A general practice component of MindMatters Plus.

MindMatters Plus GP is part of the MindMatters suite of initiatives that focuses specifically on the 3-12% of young people in schools with high support needs for mental health and wellbeing. The main aim of MindMatters Plus GP is to develop and promote sustainable partnerships between schools, their Divisions of General Practice, and general practice settings to provide networks of care for students with high support needs in the area of mental health and wellbeing.

MindMatters Plus GP aims to:

• increase the capacity of demonstration schools to provide support for students with high mental health needs; 
• promote referral pathways and networks of care for at-risk young people; and
• identify priorities for future national action in terms of school/community and primary care interface.
  

Rationale: The rationale behind MindMatters Plus GP is that Australian mental health data indicate that there is a need to develop partnerships between schools and the primary health care sector to better support young people with high support needs for mental health. Findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2000) indicate that 14% of children and adolescents in Australia have mental health problems, and that only 1 in 4 receive help. Of those who do seek professional help, family doctors and school-based counsellors are their professionals of choice.

School setting: The school is often the setting where a mental health problem or risk first becomes apparent, and the school will often require additional support to cater for students with high needs in the area of mental health and wellbeing. Sometimes the additional help can be delivered in the school setting by counsellors or other professionals or through self-help and mental health literacy tools.

Referral pathways: There is also a need for clear, workable and sustainable clinical referral pathways to professional treatment and support by GPs and specialist allied health providers such as psychologists, as well as broader networks of care such as community-based youth support services.

Current status of MindMatters Plus GP projects

To date, there have been two phases where Divisions/schools have begun their MindMatters Plus GP initiative.

Phase 1
The first phase of MindMatters Plus GP commenced in June 2003, when 17 MindMatters Plus demonstration schools were linked with their local Division of General Practice to help support students with high support needs for mental health and wellbeing.

The 17 demonstration schools make up a diverse group of school communities, ranging in size from 50 to 1800 students. They are located in capital cities, regional towns and rural areas, and serve diverse populations. A list of the schools is provided at Resource 2: List of schools 

For most of the 17 Division/school partnerships, the early part of 2004 involved a period of planning, consultation and mapping of existing referral pathways and networks with schools, general practice, and other health and community service providers.

The projects that have developed under Phase 1 can be grouped into three broad areas of activity:

• Developing clinical referral pathways (a focus on identification of students and protocol development for students to be referred by the school to a GP for assessment with feedback to the school on outcomes and proposed plan). 
• Expanding networks of care (a focus on building a multi-disciplinary network from available resources, including general practice, for the school to access).
• Enhancing student confidence, skill and knowledge in seeking help and managing their health (a focus on student empowerment to build a foundation for successful use of referral pathways).

By the end of 2004, sound partnerships had been forged with outcomes such as:

• the production of clinical pathways guidelines for the school;
• names of local GPs and allied health professionals to access;
• an electronic medical assessment form for GPs to use in the referral process between the school and GP http://www.acedivision.com.au/
• the establishment of a joint GP and school clinical assessment and referral pathway using existing primary mental health care systems; and
• in a rural setting, Divisions of General Practice and the schools working together to tap existing resources and build better networks of care for students.

Phase 2 (2004-2005)

Ongoing Divisions: Phase 2 involves 16 of the original demonstration schools electing to remain involved in the wider project. This is an indication of the value of the project and the quality of the support received since its beginning.

New Divisions added: Funding has been made available for up to seven new Divisions to participate in the program (these are listed in Resource 2: List of schools). These additional Division/school partnerships are focussed on developing models to address the needs of young people in remote communities, as well as indigenous secondary students and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. These projects commenced late in 2004 and are set to continue until December 2005.