Mental Health Stepped Care Services Review

This report presents the findings and opportunities identified by PwC Australia following this external review. Whilst insights gathered from the Primary Mental Health Care – Minimum Data Set are impacted by data quality issues, PwC’s report is informed by broad information sources beyond data, and clearly identifies opportunities for NQPHN to redesign mental health stepped care services to improve access, transitions in care, and integration. 

In response to the review, NQPHN completed a comprehensive redesign process, working with a range of health and social service professionals, people with lived experience of mental health challenges, and other interested community members, to codesign the future model of stepped care services. 

During March and August 2023, NQPHN conducted a series of workshops and meetings to gain a deeper understanding of the current state of our service system for people with low, moderate, and high intensity needs. Stakeholders informed what is working well, challenges and pressure points in the current system, and reimagined and described their optimal service landscape and how we might achieve this.   

More than 580 stakeholders engaged in the process with the following being completed: 

• 21 group workshops   

• 3 GP Focus Group meetings 

• 40 individual stakeholder meetings. 

A stakeholder summary report has been developed to finalise the codesign process and provide an overview of the vision for the future stepped care model.  

It also provides information on the upcoming procurement approach NQPHN will be taking to commission the new model. This is a public document and can be distributed widely. 

The Mental Health Stepped Care redesign: Stakeholder Summary Report is available here. 

If you required more information, please contact MHAODplanning@nqphn.com.au