Primary Mental Health Program
The Primary Mental Health (PMH) program provides support and assistance to a broad range of primary health care providers, mainly general practitioners and community health workers, in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee region.
The program assists these providers to assess and provide the best possible interventions to people in the community who experience anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or a related mental health problem (esp. where there are complex diagnostic or management issues) and Peri-natal Emotional Health.
The service also provides the Families where Parent/s have a Mental Illness (FaPMI) program which provides support and assistance to a broad range of community based organisations and staff of specialist mental health services.
The PMH program consists of a team of clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and a consultant psychiatrist, who work together with general practitioners, community health workers, clinicians of the Area Mental Health Service and other practitioners across the region to offer a service for clients with anxiety, depression and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
The PMH program provides consultation, further assessment and review. This may result in:
* advice regarding the diagnosis or management to the referring practitioner
* time limited focussed psychological therapy by a PMH clinician
* further referral options.
The PMH program also provides training and education program to general practitioners, community health workers and other service providers
Service Access: The programs can be accessed by general practitioners, community health workers and other service providers through referral to Bendigo Health Psychiatric Services single point of entry - 1300 363 788.
The PMH team provides a part-time outreach service to the towns outside Bendigo.