Key points:

• 17 providers will deliver redesigned Mental Health Stepped Care services from 1 July 2024.
• The redesigned model includes service offerings to ensure community members across the greater Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay regions, including rural areas, have more timely access to mental health care and coordinated support.
• The existing stepped care model will remain in place until 30 June 2024.
• From 1 July, the Connect to Wellbeing intake and assessment service will transition to the Head to Health Phone Service. 

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) is pleased to announce the 17 providers that will deliver the redesigned Mental Health Stepped Care service model in North Queensland from 1 July 2024. 

As defined by the Department of Health and Aged Care, stepped care is an evidence-based, staged approach to delivering primary mental health care that supports individuals with care tailored to meet their needs. Stepped care recognises there’s a spectrum of needs, and therefore there needs to be a spectrum of services. It is a different concept from ‘step up/step down’ services. While there are multiple levels within a stepped care approach, they do not operate in silos or as one-directional steps, but rather offer a continuum of service interventions, matched to the spectrum of mental illness. 

Following a review of the North Queensland Mental Health Stepped Care services in 2022, NQPHN partnered with service users, service providers, and GPs to undertake a community consultation and codesign process to update the current stepped care model and improve access, integration, and transitions of care. 

The redesigned model includes service offerings, funded by NQPHN, that will ensure community members across the greater Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay regions, including rural areas, have more timely access to mental health care and coordinated support when they need it most. 

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Sean Rooney said the redesigned model would provide more cohesive, person-centred, culturally safe support from when a person first asks for help and throughout their time of accessing the range of services available.  

“We recognise that mental health is one of the biggest health issues facing our community,” Mr Rooney said. 

“These redesigned service offerings represent a significant change in NQPHN’s Mental Health Stepped Care model. 

“We acknowledge that there is much to do to implement these important service changes and our teams are proactively working with current stepped care service providers to ensure a smooth transition of services.” 

The model includes the Head to Health Phone Service and Front Door access points allowing community members to seek immediate help, with Journey Coordinators to connect people to the various care options available. Psychological Therapies will be available for moderate and high-intensity needs, Clinical Care Coordination will assist those with high-intensity needs, and a Suicide Prevention Response service will offer an added layer of support for those experiencing crisis. 

The 17 providers to deliver these stepped care services include several small organisations delivering a service to their local community through to larger organisations delivering several service offerings across a number of regions. 

The services include: 

Mr Rooney said the existing stepped care model would remain in place until 30 June 2024. 

“Providers can continue to make referrals until that time, and current and new service users will also be able to access services until then. Service users will continue to be supported during the transition to ensure they receive continuity of care,” he said. 

“Further information about the new services will be provided in due course, however, it’s important for people to know that from 1 July, the Connect to Wellbeing intake and assessment service will transition to the existing Head to Health Phone Service. 

“Referrals sent to Connect to Wellbeing after this date will be redirected to the Head to Health Phone Service during the transition.” 

Mr Rooney said consultation and codesign to redesign the Mental Health Stepped Care model in North Queensland was comprehensive and involved people who used the services, service providers, general practitioners (GPs), and other important stakeholders.  

Following consultation and codesign, NQPHN undertook a two-stage tender process to identify service providers to deliver the redesigned model and service offerings.