RACGP | 2008-2010 mental health training requirements http://www.racgp.org.

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2008-2010 mental health training requirements

Summary of 2008-2010 mental health professional development requirements

Changes in terminology for 2008-2010 triennium
Levels of GPMHSC accredited mental health training
Training pathway for GPs to register as providers of FPS
Requirements to remain compliant as a provider of FPS

Summary of 2008-2010 mental health training requirements

To register as a provider of focussed psychological strategies GPs must complete a GPMHSC

accredited Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) course and Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills
Training (FPS ST) course.

Once registered as a provider of FPS, GPs need to complete an FPS CPD course each triennium to
fulfil their CPD requirements.

GPs registered as a provider of FPS are eligible to access Medicare items 2721-2727.

GPs registered as providers of FPS in the 2005-2007 triennium must complete an FPS CPD course
sometime during the 2008-2010 triennium to remain compliant.

GPs who are removed from the register can re-apply for registration by completing an FPS CPD
activity during the triennium, but will then need to complete a second such activity to meet the
2008-2010 CPD requirements

Changes in terminology

There have been some changes to the terminology used in mental health education for the 2008-2010 triennium.

2008 – 2010 triennium 2005 – 2007 triennium

Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) Level One mental health training

Mental Health CPD (MH CPD) Level One ongoing mental health training

Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST) Level Two mental health skills training

Focussed Psychological Strategies CPD (FPS CPD) Level Two ongoing mental health training

Levels of GPMHSC accredited mental health training

Unlike the QA&CPD/PDP Program of the GP colleges where CPD is measured in ‘points', the mental health special interest area works on GPs achieving
‘levels' of training.

Programs accredited as Mental Health Skills Training (previously called Level One Mental Health Skills Training) must address the knowledge and skill
areas associated with completing and reviewing GP Mental Health Care Plans.

Programs accredited as Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) Skills Training (previously called Level Two Mental Health Skills Training) are more
specific - they teach skills in providing focussed psychological strategies to patients.

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Please see the table below for more information:

Minimum Consumer and carer

Accreditation category General objectives Activity Format
duration involvement

Provides training in mental

Mental health skills training
health assessment, care Any interactive, structured learning
(MHST) Required for
planning and review for mental 6 hours format with pre-disposing and
(prev. 'L1 mental health skills accreditation
disorders commonly presenting reinforcing elements
training')
in general practice

Mental health continuing

Extends Mental health skills
professional development Any interactive, structured learning
training, augmenting skills in
6 hours format with pre-disposing and Recommended
assessing and treating mental
reinforcing elements
disorders
(MH CPD)

Focussed psychological At least 12 hours supervised, face to

Develops skills in provision of
strategies skills training ( FPS face training, with the balance via any
evidence based FPS as part of a Required for
ST ) 20 hours interactive, structured learning
treatment plan for common accreditation
(prev. 'L2 mental health skills format. Also requires predisposing
mental disorders
training') and reinforcing elements

Focussed psychological
strategies continuing
professional development
(FPS CPD)
Extends Focussed psychological
Any interactive, structured learning
strategies skills training and
6 hours format with pre-disposing and Recommended
strengthens skills in the
reinforcing elements
provision of FPS

Download a copy of the ‘Framework for professional development for GPs in mental health 2008-2010' below.

Training pathway to register as a GP provider of FPS

The ‘Framework for Professional Development in Mental Health for GPs' provides GPs with a progressive training pathway for professional development
in mental health as well as defines the standards for training organisations seeking accreditation from the GPMHSC for their education.

The diagram below outlines the pathway for GPs to register as a provider of focussed psychological strategies (FPS).

Eligibility to Focussed
Focussed register as a psychological
Mental health psychological GP provider of strategies
+ = →
skills training strategies focussed continuing
skills training psychological professional
strategies development

To register as a provider of FPS, GPs must complete a GPMHSC accredited Mental Health Skills Training Course and Focussed Psychological Strategies
(FPS) Skills Training Course.

