North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) is providing training for GPs in the use of the Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) – a useful support to complement clinical judgement and assessment for recommending the most appropriate level of care for a person seeking mental health support.
Training is available face-to-face at your practice (minimum 3 participants), at the NWMPHN office in Parkville, or online (using Zoom or Teams). The sessions will be 2 hours long and GPs will receive an incentive payment of $300 for their time. 4 RACGP CPD points will also be available.
About the IAR-DST
The tool provides a standardised, evidence-based and objective approach to assist GPs and mental health clinicians with mental health care recommendations. It has been in use by the Head to Health intake team and other clinicians in the mental health sector since 2019.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is now expanding its availability into primary care settings. NWMPHN anticipates that using the IAR-DST will become standard practice in many local settings in coming years. We encourage GPs to get ahead of the curve by completing training now.
More information is available on our website.
About the training
The training will include:
- an introduction to IAR
- orientation to the domains
- levels of care and the decision support tool
- information on clinical judgement and supported decision-making
- a practical activity using case studies in referral, assessment and intake settings.
