Expressions of Interest - Commissioning for Psychosocial Support Services

⁠⁠⁠NT PHN is seeking Expressions of Interest for Psychosocial Support Services as part of the reform to Australian Government funded psychosocial support programs for people with mental illness.

The Australian Government funding allocated to psychosocial support programs for people with mental illness is undergoing significant reform as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reaches the final stages of roll out.

Partners in Recovery (PIR), Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHAMs) and Day to Day Living (D2DL) are the three key federally funded, national psychosocial support programs. Funding for these programs is transitioning into the NDIS. From 1 July 2019, their function will be replaced by two new measures – the Continuity of Support (COS) measure and the National Psychosocial Support Measure (NPSM). PHNs nationally have the role of commissioning the new measures.

Participants of PIR, PHAMs and D2DL who have tested eligibility to the NDIS by 1 July 2019 and have not been accepted into the scheme will continue to be supported by COS. Those that are accepted to the NDIS will receive individualised packages to accommodate their psychosocial support needs through the NDIS. The NPSM is for people requiring psychosocial supports who do not have an NDIS package and are not funded through COS arrangements. The NPSM will essentially replace the psychosocial support services of PIR, PHAMs and D2DL for those people who present and require psychosocial supports after 1 July 2019. However, in contrast to its predecessors, the NPSM should provide capacity-building, time-limited supports, as opposed to ongoing support.

The NPSM was announced by the Australian Government as an $80 million investment over 4 years, to be matched by States and Territories. The allocation to States and Territories was made based on population. NT PHN is responsible for commissioning the Commonwealth contribution to the NPSM for the Northern Territory, which is $800,000 until 30 June 2021.

This is a relatively low allocation of funding to distribute across the vast area of the Northern Territory which has unique demographic characteristics and health needs, as well as a highly dispersed population. With the objective to safeguard the continuation of psychosocial support services in regions of the Northern Territory that are currently receiving services, Northern Territory PHN (NT PHN) has a strategic intention to commission the NPSM and COS measures using an integrated approach from 1 July 2019.

The COS measure was announced by the Australian Government as a national commitment of $109.8 million over 3 years from 1 July 2019. By contrast with the NPSM, the allocation to States and Territories for COS is expected to be made in accordance with regional need, considering population dispersion and demographics.

NT PHN estimates that the value of COS funding allocated to the Northern Territory will be several times the value of NPSM funding. PHNs nationally are currently awaiting further information on funding and guidance from the Australian Government, and pending this, PHNs expect to have COS arrangements commissioned from 1 July 2019.

The integrated approach for commissioning the NPSM and COS measures through a broad program of Psychosocial Support Services has several overarching objectives:
* Maximise service availability
* Minimise service stratification
* Increase sector efficiency.

NT PHN will seek to distribute the NPSM and COS funding using an approach that meets these objectives, however we note that guidance outlining the objectives and constraints of COS funding is yet to be provided.

Through commissioning, NT PHN will also seek to:
* Ensure that COS and NPSM participants are supported to test eligibility for the NDIS, if that is where they are most appropriately supported, and
* To minimise disruption to COS clients as much as reasonably practicable.

While awaiting further COS guidance from the Australian Government, NT PHN is commencing the commissioning process by inviting expressions of interests (EOI) for the delivery of federally funded Psychosocial Support Services from 1 July 2019. The EOI is open to existing providers of the three federally funded psychosocial support programs (i.e. PIR, PHAMs and D2DL) who are providing services in the Northern Territory and APY Lands.

Information from the EOI, as well as impending guidance relating to the COS measure, will inform the next stage(s) of commissioning. The next stage will align with NT PHN commissioning principles, with the central objective of minimising disruption to COS clients as much as is reasonably practicable. Providers will be kept informed on the next steps of the commissioning process as soon as information becomes available.

NT PHN will use established communication channels in the mental health sector to convey information that emerges relating to the psychosocial reform and associated funding measures.

For more information, please contact us:
e mentalhealth@ntphn.org.au
t 08 8982 1000

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