Become part of a team who are dedicated to enhancing and connecting primary healthcare to achieve better health outcomes for the South Western Sydney community.
Find your next South Western Sydney general practice career or practice for sale.
Practice vacancy ad request form
Practice for sale form
If you refer patients to South Western Sydney PHN-commissioned mental health support services, you are encouraged to use the Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) to determine the level of care needed for your patient.
What is the IAR-DST?
Stepped care
SWSPHN’s regional mental health planning and commissioning of services is founded upon a stepped-care approach.
Stepped care aims to match a person presenting to the health system with the least intensive and least intensive level of care which most suits their current treatment need, with the ability to monitor treatment experiences and outcomes to enable a step up or down in treatment intensity as necessary.
Without a consistent national approach, GPs and other clinicians will and are taking a variety of approaches to assess and assign levels of care, resulting in discrepancies in the type of care provided for similar clinical presentations.
With a congested and overworked mental health sector, providing a consistent, standardised and transparent process for referral is timely and necessary.
A national approach
The IAR-DST is an initiative of the Department of Health and Aged care (DoHAC). This initiative brings together information from a range of sources, including Australian and international evidence and advice from a range of leading experts.
The National IAR Guidance and IAR Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) was developed to provide primary healthcare with a nationally-consistent, evidence-based and objective approach to initial assessment and referral of patients seeking mental health support. The IAR-DST simplifies how clinicians determine the care needs of a patient with mental health concerns.
IAR-DST benefits
1. Consistent and transparent referrals
The IAR-DST provides a standardised framework for referrers to communicate assessment and referral information consistently, and articulate treatment needs using a language commonly understood across the sector. Widespread use of the IAR-DST improves awareness and transparency of how decisions about the appropriateness of referrals are made.
2. Improved patient outcomes
Effective communication of a consumer’s circumstances will ensure that they are matched to the most appropriate service for their needs, minimise the risks and liabilities associated with under-estimating a person’s treatment needs. Moreover, this can reduce frustration and save time in managing rejected referrals, meaning more patients receive the right care at the right time.
3. Supported decision making
Referrers can use the tool to guide the discussion about treatment options with consumers, with the flexibility to adjust treatment needs in response to changes in their circumstances Studies have shown that when consumers are involved in the decision process, they are empowered and more likely to adhere to care.
4. Streamlined referral process
Integration of the IAR-DST within existing primary systems and mapping of available services to each level of care will streamline decision-making processes and reduce overall administrative load.
How IAR works
An initial assessment is used to gather information from the referrer and patient. The assessment is undertaken across eight domains which aim to describe clinical severity and service needs, and guide decisions on the most appropriate next steps (for example, intervention, further assessment).
Find more information by downloading:
- PHN Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) Snapshot Resource
- Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool
- IAR Decision Support Tool 1.05 documentation
IAR-DST training
SWSPHN provides many ways to complete IAR-DST training, including a new mixed-learning option which includes an e-learning module developed in partnership between DoHAC, OpenLearning and the University of Sydney.
Who IAR-DST training is for
IAR-DST training is for GPs, GP registrars, practice nurses and other service providers who are likely to refer someone to a mental health support service such as any SWSPHN-commissioned provider.
GPs and GP registrars receive a $300 once-off incentive payment and CPD points (one Educational Activity hour and one Reviewing Performance hour).
Non-GP referrers are encouraged to complete IAR training but can seek support from Medicare Mental Health (formerly Head to Health) on 1800 595 212 if unsure of the assessment process.
Learning outcomes:
- Describe the Initial Assessment and Referral development process
- Describe 8 assessment domains of the Initial Assessment and Referral
- Differentiate between levels of care and determine regional services appropriate to patients’ needs
- Apply the decision support tool to generate a recommended level of care appropriate to the patient’s needs
- Apply the principles related to clinical decision-making and consumer choice into practice
Flexible IAR-DST training options
Option 1: mixed learning [recommended]
You will complete the training in two steps.
Step 1: E-learning module
Complete 30-minutes of e-learning. Register for the Initial Assessment and Referral Training - South Western Sydney PHN Online Workshop One on the OpenLearning website. Use access code: swsphn
Step 2: 90-minute workshop via Zoom
Registration link for workshop 2 will be provided on completing workshop 1.
Option 2: two-hour workshop
Available in-person and via Zoom. Check the CPD Events calendar for upcoming sessions.
Option 3: in-house training
Request a group session for general practices, with a minimum of six participants. Training may be provided in one two-hour session or two one-hour sessions. Complete the form below to request training at your practice.
"*" indicates required fields
Access the IAR-DST tool
Once you have completed the IAR-DST training, here’s how to access the tool:
Non-GP referrers may also use the Smart Referral Form.
The SWSPHN General Practitioner Mental Health Referral Form, compatible with Best Practice and MedicalDirector may be used by GPs:
DoHAC is working on digital integration of the IAR-DST into general practice software.
Contact
Please contact Kashish Arora, SWSPHN Workforce Development Officer, if you have any questions about the Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool training.
Practice IAR Resources
For more information on IAR and DST read this Under The Microscope introduction.
IAR-DST workshop flier
Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) workshop flier advising GPs of paid CPD training incentives and learning outcomes.
Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) snapshot
A snapshot of IAR and DST from the Department of Health.
National PHN guidance – initial assessment and referral for mental healthcare
This Guidance is focussed on the initial response to requests for mental health assistance in primary care settings and is designed to assist the various parties involved in the initial assessment and referral process.