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Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training Small Grants Project - Funding application information

1 September 2010

Applications will be accepted from 6 September and close 24 September 2010

The application form is available at the bottom of this page

The Project

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has received a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to manage and disburse a series of small grants to training providers who can deliver accredited focussed psychological strategies skills training (FPS ST) to GPs across Australia, primarily in rural, regional and remote locations. However, some grants will also be made available to training providers delivering training in major cities. Approximately 37 course grants are expected to be offered. Options to apply for blocks of small grants are available.

Background

There are limited opportunities for GPs to achieve the required professional development to register at the FPS ST level, as there are few courses available. This limited access impacts significantly on GPs and, in particular those located in rural and remote areas. Such constraints present major obstacles to achieving high quality standards of mental health care outcomes in general practice, with the flow-on effect of underutilisation of FPS by GPs throughout Australia.

Better Access Initiative

Under this project accredited General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) courses must be consistent with the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative.

Services under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative are for patients with a mental disorder who would benefit from a structured approach to the management of their care needs. Mental disorder is a term used to describe a range of clinically diagnosable disorders that significantly interfere with an individual’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities.

This includes patients with the following mental disorders:

• chronic psychotic disorders
• acute psychotic disorders
• schizophrenia
• bipolar disorder
• phobic disorders
• generalised anxiety disorder
• adjustment disorder
• unexplained somatic complaints
• depression
• sexual disorders
• conduct disorder
• bereavement disorders
• post traumatic stress disorder
• eating disorders
• panic disorder
• alcohol use disorders
• drug use disorders
• mixed anxiety and depression
• dissociative (conversion) disorder
• neurasthenia
• sleep problems
• hyperkinetic (attention deficit) disorder
• enuresis (nonorganic)
• obsessive compulsive disorder
• mental disorder, not otherwise specified.

This list of mental disorders is informed by the World Health Organisation, 1996, Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental Disorders in Primary Care: ICD 10 Chapter V Primary Care Version.

Dementia, delirium, tobacco use disorder and mental retardation are not regarded as mental disorders for the purposes of the GP Mental Health Treatment items under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative.

Focussed psychological strategies

Focussed psychological strategies are specific mental health care management strategies, derived from evidence based psychological therapies that have been shown to integrate the best research evidence of clinical effectiveness with general practice clinical expertise. A range of acceptable strategies have been approved for use by medical practitioners in this context. These are:

1. Psycho-education
2. Motivational interviewing
3. CBT including:

• behavioural interventions:
• behaviour modification
• exposure techniques
• activity scheduling

• cognitive interventions:
• cognitive therapy

4. Relaxation strategies:

• progressive muscle relaxation
• controlled breathing

5. Skills training:

• problem solving skills and training
• anger management
• social skills training
• communication training
• stress management
• parent management training

6. Interpersonal therapy.

Further information about the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative is available at www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba.

Key characteristics of FPS skills training

General objective	Minimum duration	Activity format	Consumer and carer involvement
Develops skills in provision of evidence based FPS as part of a treatment plan for common mental disorders	20 hours	At least 12 hours supervised, face-to-face training, with the balance via any interactive, structured learning format. Also requires predisposing and reinforcing elements	Required for accreditation

GPMHSC FPS skills training educational framework

Focussed psychological strategies skills training meet the following education criteria:

• Accredited by the RACGP QA&CPD Program as a Category 1 activity, and/or equivalent within the ACRRM PD Program
• Incorporates a minimum of 12 hours of face to face contact time, plus a further 8 hours of interactive, structured learning activities, for a total of at least 20 hours training. This figure excludes all breaks, predisposing and reinforcing activities
• Highly interactive, with a focus on participant engagement and active learning, including opportunities for the supervised practice of skills, scripting and rehearsal, and case based discussion
• Adaptable to diversity in participants’ existing knowledge and skills
• Incorporates predisposing and reinforcing activities designed to maximise educational value and increase transference of knowledge and skills into practice behaviours
• Provides participants with resources to assist with the application of learning into practice.

A copy of A Framework for professional development in mental health for GPs can be downloaded from www.racgp.org.au/gpmhsc/training.

Reaccreditation of FPS ST courses for the 2011–2013 triennium

All currently accredited FPS ST courses will require reaccreditation for the 2011–2013 QA&CPD Program triennium.

The GPMHSC is currently finalising the reaccreditation process. All enquires about this process should be directed to the GPMHSC secretariat. For details visit www.racgp.org.au/gpmhsc#contactus.

Application process

Training providers who can deliver accredited FPS ST courses are encouraged to apply for the small grants.

The application process will ensure that:

• the training provider criteria has been met
• training providers can deliver and complete all training, and report back with evaluation data by required project timelines, and
• consideration is made to ensure that training courses are spread geographically across Australia.

Successful applicants will be required to sign a funding agreement with the RACGP.

Important dates

Monday 6 September 2010	Applications open
Friday 24 September 2010	Applications close
Monday 11 October 2010 onward	Training providers notified

Training Provider criteria

The RACGP will include the following criteria in selecting training providers.

Providers must be able to:

• deliver GPMHSC accredited FPS ST courses
• provide either an existing evaluation of program(s) or demonstrate that an internal evaluation is being formulated
• demonstrate a need to deliver training in the location(s) they have selected
• demonstrate a lack of alternative funding sources to deliver the training in the selected location(s)
• demonstrate their courses are value for money
• commit to attaining the number of GPs required to attend training courses
• deliver and complete all training by 1 June 2011, and
• commit to submitting training evaluation data as requested by the RACGP by
  1 June 2011 which will be fed into an external evaluation of the overall project.

Grants

The amount of funding per training course will range from $8000 to $13 000 depending on location of the training within the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Standard Geographic Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC–RA). Blocks of small grants are available across multiple RAs.

Number of grants available within the ASGC–RA

ASGC–RA Classification	Description	Number of grants available	Range of funding available per course
RA 1	Major cities	12	$8000–9500
RA 2	Inner regional	5	$9000–10 500
RA 3	Outer regional	10	$10 000–11 500
RA 4	Remote	5	$11 000– 12 500
RA 5	Very remote	5	$13 000

Training providers will be asked to specify the number of grants and funding being applied for against their nominated locations and RAs.

Process for disbursement of grants
Depending on the number of blocks of grants approved per training provider, the RACGP shall disburse the grants incrementally unless otherwise negotiated.

The RACGP will expect a progress report as agreed in the formal funding agreement.

End of training evaluation

An external evaluation of the overall project will be conducted. Training providers must agree to provide evaluation data as requested by the RACGP by 1 June 2011.

GP enrolment and attendance

The RACGP expects training providers to enrol and train an average number of GPs per course as outlined below.

Number of GPs expected to be enrolled and trained per course in each RA

ASGC–RA Classification	Description	Average number of GPs enrolled and trained per course
RA 1	Major cities	16
RA 2	Inner regional	15
RA 3	Outer regional	12
RA 4	Remote	10
RA 5	Very remote	10

Undelivered training

Disbursement of funds will cease and training providers will be asked to refund any monies paid for any training that remains undelivered in the timeframe, as agreed in the funding agreement.

Further Information

For further information, please email sharon.benson@racgp.org.au
or call 03 8699 0500.

This project is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.

Last Modified: 1 September 2010
Authorised By: General Practice Advocacy and Support