Topic: Mental health

October is Mental Health Month and South Western Sydney Recovery College is running its annual, month-long, Online Mental Health Summit. There are some really great workshops including two being presented by South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) staff.

 

The SWSPHN workshops are:

Title: Q&A for Youth – Coping with COVID-19 (ages 12 to 25 and their families) information session

When: Tuesday, 26 October 2021, 6.30pm to 8pm

Facilitator: Kate Johnson, Mental Health Program Advisor, SWSPHN

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore feelings and self-help strategies to improve and maintain wellbeing
• Understand COVID-19 and vaccinations
• Increase awareness of mental health supports available for young people aged 12 to 25

Panel:

• Joshua Karras – Executive Manager at United Nations Association of Australia (NSW), Greater Sydney Commission Youth Board member at Department of Premier and Cabinet NSW
• Bianca Lean – COVID-19 Response Coordinator, SWSPHN
• Aniela Gokiert – Acting Senior Clinical Manager, headspace Bankstown
• Dr Rachel Kalman – GP, headspace Bankstown
• Nayma and Helen – South Western Sydney Local Health District Youth Health Advisory Group board members

Register here (places are limited)

 

Title: Navigating Mental Health Support and Self Help during COVID

When: Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 9.30am to 11am

Facilitators: Devendra Sapkota, Mental Health Service Navigator and Sophie Mara, Mental Health Intake Officer, SWSPHN

Learning outcomes:

• Explore feelings and self-help strategies to improve and maintain wellbeing
• Increase awareness of Primary Health Network mental health services available
• Increase awareness of free online and phone based mental health supports and tool

Register here (places are limited)

 

Some of the other workshop topics are:

• Creative Resilience – Your Stories
• Covid Connections
• Building Resilience in Challenging Times
• Roads to Recovery
• Pandemic Impacts on Aboriginal Elders
• Exploring Inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ People with Disability
• Gambling Resilience and Recovery in a Pandemic
• Talking Towards Zero Suicide
• Exploring Anxiety – a Pandemic Perspective

Download the full program

 

South Western Sydney PHN’s (SWSPHN) new Mental Health Service Navigator is linking people living with complex or persistent mental illness with local mental health services and support. The program is free to the South Western Sydney community.

Find out more about the program from SWSPHN’s Mental Health Service Navigator, Devendra Sapkota.

 

What is your background – ie experience/knowledge with supporting mental health patients and relationships with relevant services?

I have a medical background with 10 years’ experience working in general practice. I have recently completed my Masters in Health Service Management and am passionate about helping people improve their mental health. I was born and grew up in Nepal, and moved to Australia 12 years ago and I have been living in the South Western Sydney for last seven years. I can speak Nepali, Hindi, Filipino and English, and I am the president of Southwest Nepalese Community Sydney and also in the advisory bord of Multicultural Society Campbelltown. Connecting and engaging CALD communities is a passion of mine.

 

Who is this new service aiming to help?

The service navigator program is aimed at improving wellbeing and recovery for people who have severe mental illness. It also provides information, advice and referrals for consumers, family members, carers, health professionals and service providers.

 

Where is this service available?

This service is available across South Western Sydney (Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee).

 

How does the role work?

The service navigator works directly with people and links them with the services and support they require to improve their health and wellbeing. This could be medical, psychological, housing, drug or alcohol support or financial assistance. This could include completing referrals, providing information or advice on local services and who can help.

 

How is this service working during COVID-19 lockdown?

Due to this COVID-19, we are not able to provide face-to-face support during the lockdown, but I can provide the service by telephone, telehealth, or skype whichever the person is comfortable with. I am very flexible.

 

How do people with mental illness, their carers and friends know if this service can support them?

If a person is struggling with severe mental illness and needs to be connected to support and services but are unsure who can help or where to go, the service navigator service can help them.

 

How will people with mental illness, their careers and friends benefit from this service?

The service will work with a person to link them with local services which can help improve their wellbeing and mental health recovery. This could include medical, psychological, housing, drug or alcohol support or financial assistance.

The service navigator has local knowledge and experience and can work directly with them. The service is free, confidential and people can call any time, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm except public holidays.

 

What should people using the service expect?

