TAMWORTH psychologists have taken up the fight for better mental health resources in a region which has been left wanting by current federal funding models.
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Psychologists Nell Gaff and Amanda Jefferys have raised concerns with New England MP Barnaby Joyce and met with federal health minister Sussan Ley and assistant rural health minister Dr David Gillespie on Thursday.
The pair have a range of issues with the model of care being provided under the recently established Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECCPHN).
A bugbear for Calm Consultants co-principals is funding to “a non-suitable model of care” under Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS).
“We all hoped the primary health network would be something that would foster clinicians to come and live in our area and live out in Barraba and out in Morre and Narrabri and foster them coming to these areas to do this work,” Ms Gaff said.
The psychologist said it wasn’t just about boosting the number of specialists, but the quality of the resources too.
“In rural communities, we’re already really resource poor, not just in mental health, in all of our health areas.
“We need really well qualified mental health clinicians who are adept at dealing with everything that comes through the door.”
A point which was emphasised by her colleague Amanda Jefferys was the complexity of rural mental health work, not being matched with adequate clinicians on the ground to deal with unique regional issues.
The mental health advocates are also concerned the HNECCPHN’s decision making and allocation had an impact on retention rates.
“Clinicians have been forced to leave rural communities and townships, leaving theses communities without access to any clinician of calibre,” the pair wrote in a letter to Barnaby Joyce.
The Tamworth psychologists also said research has shown there are a number of at risk populations in the New England North West, listing higher than national averages in suicide, specific drug and alcohol issues and an influx of returned veterans.
Ms Jefferys said veteran mental health was in critical need in the region.
“One example there was a returned veteran, a recent veteran, who had been on a wait list for 20 months and that’s not appropriate,” Ms Jefferys said.