Murray PHN commissions primary mental health, psychosocial recovery and alcohol and other drug services for people located across the Murray PHN catchment.
Since March 2018, all services have been aligned with a Stepped Model of Care approach, meaning that people receive care that's tailored to their individual needs - stepping it up or stepping it down as needed.
There is a 'no wrong door' approach if accessing these services. Access can be made via direct contact with a provider, or via the state-wide Head to Health phone and online counselling services.
The Primary Mental Health Services Guidelines outline the scope, eligibility requirements, clinical governance obligations and workforce requirements specific to the provision of services
- Part A Program Guidelines is for all Murray PHN commissioned services
- Part B Program Specific Information. These documents relate to the specific requirements for each of the commissioned service streams:
- Part C - Data Capture and Reporting Specifications for all Murray PHN commissioned services.
Free to health professionals in our region, Murray HealthPathways has an up-to-date list of providers and eligibility and referral information along with more than 40 mental health and alcohol and other drug referral pathways (register here).
For community members wanting to access mental health supports in our region, you can make a free call to Head to Health on 1800 595 212 for advice and connection to local mental health services and supports that are right for you.
Doctors who want to refer people to psychiatric triage services, can do so by phoning the appropriate number:
- Central Victoria | 1300 363 788
- Goulburn Valley | 1300 369 005
- North West | 1300 366 375
- North East | Call the office closest to where you are located: Wodonga: 1300 881 104, Wangaratta: 1300 783 347 or Albury: 1800 800 944
Psychological Therapy Services (PTS) eligibility criteria
PTS provides services for adults (and children and young people) with a clinical diagnosis of mild or moderate mental illness who would benefit from short term, focused psychological therapy. Sessions are provided by a qualified mental health professional, and people should have a mental health review by the referring GP after every six sessions if ongoing treatment is required.
Criteria for referral
Generalist PTS
- People who are less able to pay fees
- People who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness
- People living in rural and remote communities
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities (CALD)
- People with an intellectual disability
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Specialist PTS
- People who have self-harmed or attempted suicide or are at risk of suicide
- Children under the age of 12 with, or at risk of, developing a mental disorder
- Women with perinatal depression
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan is required when a referral is made, although clients (such as those experiencing homelessness) will not be precluded from the service in the absence of a treatment plan.
Primary Mental Health Clinical Care Coordination (PMHCCC) eligibility criteria
The PMHCCC provides clinical care coordination for clients with a severe mental illness, aiming to reduce the likelihood of hospital admissions and improve their physical health through assessment, management and onward referral, in collaboration with other members of the health care team.
Criteria for referral
People must have:
- A diagnosed mental health disorder (ICD 10 or DSM 5) which significantly impacts their social, personal and work life; and
- A previous hospital admission for their disorder, or be at risk of needing future hospitalisation without appropriate treatment.
A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan is required when a referral is made, although clients (such as those experiencing homelessness) will not be precluded from the service in the absence of a treatment plan.
Psychosocial Recovery Services (PRS)
People may be eligible for Murray PHN-funded psychosocial supports if they:
- Have a severe mental illness that has an impact on their psychosocial functional capacity
- Are aged 16 years or older
- Have needs that are responsive to low intensity support and can be appropriately met within 3-12 months.
Consumers who are eligible for the NDIS and state funded psychosocial supports should be supported to access these programs where appropriate.
The former Partners in Recovery Program created resources which are still able to be printed for use:
- Physical Health Assessment Tool: For people with mental illness
- Physical Health Overall Wellbeing Checklist Bendigo: For people with mental illness
- Physical Health Overall Wellbeing Checklist Regional: For people with mental illness
Guides and forms
- Part A Program guidelines: Primary mental health, psychosocial recovery and alcohol and other drug services - September 2020
- Part B Program specific information: Primary mental health services - January 2022
- Part B Program specific information: Psychosocial recovery services - January 2022
- Part B Program specific information: Alcohol and other drug services - September 2020
- Part C Data capture and reporting specifications - January 2022
- GP mental health treatment plan sample template - Better Access program
- Primary mental health services: Fixus client registration form - June 2018
- Fixus user guide - 6 February 2023
- Fixus data entry guide IAR-DST level of care - 10 January 2022
- Consumer transition guidance - 27 June 2022
Outcome measures required for PMHC-MDS
The following documents from PMHC-MDS provide examples of each of the outcome measures and an explanation of how they are scored.
Useful links
Other available services:
- Better Access enables up to 10 sessions in a year. It requires a mental health treatment plan and should be the first option considered by GPs for focused psychological therapy. PTS is designed for clients who have difficulty accessing Better Access (e.g. due to low income, rural and remote or hard to reach groups).
Page last updated 6 February 2023