needs; of the PIR clients during this period 85% were unemployed or not in the labour force and their main source of income came from pensions or government benefits. For country South Australia, PIR is only functioning in the Country North region, leaving a significant gap in the Murray Mallee, Riverland, and South East.
Service Needs analysis Identified Need Service needs across mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drugs sectors
Key Issue Generally, there is a workforce shortage across the region, particularly within programs designed to minimise costs for eligible patients. Psychologists are in high demand and yet are limited particularly in rural and remote areas. Where psychologists are available, large gap payments prevent consumers from attending their services or extended waiting periods exist. Psychological Therapy service provision rates are lower than the state average across all regions, indicating an imbalance with service provision in the metropolitan area despite equal or greater need in many rural areas. Service is not provided at all in some areas, particularly for youth. Neither Psychological Therapies nor Clinical Care Coordination services are consistently provided within all regions, despite most having some level of need, this is directly dependent on workforce availability in rural regions. Once more, where services are provided, consumers are subject to high waiting periods.
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Description of Evidence Leading issue in priority matrix
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Recurring themes in ATAPS provider needs assessments
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DoH District of Workforce Shortage
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Drug and Alcohol Stakeholder Survey
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NCETA – Patterns and Prevalence & At-Risk groups AOD 2017
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ATAPS referral rates
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CSAPHN ATAPS Provider evaluation report, 2016
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Drug and Alcohol Stakeholder Survey, CSAPHN - 2016
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SA Health Hospital Separations 2015-15
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Estimated resident population 2014.
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MBS mental health providers
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ATAPS – DoH
Areas with high rates of hospitalisation for mental health and low service capacity need resources to minimise the risk of both ‘well’ populations and ‘at risk’ populations, from requiring higher level services through unmet lower level need. Currently clients’ needs go unmet while waiting for PRIMARY HEALTH NETWORKS Needs Assessment 2019-2022 (2019 Update)V2 Page 77
