GPs are often the first point of contact for people seeking mental health support. They are in a unique position to notice a patient’s emerging mental health symptoms, implement early interventions, and effectively monitor chronic mental illness. People seeking mental health support may present with a range of interrelated factors that can make it challenging to determine the most appropriate level of care.
The Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) is a decision support tool to help referrers find the best care for patients. By using a standardised, evidence-based approach to categorise mental health levels, patients can be connected to the most appropriate local mental health care.
What is IAR?
The IAR decision support tool (DST) is an initiative of the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care and brings together information from a range of sources, including Australian and international evidence and advice from a range of leading experts.
The tool aims to assist general practitioners and mental health clinicians in recommending the most appropriate level of care for a person seeking mental health support. The IAR-DST complements clinical judgement to assist with determining the most appropriate referral option to provide the best support for patients. The tool is designed to provide a national, consistent, evidence-based and objective approach to mental health initial assessments to support appropriate referral pathways. It will create a common language between referrers and service providers to ensure cohesive continuation of care.
The IAR tool uses eight assessment domains to evaluate a patient’s mental health treatment needs and recovery goals and calculates the appropriate level of care based on a clinically informed algorithm. There are five levels of care differentiated by the type of service and the amount of service resourcing needed to improve a patient’s mental health, rather than who and how the resources are delivered.
Register for training
We are running IAR training for GPs, general practice staff, clinicians, and other mental health service providers in Western Sydney. Find out more about IAR, on the Initial Assessment Referral webpage or register for IAR-DST training.