Once registered as a provider of FPS GPs need to complete an FPS CPD course each triennium to fulfil their training requirements. Information on
mental health compliance.

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Registration as a provider of FPS allows GPs to access Medicare items 2721-2727 the MBS items associated with the provision of FPS by a GP.

More information on GP providers of FPS including how to apply for registration

Download a copy of the ‘Framework for professional development for GPs in mental health 2008-2010' below.

Requirements to remain compliant as a provider of FPS

What is required to remain compliant as a provider of FPS for the 2008-2010 triennium?
What happens if I do not meet the requirements to remain compliant?
How can I get back on the register if I have been removed due to non-compliance in 2005-2007?

What is required to remain compliant as a provider of FPS for the 2008-2010 triennium?

GPs currently registered as providers of FPS in the 2008-2010 triennium are required to complete a course accredited with the GPMHSC as a focussed
psychological strategies CPD (FPS CPD) course to remain compliant.

This requirement can be met by either:

attending a course organised by a training provider (including on-line options) that has been accredited as an FPS CPD course or,
by completing an individual CPD activity such as a supervised clinical attachment or small group learning cycle which has been accredited as an FPS
CPD course.

Find mental health training near you

More information on individual CPD options for mental health accreditation

GPs who complete the training pathway to become a registered provider of FPS and are registered with Medicare for the first time during the 2008-2010
triennium are not required to complete an FPS CPD course.

What happens if I do not meet the requirements to remain compliant?

What happens if I do not meet the requirements to remain compliant?

At the end of each triennium the GPMHSC is required to report to Medicare Australia the names and details of GPs who have met the education and
training requirements to remain complaint as a registered provider of FPS.

GPs who do not meet the mental health CPD requirements for the 2008-2010 triennium will be removed from the register of GPs eligible to provide FPS,
and will no longer have access to MBS items 2721-2727.

Further details of the compliance process will be added toward the end of the 2008-2010 triennium.

How can I get back on the register if I have been removed due to non-compliance in 2005-2007?

How can I get back on the register if I have been removed due to non-compliance in 2005-2007?

GPs who have not met the 2005-2007 mental health CPD requirement and who are 'deregistered' in 2008 can apply for re-registration by supplying a
signed 2008-2010 'Application to re-register as a GP provider of FPS' form, and supplying evidence that they have completed, in the 2008-2010
triennium, either:

focussed psychological strategies skills training ( FPS ST ); or

focussed psychological strategies continuing professional development (FPS CPD) course.

This training will not be recognised as completing both the 2005-2007 and 2008-2010 CPD requirements for registered GP providers of FPS.

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Deregistered GPs seeking restoration of their status as a GP provider of FPS through this pathway also need to complete a second GPMHSC accredited
activity in the categories above to meet the 2008-2010 triennium requirement.

The effective date of ‘re-registration' will be the date which the application form is received by the GPMHSC Secretariat, not the date of training completion,
except by special exemption from the GPMHSC.

Download application to re-register as a GP provider at the bottom of the page.

Find mental health training near you

More information on individual CPD options for mental health accreditation.

Related files

Framework for professional development for GPs in mental health 2008-2010 (716KB)
Application to re-register as a GP provider (93KB)

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Publication Date: 5 February 2010

Authorised By: GPMHSC

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) ABN 34 000 223 807,
1 Palmerston Cr, South Melbourne VIC 3205. Ph : +61 (3) 8699 0414 Fax : +61 (3) 8699 0400

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is responsible for maintaining standards for quality clinical practice, education and training, and research in Australian general practice. The RACGP has the
largest general practitioner membership of any medical organisation in Australia, with the majority of Australia's general practitioners belonging to their professional college. Over 24 000 general practitioners
participate in the RACGP Continuing Professional Development Program. The RACGP National Rural Faculty, representing more than 6000 members, has the largest rural general practitioner membership of any
medical organisation in Australia. .

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