What Is Primary Mental Health Care?
Primary mental health care is the part of the healthcare system where people can receive support for common mental health concerns, often through general practice, allied health and community-based services. Effective primary mental healthcare depends on accessible services, appropriate referral pathways, workforce capability and coordination between providers. As the healthcare environment changes, organisations may need to review how services respond to population needs, policy requirements and emerging models of care. Larter supports healthcare organisations with consulting, service planning, program development and evaluation to strengthen mental health services and primary care delivery.
Larter Consulting offers a range of consulting and education services tailored to meet the needs of professionals and practices within the primary mental health care space. The landscape of primary mental health is rapidly changing. Our highly skilled consultants can support your organisation to remain abreast of policy and reform and support program review and evaluation.
Our consultants have extensive experience in general practice, mental health, youth, and drug and alcohol – both from project development and clinical perspectives. Our packages include consultation services, training, practice support and program development. We can support primary care services to efficiently and effectively support their clients and community to achieve better mental health and wellbeing.
CONSULTING
Program development
Larter’s consultants can provide primary mental health providers and organisations with support in program scoping, design, planning, implementation, review and evaluation. Larter has worked with small and large organisations to build their mental health programs. Some examples of our work include:
- Program evaluation for Partners in Recover programs
- Statewide White Paper for Partners in Recovery
- Development of primary care business models for public mental health services
- Strategic program review for preparedness for mental health reform and commissioning
- Service mapping and online mental health services directory
- Population health analysis and needs identification
Mental Health Service Planning and Evaluation
Effective mental health service planning requires an understanding of population needs, existing services, workforce capacity and gaps in access or coordination. Evaluation can then help organisations assess whether programs are achieving their intended outcomes and where improvements may be required. Larter brings experience in health program evaluation, population health analysis, program review and service planning. This can help primary care and mental health organisations make evidence-informed decisions, strengthen service models and respond to changing healthcare priorities.
Preparedness and responding to service commissioning opportunities
Larter can provide workshops and tender writing for organisations, alliances, consortia and partnerships who may be considering tendering for mental health program service delivery.
- Mental health and primary care reform and commissioning
- Business structures and modelling for mental health clinicians and consortia
- Writing successful tenders
Mental Health Support in General Practice
General practices play an important role in identifying mental health concerns and connecting patients with appropriate care. Effective mental health care in general practice requires practical systems, confident staff, suitable resources and clear pathways between GPs, allied health professionals and other services. Larter supports practices with general practice support, education and practical guidance to help integrate mental health care into everyday primary healthcare. This includes improving processes, supporting clinicians and helping practices respond to changing mental health requirements.
GENERAL PRACTICE SUPPORT
Larter can work with individual general practices to implement mental health practice more efficiently and easily. Our practice support includes:
- How to confidently and easily implement mental health care business models within general practice
- Item numbers and templates made easy
- General trouble shooting with staff and GPs
- Shared medical appointments for brief group therapy
GENERAL PRACTICE EDUCATION
Using Medicare for mental health care
There are a range of Medicare items available for mental health care in both general practice and allied health settings, yet clinicians’ understanding of them and the Medicare rules is sub-optimal. Judicious use of Medicare items can both increase access to care for people with mental illness and improve the business case for providing timely, best practice mental health care.
Conclusion
Primary mental health care continues to evolve as healthcare needs, service models and workforce requirements change. Larter supports organisations and practices with consulting, service planning, evaluation and education to strengthen mental health services and improve primary care delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common barriers can include limited service availability, workforce constraints, cost, geographic access, referral complexity and gaps between different healthcare providers.
General practices can review existing workflows, clarify referral pathways, support staff capability and establish practical processes for identifying and responding to mental health needs.
Allied health professionals can provide assessment, counselling and other forms of support while working alongside GPs and other healthcare providers as part of coordinated primary care.
Services can review referral processes, clarify responsibilities between providers, improve communication and identify points where patients may experience delays or gaps in care.
Regular review can identify changes in demand, service gaps, workforce issues and opportunities to improve how a program operates and responds to community needs.