Mental health continuum of care

Primary Health Tasmania’s Mental Health Continuum of Care Project aims to improve Tasmanians’ experience of and outcomes from the mental health services we commission.

It involves gathering information and feedback about the current service model to help inform a new service model focused on improved coordination and integration.

Other Primary Health Networks have successfully transitioned to continuum of care models, achieving improvements in streamlined care.

Which services are affected?

Our focus will initially be on the following types of services we commission:

  • low intensity services (for people with mild mental illness or at risk of mental illness)
  • short-term trauma counselling
  • short-term psychological interventions
  • services for adults with complex and severe mental illness.

Inclusive development

Primary Health Tasmania is committed to an inclusive development process for the new service model.

We believe the best outcomes are achieved when the development of new models is collaborative.

Throughout this project, we are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders – including service providers and people with lived experience. This will ensure our approach is not only comprehensive but also holds true to the experiences of those impacted by our services.

What has happened so far?

We undertook an internal evaluation of the four in-scope commissioned mental health programs listed above to assess how well they are meeting the needs of Tasmanians and to identify opportunities for improvement. Click here for a summary of this evaluation, which drew on data as well as provider, referrer and client input.

The next phase saw us – along with our external consultant Scyne Advisory – hold consultation sessions with a range of service providers, advocacy organisations, healthcare professionals, service users, and other people who have engaged with mental health services. This helped us identify some key elements of a potential new model.

What will happen next?

The next stages of the project will involve:

  • further workshops in July 2025 with our commissioned mental health and alcohol and other drugs support services to test and refine elements of the new model
  • finalisation of the model and market-sounding events in October and November 2025 to prepare for a procurement process
  • selection of providers in early 2026 to deliver services under the new model
  • supporting a six-month transition process from July 2026 to ensure continuity of care as services move from the current to the future model
  • implementing the new model in full from January 2027, supported by updated commissioning, funding and service arrangements.

Primary Health Tasmania will continue to work closely with current and future providers throughout the transition period to support service continuity and a safe, planned approach to change.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about this project, please send us an email.