Mostly, I will be the service navigator for them by providing professional support and information, also linking them to the right service and the right person so they will not waste their time by going from one place to another place or one provider to another provider.

 

Is there support for people who don’t speak English as a first language through this service?

I speak multiple languages. If the client speaks any of those languages, I can help directly. If they speak another language, I will consult with my team and find solutions and appropriate services.

 

How do people with mental illness, their carers and friends access the service?

They can contact me directly via phone or email. No need to complete a referral form – anybody can refer to me – family, friends or carers as long as you have the person’s permission.

All consultations are free and confidential. Simply call 4632 3024 or email servicenavigator@swsphn.com.au

South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) funds STAR4Kids to provide free psychological therapies to children aged three to 12 years with, or at risk of, developing mild to moderate mental illness.

GPs, paediatricians and approved provisional referrers can make referrals to the service.

 

GP or paediatrician referrals

Visit the Forms and Templates page on the SWSPHN website to download the GP Mental Health Treatment Plan for Children template and the SWSPHN GP Mental Health Referral Form for MedicalDirector, Best Practice or PDF/Word.

GPs can also call the SWSPHN Mental Health Central Intake on 1300 797 746.

 

Approved provisional referrals

Approved provisional referrers include:

• Directors of early childhood services;
• School principals;
• Counsellors and psychologists;
• Managers of community managed organisations; and
• Mental health professionals, including psychiatrists

Provisional referrers can access the online Mental Health Referral form. 

Call the SWSPHN Mental Health Central Intake on 1300 797 746 for more information.

A new initiative which aims to simplify the process of linking people living with complex or persistent mental illness with local mental health services and supports is available free to community members and health professionals.
SWSPHN is funding a Mental Health Service Navigator who collaborates with GPs and other key allied health professionals to provide up-to-date information and resources, and to improve referral pathways.
Find out more about how SWSPHN’s Mental Health Service Navigator, Devendra Sapkota, can help your patients.

 

What is your background – ie experience/knowledge with supporting mental health patients and relationships with relevant services?

I have a medical background with 10 years’ experience working in general practice. I have recently completed my Masters in Health Service Management and am passionate about helping people improve their mental health. I was born and grew up in Nepal, moved to Australia 12 years ago and I have been living in the South Western Sydney for last seven years. I can speak Nepali, Hindi, Filipino and English. I am the president of Southwest Nepalese Community Sydney and also in the advisory bord of Multicultural Society Campbelltown. Connecting and engaging culturally and linguistically diverse communities is a passion of mine.

 

Who is this new service aiming to help?

The service navigator program is aimed at improving wellbeing and recovery for people who have severe mental illness. It also provides information, advice and referrals for consumers, family members, carers, health professionals and service providers. 

 

Where is this service available?

This service is available across all South Western Sydney (Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee).

 

How does the role work?

The service navigator works directly with people and links them with the services and support they require to improve their health and wellbeing. This could be medical, psychological, housing, drug or alcohol support or financial assistance. This could include completing referrals, providing information or advice on local services and who can help.

 

How is this service working during COVID-19 lockdown?

Due to this COVID-19, we are not able to provide face-to-face support during the lockdown, but I can provide the service by telephone, telehealth, or skype whichever the person is comfortable with. I am very flexible.

 

Do GPs need to refer to the service?

Anyone can refer to the service navigator with the person’s permission. Simply call 4632 3024 or email servicenavigator@swsphn.com.au

 

How will the service navigator help GPs provide care for their patients?

• Link the patient experiencing complex or persistent mental illness with services and supports in South Western Sydney
• Assist the practice staff with mental health service information and resources
• Assist the GPs with mental health general enquiries for patients if uncertain which service may be best suited to the patient
• Patients will be able to access general information for themselves or others regarding mental health services in South Western Sydney
• The service navigator will research, compile and complete necessary referrals for patients which may be time consuming
• Patients will have access to individual and confidential professional advice via phone, email or face-to-face consultations.

 

How will it help their patients?

The service navigator has local knowledge and experience on where to go to get the help or support that is needed. The service navigator can complete referrals for consumers and their families and link them with local services and supports. The GP can make one referral to the service navigator who can then work intensively with the patient, which will improve their wellbeing and mental health recovery.

The service navigator can also be contacted directly to provide information and advice to health professionals.

