GPs are local, accessible and multi-skilled primary health care providers and thus have an important role in the provision of mental health care. Many people seeking help for the symptoms of anxiety and depression will go to their GP, and there is less stigma associated with going to a GP then to a specialist mental health service.

Whereas some people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may face barriers in accessing mental health services, GPs, especially in metropolitan areas, means that the role of the GP is especially important for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The GP Project aims to support GPs in meeting the mental health needs of their patients from CALD backgrounds. It does this in a number of ways:

• working at policy and systems levels to improve communication and integration between GPs and mental health services
  
• working with organisations such as the NSW Alliance of Divisions of General Practice and its member Divisions, or the Royal Australian College of General Practice to advocate for the needs of people with mental health problems from CALD backgrounds
  
• improving skills and confidence of GPs working with people with mental health problems through TMHC involvement in the development of education modules and training of GPs and GP Registrars
  
• through TMHC Clinical Service providing assessment, consultation and short term intervention for patients referred by GPs
  
• providing a culturally appropriate counselling service via TMHC Clinical Services for CALD patients as part of the Access to Allied Psychological Services Projects funded by the Commonwealth Government
  
• a model of shared care, the Co-Location Liaison Project, was trialled, in which bilingual counsellors were placed in general practices to counsel patients referred by GPs as well as provide information and support to GPs
  
• involving consumers in the process of educating and supporting GPs.

Future Directions

The emphasis in 2008 will be on:

• education, including developing closer links with GP registrar training organisations, and promoting the unit Cross Cultural Mental Health Care in General Practice offered by the Institute of Psychiatry
  
• developing close links with GP practices that are interested in working collaboratively with the TMHC
  
• ensuring that individuals from CALD background have equitable access to the Federal Government's Better Access Initiative. This includes encouraging GPs to make use of the Medicare Item which allows them to refer patients for counselling to bilingual Allied Health Professionals registered with Medicare.
  
• encouraging consumer and carer involvement in the project.

Reports & Resources

• The TMHC has published a report General Practitioners and Counsellors: A Pilot Mental Health Partnership (2003) which details strategies used to support GPs in meeting the mental health needs of their CALD patients, including a detailed analysis of the implementation and evaluation of the Co-Location Liaison Project.
  
  • Order Report
  • Download TMHC Resources Catalogue
    
  
  
• Acute Mental Health Care Presentations
  This brochure describes issues to consider when assessing a person from a CALD background presenting in an acute mental health crisis. It lookd sy potential barriers to appropriate assessment such as communication difficulties or the use of psychiatric tests standardised on an English speaking background population. There are suggestions regarding the cross-cultural assessment of suicide risk, and comments on the wide variations in responses to medication across ethnic and racial groups, for example, in terms of drug metabolism. It also looks at the rights of CALD patients under the Mental Health Act, policy on interpreter use and strategies to support carers.
  
  It is recommended for GPs and mental health care providers across New South Wales.
  (created in conjunction with the Teams of Two joint learning initiative developed by the Alliance of NSW Divisions of General Practice and the NSW Health Department)
  
  
• Depression Dilemmas: Working Cross Culturally with Older People
  This brochure describes issues to consider when engaging and assessing older people from CALD backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on depression. It includes contact details for a range of general, mental health and multicultural services and resources relating to older CALD people living in NSW.
  
  It is recommended for GPs and general and mental health care providers across NSW.
  (created in conjunction with the Teams of Two joint learning initiative developed by the Alliance of NSW Divisions of General Practice and the NSW Health Department)
  
  
• Clinical Consultation and Assessment Service
  Information about how to make referrals to the TMHC Clinical Consultation Service, also information on how to decide whether an interpreter should be used and Interpreter Service contact details.
  
  
• Cross Cultural Issues for 'Can Do' Facilitators
  Advice on how to bring in cross cultural issues when running training sessions. This was developed by TMHC in conjunction with the Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) as an advice for those facilitatating the 'Can Do' initiative. This involves a mental health and substance use clinical training module, which is being rolled out across Australia by the Australian General Practice Network in 2007.
  
  
• NSW Distance Education Course for GPs
  

For further information on the GP Project:

Jennifer Herron
GP Project Officer
Tel: (02) 9840 3800
Email