Better Outcomes - Access to Psychological Services Program (ATAPS)
The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing was introduced in 2001 to improve the quality of care provided through general practice to Australians with mental illness. The program now has two components:
1. ATAPS
Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) – which enables GPs to prepare a mental health treatment plan and refer their patients to allied health professional who delivery focused psychological strategies at low or no cost.
Each NSW Division of General Practice acts as a fundholder for ATAPS. Divisions engage allied health professionals (who may be psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, mental health nurses or aboriginal mental health workers) to provide focussed psychological strategies to patients referred by their GP via a mental health treatment plan.
There are a number of service delivery models under which Divisions engage allied health professionals, including: direct employment, subcontracting with an agency, or contracting with individual service providers.
ATAPS Review:
In 2009 the Department of Health & Ageing conducted a review of the ATAPS program which has resulted in a restructuring of ATAPS into a three tiered service delivery system. A copy of the Review can be downloaded from:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-boimhc-ataps-review
Tier One:
Funding for Tier One will be used to target the traditional broad range of people who are not easily able to access Medicare Services because of location or population group, such as people from culturally diverse backgrounds, Indigenous and youth groups.
Tier Two:
Is special purpose funding for flexible delivery of services to the following groups:
- Women with Perinatal Depression
- Individuals who have attempted suicide or self harm or who are identified as being at high risk of suicide
- People at high risk of homelessness
- People impacted by the Victorian bushfires who have a diagnosis of mental illness
- People in remote locations including Indigenous communities
- Children with mental disorders
- Continuation of the existing Suicide Pilot Program
Tier Three:
Will involve funding of flexible Care Packages for people with severe mental illness. Further detail is yet to be released on this tier.
ATAPS currently has a number of pilot programs being conducted in NSW Divisions.
- Suicide Prevention Pilot project – This project links Accident & Emergency Departments, ATAPS allied mental health providers and general practice to work more effectively with patients presenting with suicidal behaviour or ideation. This project is being undertaken in four NSW Divisions: NSW Central West Division of General Practice, Hunter Urban Division of General Practice, Central Coast Division of General Practice and Central Sydney GP Network
- Telephone CBT – This project provides ATAPS services over the telephone. It is being conducted in four NSW Divisions: Southern General Practice Network, Dubbo Plains Division, Northern Rivers General Practice Network and Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health.
- CRUfAD Pilot Program - Is a suite of internet based courses that GPs and other clinicians can prescribe for their patients who need:
- treatment of their mental disorder (alcohol abuse, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder/agoraphobia, social phobia)
- advice about managing people in their care (dementia carer program, adolescents with mental health issues, adolescents with substance use issues)
This pilot is currently available in rural and remote areas in NSW.
The Department of Health and Ageing have released a number of circulars communicating the changes to the ATAPS program – when available these will be added to the resources section below.
2. GP Psych Support Service
The second component to the BOiMHC Program is the GP Psych Support Service, which is delivered by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). This service provides GPs with free phone, fax and email access to patient management advice from a psychiatrist within 24 hours of their request. The service provides advice on child and adolescent, adult and aged psychiatry, and on drug and alcohol problems. A first time GP user can register with the service by calling GP Psych Support on 1800 200 588 or registering online at http://www.psychsupport.com.au
Resources
ATAPS Circulars:
Circular 17 - July 2009 - Additional Support Victorian Bushfires
Circular 16 - 9 April 2009 - Telephone CBTChange to Referral Mechanism
Circular 15 - 11 March 2009 - National Perinatal Depression Initiative Update
Circular 14 - 24 February 2009 - National Perinatal Depression Initiative
Circular 13 - 9 February 2009 - Post Natal Depression Funding Q & A
Circular 12 - 16 December 2008 - Additional Support for Patients at Risk of Suicide and Self Harm
Circular 11 - 10 December 2008 - Trial of Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Implementation
Circular 10 - October 2008 - Engagement of Provisional/Intern Psychologists
Circular 9 - 10 October 2008 - Additional Support for Patients at Risk of Suicide and Self Harm
Circular 8 - 5 September 2008 - Trial of Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Implementation
Circular 7 - 29 August 2008 - National Perinatal Depression Initiative
Circular 6 - 27 August 2008 - Additional Support for Patients at Risk of Suicide and Self Harm
Circular 5 - 10 July 2008 - Trial of Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Implementation
Circular 4 - 10 July 2008 - Suicide Prevention
Circular 3 - 18 April 2008 - Additional Support for Patients at Risk of Suicide and Self Harm
Circular 2 - 18 April 2008 - Trial of Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Circular 1 - 3 March 2008 - Video Conferencing
Useful Links
The Department of Health and Ageing Better Outcomes website:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mentalhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/better-outcomes-mental-health-care-1
The Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE) at the University of Melbourne provide Better Access evaluation and Minimum Data Set support. See their website at:
http://boimhc.org/bin/view
A full description of mental health Medicare Item numbers can be located at:
http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&qt=NoteID&q=A43