Services to People with Severe and Complex Mental Illness by PHN: Case Study Project – ACMHN

[NB: copied from Job master]

The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses engaged HMA to undertake the Services to People with Severe and Complex Mental Illness by PHN: Case Study Project. The project aimed to understand models of care for people with severe and complex mental illness that are supported by Primary Health Network (PHN) commissioned agencies. In addition, the project described the employment arrangements applying to Mental Health Nurses (MHNs) working within programs funded by PHNs. The project produced seven case studies throughout Australia and developed recommendations on how PHNs could encourage MHNs to expand their practice to a primary care environment. Key tasks included:

• situation analysis of the need for mental health nurses in primacy health care environment
• online survey of PHNs and MHNs regarding commissioning arrangements and employment barriers in the primary health sector, and
• case study of seven PHNs across Australia including consultation with PHN executives and program managers, commissioned service providers, MHNs, and the local public acute mental health services.

This project was completed in April 2019.