ACCESS TO ALLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
The Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program is administered through Divisions of General Practice to support a more integrated primary care system adapted to local needs. This component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative is designed to provide GPs with support from allied health professionals in treating people with a mental health disorder.

ATAPS is split into two distinct funding streams to help address service gaps in the community. Tier 1 funding is intended to complement Medicare subsided service provisioning and provide mental health services to hard to reach groups. ATAPS Tier 2 funding supplements Tier 1 funding and provides an additional, flexible pool of funding for innovative service delivery to specified groups with priority needs which cannot be met through traditional ATAPS service delivery approaches. The priorities for this pool are targeted to address service gaps which the Division has identified in the local region as women with perinatal depression and children.

The Eyre Peninsula Division of General Practice currently contracts and employs the services of psychologists working across Whyalla and Pt Lincoln to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) to appropriately referred patients.

These services are deliverable up to six time-limited sessions with an option for up to a further six sessions following a review by the referring GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

For more information on The Better Outcomes and Better Access Initiatives please visit the Department of Health and Ageing and Australian General Practice Network websites.

Links
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-boimhc-ataps

EPDGP