Shared mental health care. Model for supporting and mentoring family physicians.

PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED: Family physicians lack access to psychiatrists and mental health services for patients with serious and persistent mental illnesses. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: To develop a mentoring program to provide FPs with education and e-mail, telephone, and face-to-face support for managing patients with mental illness. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Ontario College of Family Physicians' Collaborative Mental Health Care Network developed a mentoring program. Family physicians are grouped according to clinical interest with psychiatrist and general practice psychotherapist mentors whom they can contact for help. Communication is established via e-mail, telephone, fax, or listserv, or even face to face. Monitoring and evaluation is carried out through surveys and chart audits to examine use of, satisfaction with, and effectiveness of the program. CONCLUSION: Mental health care can be enhanced through collaborative at-a-distance relationships between FPs and psychotherapists and psychiatrists. Family physicians can get timely consultation in the areas of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, and access to community resources.