Psychological Therapies for Underserviced Populations Program - Lot 3 – Dubbo Regional

⁠⁠⁠Western Health Alliance Limited (WHAL), trading as Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN), has developed this Request for Proposal (RFP) as part of its commissioning process to procure a single Organisation with the capability and experience to deliver an adult psychological intervention service for underserviced populations across Western NSW.

The program is designed to improve access to evidence-based psychological interventions for adults who face barriers to care through standard Medicare-funded pathways and who often present with moderate to severe mental ill-health, complexity or elevated risk. The service will operate within a stepped-care framework as a Level 2–4 response for the missing middle and is intended to complement, rather than duplicate, existing local, state-funded and Commonwealth-funded services.

The Western NSW context is characterised by rural and remote geography, thin workforce markets, service fragmentation, transport and digital access barriers, and cultural safety gaps. The commissioned model is therefore expected to maintain psychological therapy as the core funded activity while incorporating the enabling functions required for effective delivery in a rural and remote system.

These functions include a structured Front Door with multiple referral pathways, active navigation, a flexible multidisciplinary team, and clear operational interfaces with general practice, the Local Health District, Medicare Mental Health Centres and other regional services. One-off establishment funding may be used to support mobilisation, integration and pathway development.

Through this RFP, WNSW PHN seeks a service model that is evidence-based, clinically safe, operationally realistic and regionally responsive, and that improves access, continuity and outcomes for adults with complex mental health needs in Western NSW.