Creating equity of access to mental health services
The PHN identified vulnerable groups within our community who are not receiving mental health support due to barriers including cost and availability. One of the PHN's ongoing priorities has been to create equity of access to mental health services. In the past year the PHN responded by commissioning new services which complement our existing programs as well as diversifying to better reach target populations.
headspace Wyong officially opened by the Hon Emma McBride MP
A vital service for young people has been officially opened with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride MP, cutting the ribbon at headspace Wyong. The official opening coincides with headspace Wyong’s first anniversary having been postponed due to COVID restrictions.
Speaking at the official opening, Richard Nankervis said there has been an increased awareness and investment in youth mental health.
“The opening of headspace Wyong is the culmination of effective collaboration between all levels of government, the local community, and stakeholders.
“We're thrilled to see the service open and providing mental health support for young people in Wyong and the surrounding areas.
“Investment into early intervention is crucial to supporting young people experiencing depression, substance abuse and other mental health issues. Particularly in regional areas where access to services can be difficult, headspace Wyong will provide young people with a safe and welcoming space to connect with youth health professionals to support their mental health needs.”
headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said all young people deserved access to youth-friendly mental health services – no matter where they live. “headspace Wyong will give young people in the local community a safe and welcoming place to get support for their mental health and wellbeing.
“With two in five young Australians experiencing mental illness, the work of headspace has never been more important.
Young people have experienced several additional challenges over the past two years, including COVID-19, natural disasters and the rising cost of living.
“We are committed to supporting young people in Wyong and the greater Central Coast region to get through tough times, and live happy and healthy lives.”
Recovery Grant delivers mental health support for 'missing middle'
A grant program targeting flood-affected communities in the New England region has delivered significant improvements to the mental health and social connectedness of a complex cohort* who often fall through the gaps in existing services.
The ‘missing middle’ is a term used to describe people whose needs are not met by current mental health services. They are often too unwell for primary care, but not unwell enough for state-based services.
A group of ‘missing middle’ youth from the Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah communities displaying signs of psychological distress, suicidal ideation and self-harm, were given access to early intervention services.
The services were funded through a $50,000 grant to the Youth Insearch Foundation from the PHN’s Flood Recovery program.
On average over their first 90 days participating in the Youth Insearch Program the 102 young people reduced:
- Psychological distress by 57 per cent from severe to mild
- Suicide risk by 50 per cent from high to low risk
- Criminal behaviour and offending by 38 per cent
25 000+ Mental health services commissioned for priority populations
The PHN has commissioned 25 000+ mental health sessions from 1 July across the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network region, to ensure priority populations can access the mental health care they need.
The Mental Health for Priority Populations service has been commissioned following a reform of the previous Primary Mental Health Psychological service. The objective of the service is to reach priority populations to ensure the most financially disadvantaged people across the region have access to mental health services. Renaming the Psychological Therapies Services to Mental Health Services for Priority Populations seeks to clarify this more focused approach.
In developing the new program, several co-design workshops were held with subject matter experts within HNECC PHN informing the service specification. Additional factors considered in the reform included workforce availability, improving coherence and interconnectedness of clinical streams and programs to reduce service fragmentation, further development of robust governance structures and improving equity of access, particularly for people who are considered most vulnerable and/or financially disadvantaged.
The PHN's Manager of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Leah Morgan, said The PHN is working to improve access to services by removing barriers. “There are many vulnerable groups within our community who are not receiving mental health support due to barriers including cost and availability. The cost of a psychology session can leave patients out of pocket more than $100. These new services will be bulk billed to overcome financial barriers and will prioritise priority populations to ensure they receive the treatment they need.”
The Mental Health Services for Priority Populations program will complement other existing mental health programs and expand the scope of the current psychological therapies that are delivered in Primary Care, whilst diversifying the service to better reach target populations. The program focusses on a sessional model delivered by an expanded multidisciplinary team.
Primary Mental Health (PMH) for Children
In addition to the 25 000+ mental health sessions under the Mental Health Services for Priority Populations program, the PHN has commissioned a new children’s mental health service with the aim of increasing access for vulnerable children. The paediatric service provides children up to the age of 12, with up to 12 face-to-face sessions of psychological counselling from two providers across the Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions, Beam Health and Uniting NSW/ACT.
The PHN's CEO, Richard Nankervis, said the service will mean that children who need to access mental health services would find it easier to do so. “Our annual needs assessment identified a gap within mental health services, particularly for children in priority groups. The PHN has responded through the commissioning of this new service which complements our existing range, including headspace and Head to Health among many others.”
The service is targeted at priority population groups who have difficulty in accessing mental health treatment in the primary care sector. The programs commissioned under the children’s mental health service include, Wellbeing4Kids, Little Sparks and grief and bereavement counselling for children.
Forty-three per cent of PHN employees participate in The Lift Project mental wellness program
In 2023 the PHN's People & Culture team implemented the PHN Wellbeing Strategy 2023 to 2025 which is underpinned by the evidence based Thrive at Work framework. The framework promotes an holistic approach that not only focuses on helping unwell people get well again, but also on helping people stay well and be the best they can be.
The PHN identified The Lift Project, an educational program designed to lift people’s mood and life to assist in helping staff to thrive. The Lift Project combines scientifically proven strategies from the fields of neuroscience, positive psychology and lifestyle medicine delivered though 10 lessons over 10 months.
Lorin Livingstone, the PHN’s Executive Manager of People, Operations & Engagement, said “the PHN recognises that supporting the health and wellbeing of employees is fundamental to the development of a positive and productive organisational culture, and the successful achievement of the inspirational vision of ‘Healthy People and Healthy Communities’.
“We acknowledge that our employees are the reason for our success, and we ensure that our work practices, the work environment, our workplace culture and organisational values enhance and protect their health and wellbeing.
“We believe in creating an environment to promote a state of contentment which allows an employee to flourish and achieve their full potential. Well-designed work is at the heart of what allows us to prevent and mitigate psychological ill health and promote prosperity. The PHN thrives when its people thrive.”
The program was optional and over 43 per cent of employees chose to participate with eight internally trained facilitation leads.
Mental Health Assessment Tool and Training – Video explainer developed
The PHN has developed a video to highlight the benefits of the Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) tool. The IAR tool is an holistic, decision-making framework that uses the stepped care approach to assist general practitioners and clinicians in matching consumers with the most appropriate mental health services for their needs.
The PHN provides a 2 hour group training workshop to help primary health clinicians understand how to use the IAR-DST (Decision Support Tool), either in-person or online. The training is designed to provide you with all the information you need to use the tool in your everyday practice. Even if you don’t use it every day, the training will provide you with options to collaborate with others to use the tool in a way that suits your practice.