 

How do GPs access support from the service?

Contact the Mental Health Service Navigator directly or have the patient or carer contact the service navigator directly themselves. All consultations are free and confidential. Simply call 4632 3024 or email servicenavigator@swsphn.com.au

 

Is there support for people who don’t speak English as a first language through this service?

I speak multiple languages. If the client speaks any of those languages, I can help directly. If they speak another language, I will consult with my team and find solutions and appropriate services.

 

Initiatives aimed at improving the mental health literacy of the South Western Sydney community will be undertaken during the next 12 months following a successful co-design process.

South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) invited locals from diverse backgrounds to contribute to the project by sharing their experiences, knowledge and ideas about mental health.

The feedback provided between April and June this year included ideas for long-term changes and immediate priority areas.

It identified recommendations and activities SWSPHN will undertake to improve the mental health literacy responsiveness of the local community, service providers and general practice staff.

The activities include:

• Targeted training and capacity building for general practice and other service providers
• Exploring mental health literacy workshops for community members, particularly culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• Development of an internal mental health literacy communications strategy
• Scoping of a lived-experience “community champions” approach
• Continued implementation of the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Framework and associated activities
• Creation of a No Wrong Door Framework to complement the existing No Wrong Door Initiative
• Revamp of the Recovery Point app/website, including directory of mental health supports in South Western Sydney matched to a user’s needs and location
• Ongoing commitment to mental health literacy activities through SWSPHN Needs Assessment and Activity Work Plan submitted to the Department of Health

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the project.

If you have questions or would like to be involved in future SWSPHN activities, including those within the mental health literacy initiative, please contact Mental Health Coordinator, Pritika Desai, at pritika.desai@swsphn.com.au

We’re putting the spotlight on mental health in this new monthly feature. Learn more about SWSPHN commissioned services, projects and events, and find guidance on navigating the mental health system.

Most mental healthcare is provided through general practice and other primary care services.

This week’s Pulse is taking a closer look at primary mental healthcare and the two referral pathways for subsidised care.

 

What is primary mental healthcare?

Primary mental healthcare is usually the first level of mental healthcare a person receives. It involves assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems.

It can be provided in the home or in community-based settings, such as:

• general practices
• mental health professional practices
• community health centres
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services

Primary mental healthcare is not provided in hospitals. This type of care is known as ‘tertiary care’ and is usually for people with acute mental health problems.

 

What is a Mental Health Treatment Plan?

There are two main referral options which provide subsidised access to primary mental healthcare services:

• Referral option 1: Better Access initiative
• Referral option 2: PHN-funded services

Both options involve having your GP develop a Mental Health Treatment Plan for you. The plan includes assessment, a plan for treatment and referral to other healthcare providers. It can be updated by a  GP every three months through a Mental Health Treatment Plan review.

 

Referral option 1: Better Access initiative

Medicare rebates are provided through the Better Access initiative to help people with a Mental Health Treatment Plan access mental health support from eligible mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers and occupational therapists.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, between 9 October 2020 and 30 June 2022, an extra 10 sessions are being subsidised for each individual, each calendar year.

Session allocation: 10 individual and 10 groups sessions are available each calendar year. An extra 10 extra sessions are being provided until 30 June 2022 due to COVID-19.

Fee: A gap payment may be charged, patients should speak to their mental health professional to discuss gap payments.

Find more information about Better Access

Find more information about 10 Extra Better Access Sessions

 

Referral option 2: PHN-funded services

One of South Western Sydney PHN’s (SWSPHN) roles is to implement primary mental healthcare reform activities. This involves identifying gaps in primary mental healthcare at a local level, working with people with lived experience to co-design services, and funding, monitoring and evaluating services.

SWSPHN funds a number of free mental health programs targeted at individuals who face barriers accessing the Better Access initiative to ensure all people who need care are linked with a service which best meets their needs.

Like Better Access, these programs provide mental health support through eligible mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists, as well as other mental health professionals including mental health nurses and peer workers.

Session allocation: Varies depending on program, with flexibility to request extra sessions if needed. 

Fee: All services are free.

Find more information about the SWSPHN-funded services

Digital mental health resources are available through Head to Health – an online alternative to the PHN-funded services which are traditionally delivered face-to-face.