eMH and Stepped Care: What GPs need to know

In this webinar

In this webinar we discuss the place of eMH resources and treatment programs in the new stepped care model for mental health in Australia. 

The Federal Government’s response in November 2015 to the National Mental Health Review has met with a mixed response, mostly praise for the way in which the response reflected the philosophy and intentions of the Review but also some confusion and concern particularly about the way the reforms would be implemented

There remains uncertainty about implementation and to help address some of those issues we have invited Federal Mental Health Commissioner Prof Ian Hickie to join us in this webinar in a recorded interview.

eMH is a core part of the new stepped care process that underpins the reforms in mental health care and it will be important for GPs to understand where and how eMH resources and programs fit into the wider landscape.

It will also be  important for GPs to understand how to maximise the benefits of eMH treatment programs for those patients who do not qualify for Medicare rebates for face-to-face psychological care.

With the help of a case study we will return to some eMH basics and discuss the ways in which we can contribute to better outcomes for patients using these resources.

Backgound on e-Mental Health

To participate in this webinar, GPs need to have some level of familiarity with e-Mental Health. This can be gained by doing any of the following:

• watching a previously delivered live webinar or recording. Click here to view the catalogue.
• reading the article ‘e-Mental Health for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in General Practice’, published in Australian Family Physician in December 2014.
• reading the article ‘e-Mental Health – What is it and why do we need it?’, published on FOAM4GP.

The webinar series

The webinar series examines some of the online mental health treatment programs that GPs need to know about, focusing on evidence-based programs that have been developed in Australia. The evidence around the efficacy and usefulness of different programs will be discussed along with practical aspects of using the programs. We will use a case example to help explore the range of reliable Australian eMH resources that are especially suitable for male patients and discuss the ways in which we can encourage men to use those resources. Our case example is a man in mid life with concerns about his physical and mental health and excessive alcohol consumption.

Summary:

• e-Mental Health programs are a useful adjunct to mental health treatment in primary care
• there is good evidence that patient outcomes improve with the use of e-Mental Health programs
• a variety of locally-developed e-Mental Health programs are available
• GPs need to be familiar with the programs their patients are using and be able to recommend the use of these programs appropriately.

Audience

GPs and GP registrars who are interested in improving outcomes for patients with mental health conditions.

CPD Information

Participants who attend this one hour webinar recieve 2 QI&CPD Points and 2 Core ACRRM points.