The purpose of the HASR program is to address the service gap for older person’s mental health and wellbeing. It is aimed at people aged over 65 years (or 55+ years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) with, or at risk of, mild to moderate mental illness in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) or in the community. HASR facilitates GPs and RACFs to address mental health support for the significant cohort of people who do not meet the criteria for acute public mental health service.

The HASR team complements but does not duplicate existing services. Referrals are accepted via existing Aged Person Mental Health Triage services. Mobile and access services deliver primary and secondary consultations and/or brief intervention sessions by either a Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Registrar, Mental Health Clinician or Lived experience carer consultant at GP practices, RACFs and in private homes to achieve effective and active consumer engagement.

There is also a component of sector capacity building for GPs and their practice staff, and RACF staff, across the EMPHN catchment, to increase confidence in assessments, support older people with mental health and wellbeing issues, promote team-based care and collaboration to provide whole-of-person care.

This activity aims to procure an evaluation of the Healthy Ageing Service Response service to:

• Undertake a process evaluation examining implementation integrity (barriers and enablers)
• Consumer, GP and RACF service provider experience
• Integration of HASR program at the participating general practices and RACFs
• Effectiveness of HASR for team-based collaborative care
• Economic benefits associated with the HASR program
• Sustainability of the HASR program