Mental Health Shared Care

Mental Health Shared Care

The Mental Health Shared Care program was first established in 2007 and has delivered shared care arrangements between non-government service providers and GPs for people with complex and severe mental health conditions.

Country SA PHN has been proud to commission Mental Health Shared Care for country South Australia, on behalf of the Department for Health and Wellbeing (DHW), since 2018.

DHW recently undertook a review of Mental Health Shared Care that has informed the creation of a new mental health program – Pathways to Recovery.

Pathways to Recovery will operate much like Mental Health Shared Care, but together with therapeutic services, it will also offer care coordination and peer support.

This new SA Health program is offered for 6 months initially but may be extended to 12 months where needed. It will be delivered across the same country regions as Mental Health Shared Care has been available, with the addition of the Eyre and Far North region.

SA Health commissioned service providers will deliver the new Pathways to Recovery from 1 July 2025. This program will become a step-down pathway for individuals ready to transition from public mental health services into a community and recovery-oriented program, in partnership with primary care.  

For general practitioners who currently refer to Mental Health Shared Care, there will be a 6-month transition period where these referrals can continue. From 1 January 2026, only South Australian Government Local Health Network community mental health services will be able to refer into the Pathways to Recovery program.   

If you have any queries about these changes, please email:
Mental Health Strategy and Planning
Strategy and Governance
Department for Health and Wellbeing
[email protected]

Further details on service providers will be shared soon.