The Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) is a not-for-profit organisation contracted by the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Ageing to roll out interdisciplinary mental health workshops across Australia with the objective of creating sustainable, self-supported clinical networks. The overall purpose of MHPN is to support the development of sustainable, interdisciplinary collaboration in the local primary mental healthcare sector.
Between February 2009 and June 2010, 1169 workshops were delivered across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote Australia. In excess of 15,000 clinicians attended the workshops, designed to bring together mental health clinicians working at a local level to discuss the skills and resources available in order to identify new referral pathways and a collaborative approach to treatment in the primary care setting. A case study was chosen from a suite of 12 for each workshop, whereby clinicians were asked to explore how each profession could contribute to the patient's care under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access) Initiative.
The workshops were targeted at primary mental health practitioners delivering services under Better Access, but allowed for the involvement of other individuals that deliver mental health services such as mental health nurses and Aboriginal health workers. Whilst predominantly location-based, workshops were also delivered according to clinical special interest areas in mental health including Indigenous, child and adolescent, perinatal, CALD, dual diagnosis and dual disability, eating disorders and aged psychiatry.
Following the initial MHPN workshops, participants have been encouraged to form local interdisciplinary mental health networks to strengthen collaborative care through discussion of local mental healthcare delivery issues and referral pathways. So far over 400 MHPN networks have formed and MHPN continues to provide administrative and financial assistance to these and other emerging networks. To further reinforce the sustainability of networks, MHPN has created a secure online networking portal with the facilities to share resources and participate in online forums and discussions.
MHPN networks meet regularly to participate in education, clinical review, peer support, community development, collaboration and networking opportunities.
The Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) project is governed by a board of directors from four member organizations: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australian Psychological Society, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. The project also involves three partner organizations: the Australian Association of Social Workers, Occupational Therapy Australia and The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
MHPN will work in collaboration with its member and partner organisations, other professional organisations, and existing networks to ensure that the MHPN project activities support the government agenda to improve consumers' access to mental health care.
Visit www.mhpn.org.au or call 1800 209 031 for more information.