As part of the CoAG Mental Health Action Plan 2006 – 2011, the Australian Government will provide $191.6 million over five years in new funding for Mental Health Nurses through the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP).

The Capricornia Division has employed two Mental Health Nurses, one for the Gladstone region and one for the Capricorn Coast, to assist in the provision of coordinated clinical care for people with severe mental disorders in these communities who are currently under GP care.


The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program

Mental Health Nurses work in collaboration with General Practitioners to provide services such as monitoring a patient's mental state, medication management and improving links to other health professionals, community organisations and clinical service providers.

Support provided under this initiative targets patients with severe mental health disorders during periods of significant disability. These services are generally provided in the general practice setting at little or no cost to the patient.

Entrance Criteria

General Practitioners and Psychiatrists will determine which patients have a severe mental health disorder and would benefit from receiving services provided under this initiative, based on the criteria listed below.

In collaboration with the mental health nurse, a GP Mental Health Care Plan must be developed; these plans must include specific reference to the roles and responsibilities of both the nurse and the treating medical practitioners.

Treatment must be provided according to the plan and the relevant clinical guidelines for the treatment of that disorder. A general practitioners or psychiatrist must regularly review the plan in collaboration with the mental health nurse. The review should include, where appropriate, input from a clinical psychologist, registered psychologist or other allied health professional.

The steps in preparing a GP Mental Health Care Plan are the same as those defined in Item 2710 of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for GP Mental Heatlh care items - see Explanatory Notes A.32.9 and A.32.12 of the MBS.

Examples of clinical practice guidelines can be found at the Royal Australian and New Zealand Collage of Psychiatrist website at: www.ranzcp.org - Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Patient Eligibility

Based on the following criteria, GPs will determine which patients have a severe mental disorder and would benefit from receiving services provided under this initiative:

• The patient has a diagnosis of mental health disorder according to the criteria defined in the World Health Organisation Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care: ICD 10 Chapter V Primary Care Version, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders - Fourth Educaion (DSM-IV); AND
• The disorder causes significant disablement to the person's social, personal and occupational functioning; AND
• The person has experienced at least one episode of hospitalisation for treatment of their mental disorder, OR is at risk of requiring hospitalisation in the future if appropriate treatment and care is not provided; AND
• The person is expected to require continuing treatment and management of their mental disorder over the next two years; AND
• The general practitioner or psychiatrist is principally responsible for the persons' clinical mental health care; AND
• The patient provides consent to treatment from a mental health nurse. 

Mental Health Nursing Initiative Resources

GP Information Brochure
Patient Information Brochure
MH Nursing Referral Form