Network acts as a fund holder and facilitator for the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) component of the "Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care" Program which funds focused psychological strategies for patients of General Practitioners. An ATAPS review was completed in March 2010 and supported activity in the following areas; improved efficiency, greater capacity to provide innovation in services for hard to reach groups, addressing service gaps and improving quality assurance. These recommendations reflect the work of the Network's ATAPS program since its inception.
The Network model sub-contracts 6 local area Community Health Services and 2 private Psychologists to:
- provide free mental health service to the communities within the Network's boundaries meaning that clients are within 30 minutes of a service.
- enable the Community Health Service to attract and employ Allied Health Professionals to provide quality services
- to provide outreach services
- build on the existing relationships between GPs, Community Health Services and private Psychologists encouraging the use of strong referral pathways and systems
- A combination of Group and Individual sessions are available
The sub-contracting of private Allied Health Professionals resulted from the need for special service provision and outreach services after the Victorian bushfires and the need for the provision of outreach services.
The Network's model has been adopted by other Divisions because it provides a fair distribution of resources that has resulted in strong relationships between the Network and all of the stakeholders. Building and maintaining relationships is important because it supports the development of systems and referral pathways as well as encouraging positive relationships between GPs and Allied Health Professionals. As part of the program the Network provides:
- Program support and advice to Community Health Services
- Program support and advice to Private Allied Health Professionals
- The organisation and support for the Outreach program
- Marketing of the service to General Practice
- Collaboration and liaison with Bushfire Case Managers
- Training and continuing professional development for GPs including training for new GPs.
- Development of promotional materials and templates
- Collaboration with peak bodies and other Divisions
- Regular updates of Website information
- Collaboration with Maternal and Child Health Nurses
- Collaboration with area Mental Health Services and other mental health organisations
ATAPS also targets particular groups through an innovative and flexible mode of delivery which accommodates for the needs of "hard to reach" groups.
- Women with peri-natal depression
- Homeless individuals
- Children
- People in remote locations
- Individuals who have attempted suicide or are at risk of suicide or have self harmed
- People who continue to be affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires-the unlimited sessions are no longer available.
An education opportunity was provided for 5 ATAPS Psychologists who participated in the CRUfADclinic which is part of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, a collaborating centre of the World Health Organisation. The education was funded by the Department of Health and Aging and offered a series of Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) courses designed to treat people with anxiety and/or depression.
CRUfADclinic is a web-based system which offers online mental health treatment for major depression, panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and a new mixed anxiety and depression course which is now available for ATAPS clients in the Community.
Through the ATAPS program the Network delivered in 2010-2011 a total of 2969 ATAPS sessions to clients within the community. The Network's model is cost effective and provides significant services to community members.
Mental Health Skills Training options are online:
gplearning www.gplearning.com.au has 3 online courses:
- Managing bipolar in general practice
- Managing depression in general practice
- Managing psychosis in general practice
Med-e-serv also have an online course http://www.primed.com.au/products/MES2040/MES2040_brochure.cfm
There will be a further online option available at http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=4.1147#youngminds - accreditation is almost finalised.
This is not to say that there won't be further options, including face to face training, available once the picture is clearer. We will let you know as soon as we have further information.
Changes to Rebates for GP Mental Health Treatment Plan Medicare Items: 2011-12 Budget Measure
Key Points:
GPs will be paid for the actual time they spend on developing a Mental Health Treatment Plan, plus an incentive for special training to maintain the high quality of care provided.
This 2011-12 Budget measure will commence from 1 November 2011.
From 1 November 2011, for GPs who have completed Mental Health Skills training, the rebate for a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan consultation of between 20 and 39 minutes will be $85.92 and the rebate for a consultation of 40 minutes and more will be $126.43.
For GPs who have not completed Mental Health Skills training the rebate for a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan consultation of between 20 and 39 minutes will be $67.65 and the rebate for a consultation of 40 minutes and more would be $99.55.
There will also be changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule fee structure for the GP Mental Health Review item 2712 and the GP Mental Health Consultation item 2713. From 1 November 2011, the rebate for both items 2712 and 2713 will be $67.65.
Savings generated from these changes are being reinvested in additional mental health services for particularly vulnerable and hard to reach groups, who continue to miss out - through the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program, additional childhood and early intervention youth services and improving the coordination and accessibility of services for individuals with severe mental illness.
In Brief: Mental health Referral Pathway
Review item for GP Mental Health Treatment Plans
Please note a variation to the Medicare items introduced this November.
Use item 2712 to REVIEW a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan prepared by you after 1st November 2011, to which new item 2700, 2701, 2715 or 2717 applies.
But use item 2719 to REVIEW a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan prepared by you prior to 1st November 2011, to which former item 2702 or 2710 applies.
For details of the review service, claiming frequency and fee, go to http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/ NB: A claim for item 2712 will be rejected by Medicare if the plan was prepared under former item 2702 or 2710: practices should re-submit the claim under item 2719.
CLICK HERE for all Mental Health Resources.
Useful Links:
http://www.primarymentalhealth.com.au/
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/
For further information contact: Christine Borg