Changes to delivery of short-term psychological interventions in southern Tasmania

Relationships Australia Tasmania (RA Tas) will be completing its contract with Primary Health Tasmania for the delivery of short-term psychological interventions in southern Tasmania services on 30 April this year.

Primary Health Tasmania has commenced the process to commission a new provider to deliver this service. It is revisiting local needs and may make some adjustments to the service as a result.

There are no changes to providers of this commissioned service in the north and north west.

What this means for people eligible for this program

• People who are already receiving this service from RA Tas will continue to do so until their current care plan is completed.
• People who are on the waiting list have been contacted, advised of a delay in receiving support, and given the option of remaining on the waiting list (where clinically appropriate) or speaking to their GP about other options. Primary Health Tasmania will ensure the new provider prioritises patients on the waiting list.
• New patients seeking support for mild to moderate mental illness will need to access an alternative service during this time.

Services for people with mild mental illness

The following Australian Government-funded services are available for Tasmanians with mild mental illness – acknowledging that there is high demand for all mental health services at present.

These services are free for eligible people.

• Remedy Healthcare delivers telephone (1800 810 255) and online coaching including the MindStep telephone service and MindStep Cognitive Behavioural Therapy online service to adults with or at risk of mild mental illness. Remedy’s Healing Minds telephone service is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait adults. More information here
• Mindfulness Programs Australasia delivers mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group sessions for adults with or at risk of mild mental illness. The program is available via face-to-face sessions, community workshops, and telephone and internet sessions. More information here
• The Link Youth Health Service delivers headspace early intervention services for people aged 12 to 25 years. More information here.

TasCOSS’s Find Help Tas website has information about mental health-related helplines, counselling, support groups, grief and loss support, carers support, information and education, and more.

Primary Health Tasmania’s Tas After Hours web page also lists a number of mental health helplines and online resources.