New online GP course: Focused psychological strategies for children (5–12 years)

General practitioners (GPs) are often the first point of contact for families when they have concerns about their children’s mental health, making them well-placed to engage with children and parents about children’s wellbeing.

Focused psychological strategies (FPS) skills training is a level two course that builds on the knowledge and skills GPs learn by successfully completing level one mental health skills training (MHST).

Over 10 modules of study, the course aims to develop GPs’ skills in delivering evidence-based psychological interventions for a variety of mental health presentations.

The strategies covered in this course will support GPs to work with children aged 5–12 years and their families when they present with mental health concerns. FPS can be used while families wait for further psychological support or as a stand-alone intervention.

On completion of this course, practitioners will be eligible to register with Medicare as an FPS provider and have access to additional Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item numbers.