Mental Health - overview and referral pathways

Project Officer (Better Access): Karen Frost
Phone: 8752 4910

Project Officer (ATAPS): Samar Dawidar
Phone: 8752 4907

Project Officer (Comorbidity): Ferroll Gordon
Phone: 8752 4948

Mental Health GP Advisors: Dr Margo Hoekstra & Dr Andrew Small
Drug & Alcohol GP Advisors: Dr Hester Wilson & Dr Paul Sztolcman

• Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (ATAPS)
• Better Access to Mental Health Care (Medicare)
• Drug and Alcohol Program

Overview

CSGPN’s Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Projects aim to improve and enhance the generalist psychiatry and drug and alcohol assessment, diagnostic and management skills of family physicians and local doctors. The aim is to improve timely access to evidence based quality treatments for their patients presenting with mental health and drug and alcohol problems.

CSGPN does this through a range of activities including:

• developing shared care partnerships between doctors and specialist psychiatry and psychology services
• coordinating professional development programs
• auspicing a strategic advisory committee which brings doctors and specialists together to discuss and sort out issues
• providing advice to doctors about how they can access various Australian Government funded treatment and support services for their patients

Referral Pathways

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

General information for GPs

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has a mental health website with many resources for GPs. Visit their website, click on the following link RACGP.

Local services and referral pathways

Child, Adolescent and Family

• Rivendell Child & Adolescent Unit - Concord
• headspace Central Sydney
• Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI)

Multicultural Services

• Multicultural Mental Health Australia
• Transcultural Mental Health Centre
• Chinese Australian Services Society
• Greek Welfare Centre - Newtown
• Co-As-It Sydney- Italian Association of Assistance & Welfare

Targeted counselling services

• Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service
• Subsidised counselling schemes e.g. Workplace Injury / Motor Vehicle Accidents / Victims of Crime

SSWAHS Services

• NSW Mental Health Act 2007 involuntary schedule of a mental health patient form. Please click on the following links for Schedule 1 form: Medical Director template | Best Practice template
• Community Health Centre Catchment Areas for CSGPN - 15.6mb Printable
• Mental Health Access Line
• Referral Guide for Mental Health Teams in Central Sydney
• Specialist Mental Health Services for older People - SSWAHS Referral and Information Centre call 1800 556 533 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
• Boarding House Teams
• Eating Disorders Clinic - Missenden Unit - Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
• Community Mental Health Services
• Emergency Numbers

Non Government and MBS Rebated Service Providers

• Finding a Mental Health Allied Health Professional
• GP Psychiatry Support Service
• ANXIETY DISORDERS CLINIC at St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
• Psychiatrist referral directory
• St John of God - Specialists
• Wesley Private Hospital
• Mental Health Coordinating Council
• Network of Alcohol & Other Drug Agencies
• Centacare Sydney - Family Relationships - brochure for GPs

Consumers and Carers

• Lifeline free helpline 24-hour telephone counselling services 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline
• Emergency numbers for parents and adolescents - Telephone Support & Crisis Response
• Health Matters Consumer Guides
• Mental Health First Aid
• SANE Australia free helpline 1800 18 7263
• Local Support Groups & Helplines
• ARAFMI Carer Services Mapping Project - Final Report (May 2005)
• Well Ways - Wellbeing for Families and Friends of People with Mental Illness

Clinical Practice Guidelines

• National Health and Medical Research Council
• The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) developed Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems use in general practice. This booklet provides GPs with the latest advice on evidence based treatments for problem drinking, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
• RACGP SNAP (Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol, Physical Activity) Guide serves as an educational tool, assisting doctors and patients to develop strategies dealing with ceasing smoking, adopting healthy eating patterns, minimising alcohol intake and increasing physical activity or exercise. This RACGP resource can be accessed here.

Clinical Trials

• Brain Dynamics Centre - Research into depression and its treatment recruitment of GPs
• Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Centre
• Omega-3 as a Treatment for Depression - Black Dog Institute

Education & Training - specific training

• Omnus
• GP Learning
• Primed
• Black Dog Institute
• Institute of Psychiatry
• Australian College of Psychological Medicine news
• St John of God Burwood CPDs
• GP Psychiatrist Supervision Program: We coordinate two small groups where GPs meet up with a psychiatrist to discuss care issues and mental health management. For more information on these groups, Karen Frost
• Clinical Attachments: We link interested GPs with specialist mental health services, and provide an information kit to help with the RACGP requirements. If you would like to be involved, contact Karen Frost Also see RACGP clinical attachment GP forms and guides.

Links

• Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and early intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet) - Latest Updates
• Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association
• Beyond Blue
  • SSRI antidepressant Fact Sheets: For young people, For parents and carers, For GPs
• Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee - Use of SSRI’s
• Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI)