Tender open: Provide mental health support and suicide prevention services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) is pleased to invite eligible organisations to tender for the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Why is this service needed?

Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health, and suicide prevention, is a key priority area in the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

Close to 30% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people report having a diagnosed mental health condition and 30% report high or very high levels of psychological distress, which is nearly three times that reported by non-Indigenous Australians.

Intentional self-harm was the leading cause of death from 2011-2015 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged between 15 and 34 years of age, and the rate of death due to self-harm is twice as high as the rate among non-Indigenous Australians.

Applying for this tender

To be considered for this tender, applicants must be:

• Indigenous corporations registered under the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act); Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)
• ACCHOs who currently have a GP clinic as part of their primary health service infrastructure
• ACCHOs who can deliver on-site services within the SEMPHN catchment.

Prospective service providers are invited to present a service model that:

• meets the needs of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across their lifespan 
• is integrated, culturally appropriate and safe
• includes the provision of care coordination to ensure consumers receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time
• provides coordinated and holistic services to meet varying levels of need.

Services should be integrated to address the broader needs of individuals including mental health, suicide prevention, social and emotional wellbeing and alcohol and other drug disorders. The service model should focus on enhancing current service delivery, rather than developing a new service.

The aim is to ensure the sustainability of this service model beyond the life of this contract.

All questions have to be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure. 
All tenders must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure.

Key dates

9 April: Tender opens in eProcure
27 April: Information session via video conference
15 May: Questions close in eProcure
22 May: Tender closes in eProcure
Late June: Outcome advised
1 July 2020 - 30 June 2022: Contract period