EOI - Psychologist for Direct Access Project

⁠⁠⁠The DDWMPHN is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) for a psychologist to deliver therapeutic services to a small group of schools in the Brisbane Valley (BV Cluster). The service would be delivered in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training (DET) as part of a project to trial a model for improved access to therapies and collaboration to support students with or at risk of mental illness.

Clients of the service will be school students eligible for the Better Access Initiative through MBS and a Mental Health Care Plan from their general practitioner (GP). Students will mostly be from Toogoolawah SHS (ages 11 to 17) but some may be from nearby primary schools (ages 5 to 10).

The psychologist will have access to a private, quiet office at Toogoolawah SHS, free-of-charge, and will receive administration support for arranging appointments and implementing strategies to ensure student attendance.  Where appropriate, the cluster will manage any other administrative duties to support this model.

The school-based Student Services team will recommend that appropriate students (through their carer) are reviewed by the GP, who will then make the decision about a Mental Health Care Plan. The project will take place during semester 1, 2018, with the service delivery period for the psychologist being approximately 5 months (from mid-February to late-June). The cluster would be seeking a full-day, weekly visit from a psychologist (apart from 2 weeks of school holidays). The specific day of the week will be negotiated.

The number of clients to be referred will be negotiated based on the capacity of the psychologist, the need of the school, and the nature of referrals made.  An indication from the cluster is of 12 students (based on students being seen once per fortnight for 10 sessions, and the psychologist seeing 6 students at each weekly visit, with allowance for 1 hour sessions). To ensure continuity of care and support it is intended that students will be seen by only one visiting psychologist.