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Focussed psychological strategies for medical practitioners 012-42020060

This document outlines details about the recognition of additional mental health training in focussed psychological strategies (FPS).

On this page:

Assess a request to recognise additional training in FPS

Process a medical practitioner’s additional training in FPS - Non Vocationally Registered (specialty code 665)

Process a medical practitioner’s additional training in FPS - Vocationally Registered (specialty code 650)

Processing a request to remove additional training in FPS

Assess a request to recognise additional training in FPS

Table 1

Step	Action
1	Notice of additional training in FPS are received Notifications are received via email from the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) in an excel spreadsheet. The agency uses digitally enabled processing (DEP) to create a PaNDA work item ready for allocation. The work item will display with information in a pre-filled table. Medical practitioners who have been determined by the GPMHSC as trained in FPS do not need to submit an application to Services Australia directly. The GPMHSC will notify the agency that the medical practitioner meets the training and skill requirements. If the request comes from any other source, then re-categorise the application in PaNDA to National Office Escalation.
2	Confirm Provider details on Provider Directory System (PDS) Open PDS: Select Provider Select View Search Detailed Search tab, by name In the Family name field, key the first 3 letters of the last name, followed by a % In the Given name field, key the first 3 letters of the first name, followed by a % Select Medical Practitioner from the Profession dropdown menu Select Search to show a list of health professionals with a matching name and profession Note: Detailed Search will make sure all records for the medical practitioner are located. Does the medical practitioner's name and provider number (if provided) match the request? Yes, go to Step 3 No, the details does not match. Contact a Local Peer Support (LPS) for support If an exact match is found and multiple stems exist then select one of the provider numbers. Update all unsynchronised linked stems individually and contact a LPS who will escalate the details to a PO for synchronising.
3	Check Specialty Codes - VR (650 specialty code) Scroll to the bottom of the Provider Stem record to view the specialty codes for the medical practitioner. Does the PDS stem have the 540 Specialist General Practitioner code open and current? Yes, go to Table 3 No, go to Step 4
4	Check PDS stem Scroll to the bottom of the Provider Stem record to view the specialty codes for the medical practitioner. Does the PDS stem have any of the following open and current specialist or consultant physician specialty codes, (specialty codes 1-99, 802-808 or 882-899)? Yes: In PaNDA, add a note stating medical practitioner is not eligible for recognition in FPS as a specialist/consultant physician Select Complete Select Save Procedure ends here No, go to Step 5
5	Check Specialty codes - Non VR (665 specialty code) Scroll to the bottom of the Provider Stem to view the specialty codes for the medical practitioner. Check if a medical practitioner has any of the following specialty codes (open and current). If the medical practitioner has a specialty code in this list go to Step 6: 104 Other Medical Practitioner - pre 1/11/96 177 Queensland Country Relieving Program - QCRP 179 Special Approved Placements Program (SAPP) 180 Temporary Resident Doctor (TRD) 182 Occupational Trainee (OT) 190 Local Rural / Remote Relief (RLRP) 194 Approved Medical Deputising Service - AMDS Program Approved Placement (AMDS) 197 Approved Private Emergency Department Program Approved Placement (APED) 198 Temporary Resident Other Medical Practitioners Program Approved Program (TROMP) 400 College Trainee - Anaesthetist 401 College Trainee - Dermatologist 402 College Trainee - Emergency Medicine 403 College Trainee - Medical Administrator 404 College Trainee - Obstetrics and Gynaecology 405 College Trainee - Occupational Medicine 406 College Trainee - Ophthalmologist 407 College Trainee - Pathologist 408 College Trainee - Physician 409 College Trainee - Psychiatrist 410 College Trainee - Radiologist 411 College Trainee - Surgeon 412 College Trainee - Rehabilitation Medicine 413 College Trainee - Public Health Medicine 414 College Trainee - Aust College Sports Physician 415 College Trainee - Pain Medicine 416 College Trainee - Palliative Medicine 417 College Trainee - Intensive Care 481 Pre Fellowship Program (PFP) 616 Outer Metro Specialist Trainees 617 Metropolitan Workforce Support Program
