The Australian Government is providing $191.6 million over five years in new funding for mental health nurses through the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program. This program will provide non-MBS incentive payments to community based general practices, private psychiatrist services and other appropriate organisations (such as Divisions of General Practice) who engage mental health nurses to assist in the provision of coordinated clinical care for people with severe mental disorders.

Participating organisations are now able to apply for establishment funding under this Program of up to $10,000 (GST free). Establishment payments will be triggered by evidence of engagement of a mental health nurse and would be available to an organisation once only, irrespective of the number of nurses engaged. Organisations that have already registered under the Program are also eligible for the establishment payment. Payment amounts will be tied to the number of sessions being undertaken by the nurse. Organisations that engage a mental health nurse five or more sessions a week qualify for a $10,000 establishment payment. Organisations that engage a mental health nurse for less than five sessions qualify for a $5,000 payment.

The payment will be made to the entity that registered to be part of the Program. For example, a Division of General Practice might engage the nurse for use by local general practices. In this scenario, the Division of General Practice would incur the establishment costs of engaging the nurse and therefore qualify for the establishment payment.

Medicare Australia will be in contact with all organisations which have applied to the Program to provide further information about the establishment payment.

Further information about the program can be found in the RANZCP Fact sheet, and at the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Payments under this initiative will be made by Medicare Australia. The application form is available via the Medicare Australia website.