Building Relationships with PHNs

Dr Susie Fletcher and the mental health team were recently successful in their application for a highly competitive Melbourne Engagement Grant.

The team aims to develop a model for building strong relationships between the University and the recently formed Primary Health Networks, using mental health as an example of the benefits of focused rather than general approaches to collaboration.

The PHNs will be responsible for commissioning health services at the local level, with the aim of improving coordination of care and ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time. A major new initiative for PHNs will be the implementation of stepped models of mental health care, with a focus on e-technologies. This is an exciting opportunity to establish meaningful partnerships between the University (a knowledge generator) and PHNs (health system reformers).