6	Continue to check Specialty Codes - VR (650 speciality code) Scroll to the bottom of the Provider Stem to view the specialty codes for the medical practitioner. Check if a medical practitioner has any of the below specialty codes (open and current at the date requested on the notification). If the medical practitioner has a specialty code in this list, go to Step 7. 131 RACGP Trainee 133 RACGP Trainee Post 1/11/96 134 RACGP Trainee 1/1/99 176 Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) 178 Prevocational GP Placements Program 186 Rural Other Medical Practitioner (ROMP)/Other Medical Practitioner Extension Program (OMPEP) from 01/07/23 188 MedicarePlus Other Medical Practitioners Participation Program (MOMP) 189 MedicarePlus OMPs Ongoing > 5 Years Program (MOMP) 196 Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Program Approved Placement 199 After Hours OMPs Program (AHOMP) 430 General Practice Education and Training Ltd (GPET) 431 GPET Stuart - Fleurieu General Practitioner (GP) Training 432 GPET Training Valley to Coast 433 GPET Institute of GP Education 434 GPET Sydney Institute of GP Education 435 GPET Went West 436 GPET NT GP Education 437 GPET Central and Sthn QLD 438 GPET Tropical Medical Education 439 GPET Rural and Regional QLD 440 GPET Adelaide to Outback 441 GPET Tasmanian GP Ed and Training 442 GPET Gippsland 443 GPET Greater Green Triangle 444 GPET VIC Metropolitan Alliance 445 GPET WA Education and Training Alliance 446 GPET Bogong Regional Training Network 447 Central West Consortium Ltd 448 GPET Coast City Country GP Training Inc 449 GPET New England Area Training Service P/L 450 GPET North Coast NSW GP Training 451 GPET Victoria Felix Medical Education 452 GPET Rural Health Education /Development West (RHEDWEST) 453 GPET - GP Logic 454 GPET - GP Synergy 455 GPET - Beyond Medical Education 456 GPET - Southern GP Training 457 GP Training - Murray City Country Coast 458 GP Training - Eastern Victoria GP Training 459 GP Training - South Eastern Queensland 460 GP Training - James Cook University 461 GP Training - GP Synergy Western NSW 462 GP Training - GP Synergy Lower Eastern NSW 463 GP Training - GPEx 464 GP Training - Western Australian GPET 465 GP Training - GP Synergy North Eastern NSW 466 GP Training - Tasmanian GP Ed and Training 467 GP Training - NT GP Education 468 GP Pathway - ACRRM 470 Fellowship Program - ACRRM 471 AGPT - ACRRM 472 Independent Pathway - ACRRM 473 RVTS - ACRRM 474 AGPT - RACGP 475 RVTS - RACGP 476 RACGP Fellowship Program - RACGP 477 ACRRM Fellowship Program - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing 478 RVTS - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing 479 RACGP Fellowship Program - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing 485 ACRRM Fellowship Program 486 RACGP Fellowship Program 615 Outer Metro Other Medical Practitioners (OMP) Add a note to provider stem if none of the codes listed in: this step, or the previous steps of this table are present or current To add note on provider stem: Go to the Notes tab on PDS Key note subject - FPS notification Key note description - GPMHSC advised Dr is eligible for FPS from DD/MM/YYYY. Dr does not have access to Medicare Benefits at the time of notification. Refer to relevant OB page to update stem with specialty code/s when Dr has access, e.g. registered in 3GA
7	Assess which code(s) to add If the medical practitioner ONLY has speciality codes listed in Step 5, see Table 2 If the medical practitioner ONLY has speciality codes listed in Steps 3 or 6, see Table 3 If the medical practitioner has speciality codes listed in BOTH Steps 5 and 6, see Table 2. Once the steps in this table are complete, see Table 3 Note: medical practitioners who have multiple placement programs are often eligible for non-VR and VR benefits depending on their location and 3GA program. It is important to correctly assess eligibility and complete the correct processing table(s).

