The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is welcoming new funding for rural Victorian GPs to undergo training to boost access to mental health care.
It comes after the Victorian Government announced a snap 5-day lockdown on Friday as a 'circuit breaker' against rising cases of a more infectious 'UK' strain of the COVID-19 virus.
The Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV) will provide support for up to 5% of the RACGP's members in rural Victoria to become Medicare registered Focused Psychological Service providers – approximately 100 GPs.
The $102,900 funding will provide full subsidisation for GPs in rural and regional Victoria to undergo the RACGP's Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training. This innovative online program allows rural GPs to upskill while remaining in their practice and community. Those who complete the training can go on to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)-derived counselling to patients.
