Division Programs

| Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities (MHSD)
| Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS)
| Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas Program (MHSRRA)

The Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities Initiative is aimed at building the capacity of rural and remote drought affected communities to respond to the psychological impact of the drought, and has been funded from 2007-2011.

The key objectives of the initiative are:

• To provide community outreach and crisis counselling for distressed individuals and communities in drought affected rural and remote areas.
• To raise community awareness.
• To provide education and training to enable business executives to recognise and respond to the early warnings of emotional and physical stress.

 A crisis counselling/service, triage, brokerage line and message service is available for GPs or clients to utilise. Crisis counselling in the form of phone counselling, priority appointments (phone or face-to-face), which where appropriate may commence prior to GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan completion, will be provided by contracted or employed Mental Health Professionals. The line is manned by the Mental Health Program Co-ordinator, providing a link between the GP, other key service providers and non medical community members and will take the role of facilitating patients into the most appropriate and accessible services, providing crisis intervention initially if required. The service will link into already established Division services, such as Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS).

Additional service coordination and referral services will also be available to those clients identified through this initiative. The model is not intended to provide mental health treatment, but rather to provide short term counselling, triage and brokerage into appropriate services.

Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities (MHSDAC)

Information line – 0458 479028

Local Service Directory

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The ATAPS Project is a component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative (BOiMHC) funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and managed locally by Barwon Division of General Practice. 

The ATAPS Project provides a referral pathway for GPs in the Barwon Division area to refer patients with mental health disorders (non-acute) to psychological services.  The ATAPS pathway is designed to target Youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, patients experiencing perinatal (pre-natal and postnatal) depression, low income earners, and patients experiencing financial difficulties. This service is for short term intervention only. Employed and contracted psychologists deliver services to GP referred patients upon completion of a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Sessions are limited to six per patient and a further six sessions on GP agreement.   
Psychological services are provided directly to the following Division towns: Barraba, Bingara, Boggabri, Collarenebri, Gunnedah, Manilla, Moree, Narrabri, Warialda and Wee Waa.  There is a dedicated counsellor for the Aboriginal Medical Services in Moree.

Perinatal Depression
Additionally ATAPS aims, under the National Perinatal Depression Initiative, to improve prevention and early detection of antenatal and postnatal depression, and to provide better care, support and treatment for expectant and new mothers experiencing depression. 

Further Information
Further details regarding the ATAPS program are provided below in the resources links.

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Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas Program (MHSRRA)
Program Co-ordinator: Carmel O'Sullivan
Contact: 02 67 527196 or Email: cosullivan@barwondgp.org.au

The Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas program aims to provide greater access to mental health services for those living in rural and remote areas of Australia.

It forms part of the Australian Government's component of the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006 - 2011.  It is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing and managed locally by the Barwon Division of General Practice.
Employed and contracted psychologists are delivering services to GP referred patients upon completion of a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Sessions are limited to 6 sessions per patient and a further 6 on GP agreement. 

The MHSRRA initiative provides services where ‘gaps’ in access to counselling have been identified. These ‘gaps’ may change over time and the Division has the flexibility to operate extra clinics in towns of most need.  The timing of these client clinics will be dependent upon GP referral.  The MHSRRA Project provides a referral pathway for GPs in the Barwon Division area to refer patients with mental health disorders (non-acute) to psychological services for short term intervention only.

The areas serviced by the program include Barraba, Bingara, Boggabri, Collarenebri, Gunnedah, Manilla, Moree, Narrabri, Warialda and Wee Waa.

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