Why did Divisions of General Practice implement some Access to Allied Psychological Services mental health initiatives and not others?

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) programs implemented through Divisions of General Practice (now Medicare Locals) enables general practitioners (GPs) to refer consumers with high-prevalence mental disorders for up to 12 individual and/or group sessions of evidence-based mental health care. The great strength of ATAPS is its ability to target vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. Several initiatives have been introduced that focus on particular at-risk populations. This study aimed to determine the factors that had influenced Divisions' decisions to implement the various Tier 2 initiatives. METHODS: An online survey was sent to all Divisions. The survey contained mostly multiple choice questions and sought to determine which factors had influenced their decision-making. RESULTS: The most common factors influencing the decision to implement an initiative were the perception of local need and whether there was an existing service model that made it easier to add in new programs. The most commonly cited factors for not implementing were related to resources and administrative capacity. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides valuable insights into the issues that primary care organisations face when implementing new programs; the lessons learnt here could be useful when considering the implementation of other new primary care programs.