Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST)
The Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) for Mental Health
The IAR Guidance for Mental Health and IAR Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) was developed by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. The IAR is designed for use by Australian health professionals when a person presents to primary care for assistance for their mental health, or when the health professional providing the service identifies the person may be experiencing possible mental health symptoms and/or psychological distress. Brisbane South PHN is supporting the implementation of the IAR-DST across the region.
The IAR is intended to assist Australian health professionals to decide the most appropriate level of care a patient will need across five levels of care in an Australian stepped care model.
The IAR Guidance documentation includes a suite of documents providing information about the IAR and how to use it appropriately and effectively with people of different ages who present to the Australian primary care system with mental health symptoms and/or psychological distress.
There are separate rating guides available for use with:
Children (aged 5-11)
Adolescents (aged 12-17)
Adults (aged 18-64)
Older adults (aged 65 and over).
Whilst the IAR uses age to indicate the overall appropriateness of each rating guide, the final decision about the most appropriate rating guide to use should be based on the clinical judgment of the user, considering contextual and developmental factors.
When using the IAR-DST, a person seeking mental health support has their experiences understood in the context of 8 holistic domains. The eight domains help to distil essential assessment information and amplify key signals (e.g. red flags) critical for decision-making. A person’s treatment needs, and recovery goals are understood and matched to a service type and intensity based on the least intensive and least intrusive evidence-based intervention that will likely lead to the most significant possible gain.
Why use the IAR Guidance and IAR-DST?
Widespread use of the IAR-DST improves the awareness of and transparency about how
decisions relating to referral appropriateness are made – reducing some of the frustration that
occurs with referrals not being accepted by service providers.
Using a standardised tool like the IAR-DST helps referrers record and communicate initial
assessment and referral information and articulate treatment needs using language commonly
understood across the sector.
Equips users with a framework for documenting decision-making.
IAR-DST training is available online or in-practice
Brisbane South PHN is delivering training on the IAR and the effective use of the IAR-DST and how it can be implemented into practice. Training is designed for the health workforce involved in the mental health assessment and referral process including General Practitioners (GPs), GP Registrars, other clinicians, intake teams and mental health service providers.
GPs and GP Registrars will receive:
A once-off $300 (GST excl.) payment for GPs and GP Registrars who complete training.
Note: This is a once-off incentive payment available for GPs or GP Registrars. Payment is not available for other medical staff or clinicians. Not available for GP’s already paid for their time by a Commonwealth funded service (e.g., Adult Mental Health Centre, Aboriginal Medical Centre). Payment available if GP attends training outside of their paid employment.
2 CPD hours (RACGP, ACRRM or self-report if with another CPD home).
Register for a 2-hour training workshop. Choose to attend online or face-to-face.
For Online training:
Go to the Brisbane South PHN Events page: https://bsphn.org.au/events
Email iar@bsphn.org.au with questions or if you would like to organise face-to-face training at your practice
(for 4+ participants)