Mental Health Forum on the new mental health items added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

On the 31st January 2007, the MHB convened a forum at the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre on the new mental health items added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). A priority of the forum was on identifying how the MBS changes can benefit consumers, and the changes required at both individual and system-wide levels to make best use of the new items.

The new MBS items are intended to promote a team approach to mental health care, with general practitioners encouraged to work with psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other allied mental health professionals, to increase the availability of care.

The forum was attended by 120 representatives from General Practice divisions, area mental health services (AMHS), community health, the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatry, carers and other allied mental health professionals, and small group sessions explored options around the new MBS items, with particular focus on the role of the Primary Mental Health Teams (PMHT).

The key speakers for the day included

Dr David Monash (GP), who detailed the new items "Using the new MBS Mental Health Items" (PDF file 277KB)

Assoc Prof Jane Pirkis from Melbourne University who spoke on what had been learned from the "Access to Allied Psychological Services" (PDF file 99KB) program

Dr Tom Callaly from Barwon Health who spoke of the shared care arrangements and use of public/private partnerships that have been vital in the conduct of the Barwon Health GP Clozapine Program. (PDF file 706KB)

The new Minister for Mental Health, the Hon Lisa Neville MP, addressed the forum and emphasised the need to capitalise on such opportunities to improve care and the use of partnerships across the sector. Dr Ruth Vine, Director Mental Health, also spoke on the day and highlighted the future opportunities for AMHS, including PMHT, to change the way they operate to better support access to the MBS items for people with significant mental illnesses.