Mental Health GP Shared Care

Studies have shown that a holistic approach to patient care, including strong collaboration between GPs and mental health services, leads to improved patient outcomes.

The Mental Health GP Shared Care webpage is a directory of mental health service details, information and resources to better support GPs in the shared care of mental health patients.

Below you will find guidelines and templates to help you establish a shared care arrangement to exchange clinical information and support shared decision making for your patient.

You will also find

  • catchment boundaries to help you locate the right mental health team for your patient
  • contact details for clinical assistance and specialist advice
  • information and resources to complete physical and metabolic health assessments for mental health service patients
  • referral forms and details.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions about this page. Please email feedback to healthocp@sa.gov.au.

Information for GPs

SA Health

Southern Adelaide Local Health Network

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network

Central Adelaide Local Health Network

Women’s and Children’s Health Network

Regional Mental Health Services

Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA)

Mental health services

All SA Health mental health services are listed on the Mental Health Services page.

Adult community mental health services map

If you are unsure which adult community mental health service an area falls under, view the adult community mental health service map (PDF 146KB).

Rural community mental health services contact list

View the rural community mental health service contact details (PDF 60KB) and the regional Local Health Network map (PDF 965KB).

Older Person Mental Health Services (OPMHS) Map

If you are unsure which OPMHS community mental health service an area falls under, view the OPMHS catchment boundaries (PDF 68KB).

Urgent referrals

For urgent referrals please call Mental Health Triage on 13 14 65. The SA Health Mental Health Triage Service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Urgent Mental Health Care Centre

The Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) offers an alternative to presenting at hospital Emergency Departments for a mental health crisis.

The UMHCC takes walk-ins and you can also refer patients to the UMHCC by calling (08) 8448 9100.

For more information, current operating times and resources, visit the UMHCC website.

Routine referrals

Referrals to Community and Older Persons Mental Health Teams

For non-urgent referral to SA Health mental health services please complete the non-urgent referral form (PDF 126KB) and fax through to the relevant local Community Mental Health Team. Contact details for each Mental Health Team are listed on the form.

Alternatively, additional formats of the form compatible with clinical management software are also available below:

Instructions on how to import these forms into clinical management applications are provided below:

Referrals to SAHLN Older Persons Mental health Team

To refer specifically to SALHN OPMHS, please utilise the Community Team — W18V referral form (PDF 409KB)

Referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

If you are seeking to refer a new child or young person to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, contact CAMHS Connect on 1300 222 647.

Referrals to Drug and Alcohol Services SA (DASSA)

Visit the DASSA referral information webpage.

Clinical Information Exchange

The following templates can be utilised to share clinical information with SA Health mental health services in the care of shared patients.

Clinical programs and practice guidelines

The SA Health Clinical Practice Guidelines assist health care providers in the appropriate management of their patients.

Clinical practice guidelines are evidence based statements that include recommendations intended to optimise patient care and assist health care practitioners to make decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. Clinical practice guidelines should assist clinicians and patients in shared decision making.

Visit the Mental health for health professionals webpage for relevant clinical programs and practice guidelines.

Visit the Medicines and drugs webpage for relevant clinical programs and practice guidelines.

Clinical support

Specialist advice phone lines

GP Psychiatry Support Line

Psychiatrists answer your queries Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 4.30 pm.
Phone: 1800 161 718.
Alternatively, there is an option to book a call back from a psychiatrist at a chosen date and time on the GP Psychiatry Support website.

Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS)

24 hours a day 7 days/week including public holidays.
Phone: (08) 7087 1742
Email: HealthDACASEnquiries@sa.gov.au
Website: Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service - contact information and provides useful information sheets for GPs.

Statewide Eating Disorder Service

Professionals can contact the Statewide Eating Disorder Service for advice, liaison and education to help care for people with an eating disorder. An intake clinician is available during business hours and will respond to your enquiry promptly.

Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) 9.00 am to 4.30 pm
Phone: (08) 7117 8800
Fax: (08) 7117 8844
Website: Statewide Eating Disorder Service - SEDS referring instructions including Brief Guide to the Medical Monitoring of Patients with an Eating Disorder (PDF 64KB) and SEDS referral form (PDF 656KB)

HealthPathways SA

Clinical guidance including suggested GP management and referral pathways can be found at HealthPathways SA. To register for a login, please complete the short Health Pathways login form. Even if the pathway has not been localised for South Australia, the clinical guidance for GP assessment and primary care management will be up to date and written by colleagues in New Zealand.

Medication resources, regulations and requirements

Physical and metabolic health

Have you completed a physical and metabolic health assessment for mental health patients in the last 6 months?

In accordance with the Equally Well (PDF 2.3MB) and RANZCP consensus statement (PDF 612KB) recommendations, mental health clinicians in conjunction with GPs are encouraged to ensure mental health service consumers have a physical health assessment every six months and encourage them to look after their physical health. For information and resources visit the Metabolic Health webpage for clinicians.

Further information, resources and guidelines can be found on the RANZCP Physical health of people with mental illness webpage.

COVID-19 mental health support

To support the mental health of South Australians during this time we have established a Mental Health Support Network of services based locally in SA. The COVID-19 mental health support page provides information about the services and other resources for mental health support during this challenging time.

The Australian Government’s Department of Health also provides mental health resources for health professionals via their Head to Health website.

Aboriginal support resources

LGBTIQA support resources

Suicide prevention resources

Training for GPs

  • SA Health Mental health training is available to GPs – fees apply.
  • Drug and alcohol training and development
  • Australian Medical Placements Health Education and Training (AMPHEaT)
  • General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration – Mental Health Training and Education
  • South Australia Postgraduate Medical Education Association (SAPMEA)
  • The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners - Education

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