Nurses
Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program
The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) provides a non-MBS incentive payment to community based general practices, private psychiatrist services, Divisions of General Practice, Medicare Locals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Services who engage mental health nurses to assist in the provision of coordinated clinical care for people with severe mental disorders.
Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program
. Q&A: maintenance of service levels in 2012-13
. Evaluation
. About the program
Other information for nurses
. Q&A: maintenance of service levels in 2012-13
. Evaluation
. About the program
Other information for nurses
An evaluation of the program was completed in 2012 and a copy of the evaluation report is available on the department's website. The Australian Government is currently considering the findings from the evaluation and the future design of MHNIP. Key stakeholders met on 16 January 2013 to discuss the evaluation findings. Consultations will continue with stakeholders in 2013 as the government considers the evaluation findings and to inform the future design of the program.
Important notice
As part of this year's budget, the Australian Government is providing additional funding to the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program in 2012-13 to ensure people with a severe mental illness can continue to receive coordinated clinical care services.Services under the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program will be maintained at 2011–12 service levels while findings from a comprehensive evaluation of the program are considered and the best structure for the program in future years determined in consultation with stakeholders. Maintaining MHNIP services at 2011-12 levels means no new organisations can join the program from 9 May 2012 unless existing participants leave, and organisations and nurses will need to maintain client services and sessions at existing levels.
Funding will ensure that existing eligible organisations and nurses can maintain client services in 2012-13 at 2011-12 levels, and continue to make claims to Medicare Australia for services so that patients receive the care they need. Organisations can also continue to accept new patients into the program and engage new nurses as long as the overall service levels of the organisation are maintained.
In July 2012, the Department of Human Services (DHS) advised organisations of their session levels for 2012-13. This was based on 2011-12 service levels, taking into account circumstances where an organisation had recently joined the program or experienced high activity in the latter months of 2011-12.
At the time of advice, organisations were requested to advise DHS within two weeks if they wished to seek a review of their session allocation. A number of organisations sought a review and this review process has been completed, with organisations advised of the outcome.
DHS will be assisting all organisations in managing their session levels by monitoring monthly the sessions that have been provided and providing organisations with a quarterly update. If the organisation's session levels are higher than would be expected based on their allocation, such that it is possible that they may exceed their total allocation prior to the end of 2012-13, they will be advised more frequently. Top of page
Organisations, in consultation with their mental health nurses, are responsible for managing services within their 2012-13 allocation.
Where organisations claim for sessions that are additional to their 2012-13 allocation, these additional sessions will not be paid.
Organisations wishing to join MHNIP can only do so where there is attrition in the program. A waiting list of eligible organisations wishing to participate in the program or wishing to increase their 2012-13 session allocation will be maintained by DHS.
Together with the criteria outlined in the MHNIP guidelines for eligible organisations, DHS will also apply the following criteria to determine whether an eligible organisation may participate in the program in 2012-13:
- Whether existing organisations have left
- Ensuring continuity of care to existing patients
- Availability of MHNIP services in the local region and
- Availability of program funding.
