The network announced on Monday that its new Services and Treatment for Enduring and Persistent Mental Illness (STEPMI) service would start on July 1.

The STEPMI service will replace the network’s current Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP).

Funding of $150,000 from the MHNIP program will be relocated into the STEPMI service.

The service will be led by the Australian Primary Mental Health Alliance, and will cover the Wimmera and Grampians regions.

Western Victoria PHN chief executive Dr Leanne Beagley said the new model of care would significantly change the way services were delivered and accessed.

“This program is for people living with severe and enduring mental illnesses; we think the best place for them is in the community, not in a hospital,” she said.

“There’s so much need in the community and statistics show people living with mental illness in regional, rural and remote areas are still unacceptably high.

“It’s about providing a whole package of care to support not only clients but their families, too.

“Once up and running, we hope wait times will be short for our patients so they can begin as soon as possible.

“What it will improve the most though is getting the right services for the right people.

“Ultimately clients can expect access a full continuum of services, where they can move seamlessly from low intensity mental health support and then to STEPMI levels of care if and when they are required.

“This isn’t for everyone with a mental illness; it’s for a certain percentage of the community who need that whole package of care and provide them with more streamlined access to care.”

Instead of seeing a counsellor a few times a week, clients will work with health care worker who will help them in all facets of their lives.

“Through the program we will be able to support them with their day-to-day lives, understand what goals they have in their lives and enable them to access the specific health services they need,” she said.

”We talked to people with mental illnesses and service providers to see where we should target the money.

“The discussion we had with providers was about finding out what the absolute best model of care would look like and who it would be for.”

Ms Beagley said MHNIP workers had known for a while that the program would come to an end.

“It is a much older model that hasn’t been updated in about 10 years,” she said.​

“The MHNIP relied on general practitioners to identify the needs of people and didn’t create access to everyone.

“This new program makes it more about the patient and focuses on their specific needs.”

Ms Beagley said, to access STEPMI services, people needed to go through their GP who would refer them to the program.

Current MHNIP providers will remain in place until June 30.