Mental Health Nurse Program

Richmond Fellowship Tasmania provides general practices with access to credentialed Mental Health Nurses to support adults 18 and over who are living with severe and persistent mental illness.

Our mental health nurses negotiate goals with people individually. Some people are stepping up from routine GP care, others are stepping down from a Tasmanian Health Service back to GP care.  

After a comprehensive assessment to establish the level and type of engagement required, the mental health nurse program begins, and progress is reviewed together in three months.

Mental health nurses work with people in their home, our office, or another community venue of their choice. The service is free of charge and does not stop people from using other metal health supports via Medicare, NDIS or private insurance.

Who is the program for?

• The program is designed for adults over 18 years of age
• With severe and complex mental illness
• Who live in the central midlands, east coast and southern regions of Tasmania
• Who consent and would benefit from support from a Mental Health Nurse
• And are referred via their GPs mental health care plan or psychiatrist

Services a Mental Health Nurse may provide include:

• Mental health assessment to support the right level of service at the right time
• Mental health monitoring during transitions
• Risk and relapse prevention and management
• Psycho-education about mental health symptoms, strategies and medication
• Integrating physical health care to support mental wellbeing
• Education and motivational interviewing regarding co-occurring substance use
• Recovery based interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness
• Support to explore self-management resources, programs and online resources  
• Collaboration with other health and service providers to support outcomes

How does the Mental Health Nurse Program fit with other services?

Mental health nursing provides a series of sessions to progress a person’s mental health and wellbeing goals in collaboration with their doctor and other relevant services.

• Referrals primarily for counselling or therapy may be best suited to Better Access providers.
• Referrals for daily medication supervision may be better suited to District Nurses or NDIS support workers.
• Referrals that require two staff for outreach safety may be better suited to a Tasmanian Health Service model.
• Referrals for enduring support may be suited to an NDIS plan or the Tasmanian Health Service Continuing Care team.
• Referrals primarily for support with Centrelink, housing etc may be best suited to a social worker.
• Referrals for crisis support may be better suited to Access Mental Health for personal support via Lifeline counsellors as our service operates within business hours.

For more information or to send feedback:

Call: (03) 6228 3344
Email: admin@richmondtas.com.au

Referrals

GP and Psychiatrists are welcome to discuss a potential referral.
Please email referrals to: referrals@richmondtas.com.au

This program is supported by funding from Tasmania PHN (Primary Health Tasmania) through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.