PREPARING FOR PRACTICE
PREPARING FOR PRACTICE
Mentally
a n x ie ty xi
anore
prepared
depression
schizophrenia
ALL GPs ARE INVOLVED IN MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHIATRIC CARE. AS A GP REGISTRAR, THIS CAN BE BOTH FASCINATING AND OVERWHELMING. THESE TIPS WILL HELP YOU BE MENTALLY PREPARED.
The statistics speak for themselves. n One in five Australians suffers from a mental illness. n More than 75% of those who seek help for a mental illness see their GP first. The following tips will help you improve your skills in this important area of General Practice. n Meet your local Mental Health Team. Phone and introduce yourself to the team leader and ask how the service works in your area. Try to meet them in person. Ask about your local acute/ crisis management service and how to contact and refer to them. n Be aware of Mental Health MBS item numbers. (For example, item 2710 for a Mental Health Care Plan.) Check the new edition of The Rainbow Book for an extensive list and explanation of the item numbers available for you to use. n Contact your local Division of General Practice. Advise them of your interest in learning more about mental health. Ask them for a list of local psychiatrists and to inform you of any mental health educational events. 108
hallucinations
psychosis
n 3TEP -ENTAL (EALTH 4RAINING This is available through your local Division. n GP-Psych Support. Phone 1800 200 588, fax 1800 012 422, www.psychsupport.com.au GP Psych Support is a free service available 24/7 that provides GPs in Australia with advice from a psychiatrist. The service links GPs with psychiatrists by phone, fax or email and all questions receive a response within 24 hours. It is intended for non-emergency cases. The service is federally funded through the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative. n Consider a Psychiatry Extended Skills Post. There are many experienced GPs who would say that no GP Registrar should complete their training without an Extended Skills Post in Psychiatry. During your GP training, it is wise to gain as many skills as you can in assessing, diagnosing and managing mental illness. An Extended Skills Post in Psychiatry is an ideal way to get additional training. This post would be arranged through your RTP’s Medical Educator. It can also be completed as an Advanced Rural Skills Post (ARSP).
a
n Do a Psychiatry course. The NSW Institute of Psychiatry offers an excellent Graduate Certificate in Mental Health. The course is available to GP Registrars and GPs Australia-wide and is conducted by distance learning through core material, weekly teleconferences, online learning, CD-ROMs and weekend workshops. Scholarships are available. There are also other courses. Check their website www.nswiop.nsw.edu.au
USEFUL WEBSITES For other useful websites, see the Mental Health section of our web resource list on page 98.
USEFUL REFERENCE BOOKS Therapeutic Guidelines – Psychotropic Phone (03) 9329 1566, fax (03) 9326 5632, freecall 1800 061 260, email sales@tg.com.au or visit www.tg.com.au
Foundations of Clinical Psychiatry Bloch and Singh, Second Edition, Melbourne University Press, PO Box 278, Carlton South, Vic 3053, www.mup.com.au
General Practice Psychiatry Edited by Blashki, Judd and Piterman (2006), North Ryde, NSW, McGraw-Hill Australia
A Manual of Mental Health Care in General Practice John Davies (2003), Mental Health and Special Programs Branch, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT www.health.gov.au in the Publications section
Contributed by Dr Sara Fergusson, Dr Naomi Harris, Dr Don Cameron and Dr Kate Kelso
109