New - MHCA Community Mental Health and Primary Care Background Paper and Guiding Principles

July 26 2010

Community Mental Health and Primary Mental Health Care Background Paper

This background paper arose from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) 2009 Final Report and its recommendations about future directions for primary health care. The recommendations for primary health care included 'community mental health', which led to concern that the scope and complexity of community mental health care had been overlooked or misunderstood.

This paper seeks to clarify points of overlap and difference between primary health care and community mental health. It also identifies how their linkages could be strengthened whilst ensuring maintenance of the capacity and integrity of specialist mental health services delivered in the community.

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Community Mental Health Guiding Principles

The purpose of this document is to clarify the nature and scope of community mental health care, and to provide principles to guide its further development across Australia. It has been developed in consultation with Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) members.

'Community mental health' refers to mental health care delivered in a community setting. It includes mental health care provided by primary healthcare practitioners, but is also much broader in scope, encompassing specialist mental health care provided by the public, private and non-government sectors.

To access these documents please visit the Publications page of the MHCA website.