Process a medical practitioner’s additional training in FPS - Non Vocationally Registered (specialty code 665)

Table 2

Step	Action
1	Update Specialty Code Select: Edit Specialty tab Add Specialty Code Key: Specialty Code - 665 (Mental Health Focussed Psychological Strategies) Start Date: If the date on the report is after the start date of the relevant specialty code in Table 1 Step 5 then key the start date as advised in the report If the date on the report is before the start date of the relevant specialty code in Table 1 Step 5, then key the start date in line the specialty code start date. For example, if the report start date is 13/10/2021 however the earliest non-VR specialty code of 190 start date is 01/11/2021, the start date of the specialty code 665 will be 01/11/2021 End Date: no end date is required Select: Add New Cancel Save Did the stem have speciality codes from Table 1 Step 3 or 6? Yes, go to Table 3 No, go to Step 2
2	Issue confirmation letter Select letter template Z2557 Complete appropriate fields of letter template. Issue the confirmation letter to the preferred mailing address on the providers stem in PDS. If there is no preferred mailing address on stem, the letter can be sent to the provider number location that has a ‘P’ (Principal) activity indicator. If this is not available, the most recent provider number location address Save letter as a PDF Upload letter to PaNDA In PaNDA, make sure that the Surname First Name, Provider Number and Case ID fields are completed and correct Print letter and send to the medical practitioner Add any appropriate notes to the PaNDA file Select Complete Select Request Approved Select Save or Save and Next, as appropriate

Process a medical practitioner’s additional training in FPS - Vocationally Registered (specialty code 650)

Table 3

Step	Action
1	Update Specialty Code Select: Edit Specialty tab Add Specialty Code Key: Specialty Code - 650 (Mental Health - Focussed Psychological Strategies) Start Date: If the date on the report is after the start date of the relevant specialty code in Table 1 Step 3 or 6, then key the start date as advised in the report. If the date on the report is before the start date of the relevant specialty code in Table 1 Step 3 or 6, then key the start date in line the specialty code start date. For example, if the report start date is 13/10/2021 however the earliest VR specialty code start date is 01/11/2021, the start date of the specialty code 650 will be 01/11/2021. End Date: no end date is required Select: Add New Cancel Save
2	Issue confirmation letter Select letter template Z2557 Complete appropriate fields of letter template. Issue the confirmation letter to the preferred mailing address on the providers stem in PDS, If there is no preferred mailing address on stem, the letter can be sent to the provider number location that has a ‘P’ (Principal) activity indicator. If this is not available, the most recent provider number location address Save letter as a PDF Upload letter to PaNDA In PaNDA, make sure that the Surname First Name, Provider Number and Case ID fields are completed and correct Print letter and send to the medical practitioner via: Post, and HPOS, if the provider has an active HPOS account Add any appropriate notes to the PaNDA file Select Complete Select Request Approved Select Save or Save and Next

Processing a request to remove additional training in FPS

Table 4

Step	Action
1	Notice of additional training in FPS received Notification from the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) confirming provider is no longer eligible to access FPS items. Notifications of removal are received via email or an excel spreadsheet from the GPMHSC. The agency uses digitally enabled processing (DEP) to create a PaNDA work item ready for allocation. If the request comes from a source other than the GPMHSC, re-categorise the application in PaNDA to National Office Escalations.
2	Confirm health professional details in PDS Open PDS Select Provider Select View Select Detailed Search In Family name field, key the first 3 letters of the last name followed immediately by a %, and In Given name field key the first 3 letters of the first name followed immediately by a % Select Search A list of health professionals with matching name details will show Does the Provider Stem on the top of the page match the request? Yes, go to Step 3 No, or if no record found, contact Local Peer Support (LPS) See also Processing and National Demand Allocation (PaNDA).
3	Check the specialty codes Is the MHST specialty code recorded? Yes, go to Step 4 No, contact LPS See also PDS field codes for allied health and non-medical health professionals.
4	Update PDS From the Provider Stem record in PDS: Select Edit Select Specialty tab Select Specialty Code and Amend In the End Date, key the date advised on the notification if no date indicated, enter the date the request was lodged Select Add New Select Save
5	Issue a confirmation letter and finalise A confirmation letter must be sent to all applicants advising the outcome of their access. Select the Z2557 Allied Health and GPS Registering Additional Psychological Qualifications letter template and complete the required details. Issue the confirmation letter to the preferred mailing address on the providers stem in PDS. If there is no preferred mailing address on stem, the letter can be sent to the provider number location that has a ‘P’ (Principal) activity indicator. If this is not available, the most recent provider number location address Convert the letter into PDF format and upload to the original file ensuring that the file name is correct. For more details, go to the Associated documents table Print the letter and send it to health professional via: Post, and HPOS, if the provider has an active HPOS account Add any appropriate notes to the PaNDA file Select Complete Select Save Close the file Note: letters must be converted to PDF before attaching to the application.
6	Disputes about the removal of recognition If the health professional disputes the removal of their recognition in FPS, they must contact their respective college directly. Services Australia is unable to comment on a health professionals FPS eligibility status.