Psychology Services (AH)

Home -> ALLIED HEALTH -> Psychology Services (AH)

Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS)

What is the ATAPS Program?

Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. ATAPS was developed to complement the Better Access initiative under which services are delivered by clinicians in private practice. While Better Access clinicians have been restricted to providing 10 individual and 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year (effective 1 November 2011), ATAPS continues to deliver 12 individual and 12 group therapy sessions which are all free.

ATAPS has primarily been developed to provide General Practitioners with improved access to focused psychological strategies for their clients in the Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast areas.

ATAPS provides a high quality mental health service for people who have mental health concerns, and is ideally suited to individuals unable to access or afford other private or public mental health services. The services provided by ATAPS are delivered by qualified mental health practitioners using Focused Psychological Strategies. The Division’s ATAPS programs include the General ATAPS Program, the Perinatal Depression Program, the Extreme Climatic Events Program, and the Suicide Prevention Service.

Becoming an ATAPS Provider

To become a Provider for our ATAPS Program, an Expression of Interest is advertised annually and private clinicians are required to address the criteria. Submissions must be received by the due date to be considered for engagement as an ATAPS Provider.

ATAPS Providers include Psychologists, appropriately trained Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers. To ensure a high quality standard of service delivery, Providers must be fully registered/credentialed in the field of mental health, or under the approved and direct professional supervision of a fully qualified and accredited professional expert in that field who meets the ATAPS criteria. Providers must also meet required qualifications and standards to provide the specified therapies including continuing professional development requirements.

All ATAPS Programs are subject to quality improvement and accreditation and as such a Clinical Services Manual has been developed to provide information on various aspects of the client referral and service delivery process. The Department of Health and Ageing requires ATAPS to be regularly audited by an external agency to ensure that quality improvement and standards are being met.

The Clinical Services Manual is available for viewing electronically at (log in). For log-in permission, please contact the ATAPS Co-ordinator.

As part of our commitment to client care, Providers are welcome to introduce our self-help and guided-help resources listed in the Community Section to their ATAPS clients.