Recognition of Extended Skills

in Psychological Medicine for Fellows of the RACGP

apply now 
The RACGP > Faculties > RACGP Specific Interests > Recognition of Extended Skills > Psychological Medicine

Introduction and overview

Mental illness covers a range of disorders including anxiety disorders, affective disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders and substance use disorders. However, mental health is a much broader concept of wellbeing and is impacted by other determinants including a person’s access to services, living conditions and exposure to adverse childhood experiences and trauma. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, wellbeing is a holistic concept that encompasses the importance of connection to land, culture, spirituality and ancestry and how these affect the wellbeing of the individual and the community.

Recognition of Extended Skills for Fellows of the RACGP in Psychological Medicine is for GPs who:

  • have extensive experience in the practice of psychological medicine
  • have had their performance assessed
  • provide FPS
  • provide holistic care as a generalist clinician
  • are current providers of psychotherapy and/ or providing evidence based mental health care to patients in private or public settings
  • are involved in ongoing CPD in psychological medicine
  • participate in peer group learning, case consultation groups and or supervision in mental health  

The context in which a GP engages in psychological medicine can vary widely.

In your application you will need to provide:

  • a summary of your work history
  • qualifications or educational activities with copies of certificates, diplomas, degrees etc
  • a reviewing performance activity within the current triennium
  • a measuring outcomes activity within the current triennium
  • a response to a short answer question/s
  • three case studies.

Please log your reviewing performance and measuring outcomes via your myCPD dashboard. You can choose to do any activity that you think relates to the extended skills outcomes

Document your participation in any one of the following and how it relates to the achievement of the extended skills outcomes:

  • Peer group learning
  • Evidence-based medicine journal club
  • Random case analysis
  • Clinical supervision
  • Clinical meetings
  • Other (for example: describe how you keep up to date with new research and reflect on the impact this has on your practice)

Clinical supervision is an ongoing, supportive learning process for clinicians of all levels to develop, enhance, monitor, and, when necessary, remediate, professional functioning. GP supervision includes mentorship and guidance of clinical practice and case consultation by an experienced GP colleague (or other mental health specialist) either individually or in small groups (PGL).

Reference: Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (2014). Fundamentals of clinical supervision (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

You will be required to provide a short statement/reflection stating when, where and with whom you have participated in supervision. You may be asked to provide further details.

Audits

  1. If your practice context allows, use your practice management software to establish how many of the following item numbers you have billed in the last 6 months. Items 2715, 2717,44, 2713 and FPS items 2721, 2725 and Telehealth equivalent - evidence of long and prolonged consultations - demonstrating pattern of appropriate time taken for assessment and management and implementation of mental health care.
  2. Mental Health Plan audit – demographics, reviews, sessions attended for FPS with GP or psychologist (see gplearning).
  3. Design your own context specific audit. Please use the CPD guidance document and template.

PDSA

  1. Design your own context specific PDSA using the CPD guidance document and template

Self-assessment checklist

You will complete a self-assessment checklist at the beginning of your application to rate your confidence against the extended skills outcomes.

If you choose to continue your application a fee will be payable.

If you have identified some gaps in your skills, you can discontinue the application process and come back in the future. We recommend you start a new application so that you can complete the self-assessment again.

Recognition of Extended Skills

in Psychological Medicine for Fellows of the RACGP

  Apply now