Psychological Therapy Services at Flinders Medical Centre

Flinders Psychological Therapy Service (FPTS) specialises in the treatment of adults with anxiety, depressive, gambling and gaming disorders. The main type of treatment offered throughout FPTS is evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Treatment follows a stepped care model. Step 2 CBT weekly telephone based guided self-help, Step 3 CBT weekly, face-to-face psychotherapy in an outpatient setting and Inpatient (IP; intensive, daily psychotherapy in a ward setting) options, and utilises a community engagement model with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and consumers.

FPTS is a free service for those eligible for Medicare, funded through Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN). It is located at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), with the inpatient program operating from Ward 4GP. Gambling and gaming services are additionally located at GP Plus Elizabeth. FPTS is also accommodates clinical placement for post graduate programs.

Flinders Psychological Therapy Services Brochure (PDF 187KB)

Services

Treatment provided

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Anxiety, gambling, gaming, and related disorders are commonly experienced in our community. These problems can be debilitating and have a significant impact on people’s lives, their families, and communities.

FPTS specialises in providing CBT across a stepped care model, which is an evidence-based therapy for these conditions. CBT helps people to examine and change thoughts and behaviours commonly linked to problems with anxiety, gambling, gaming, and related disorders.

It focuses on the here and now and often results in helping people feel better and recommence activities previously avoided because of their condition. It is a time-limited, collaborative, active, task-based form of therapy that involves people undertaking the treatment regularly doing tasks agreed with their therapist between sessions. Importantly, our CBT programs train people in how to self-manage their condition so that they can become an expert in their own mental health care.

In addition to standard CBT, the following third generation CBT-based treatments are offered when indicated for specific mental health presentations or conditions:

  • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
  • Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)
  • Mindfulness Cognitive Based Therapy (MCBT)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Stepped Care Model

Our stepped care approach means delivering and monitoring provision of CBT-based treatment with our consumers so that the most effective yet least resource intensive mental health treatment is delivered first, with consumer’s only being “stepped up” to more intensive or specialist services if/as clinically required.

Mental Health conditions treated at FPTS

FPTS specialises in the treatment of adults with a primary diagnosis of Anxiety, gambling, gaming, and related disorders.

CARD provides treatment for the following conditions:

  • Specific Phobia
  • Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
  • Panic Disorder
  • Agoraphobia
  • Health Anxiety Disorder
  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Trichotillomania (Hair pulling)
  • Excoriation Disorder (Skin Picking)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Adjustment Disorders

SGTS and AGTS provide treatment (culturally sensitive) for the following conditions and related comorbidities:

  • Gambling Disorder
  • Gaming Disorder
  • Other addictive behaviours

IAPT additionally provides treatment for the following condition:

  • Chronic pain

Research and Quality

FPTS has a vibrant and evolving research and evaluation stream, combining clinical and research expertise in the treatment of anxiety, gambling, gaming, and related disorders FPTS consumers can participate in research that contributes to better understanding and quality improvement for health conditions treated by our services. SGTS works closely with the Flinders University’s Flinders Centre for Gambling Research (FCGR), an international leader in the research and design of programs to combat problem gambling. Working with the FCGR ensures the treatment programs are rigorously evaluated and continuously improving for more info please see the link below:
https://www.flinders.edu.au/research/research-impact/gambling-treatment.

Students are encouraged to approach the service to investigate joint research opportunities. Contact persons for this are:

  • Prof Michael Baigent, Clinical Director
  • Dr Zhila Javidi, FPTS Unit Manager
  • Sharon Brown, IAPT
  • Dr Ben Riley, Research Portfolio Coordinator/SGTS Team Leader

Referrals

Visit SALHN specialist and outpatient clinics to access referral and management GP guidelines. Referral forms and processes are outlined in the outpatient referral process section. 

Contact details

Flinders Psychological Therapy Services at FMC (including IAPT, CARD, SGTS, AGTS)
Telephone: (08) 8204 4779
Fax: (08) 8204 5984
Hours: 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)
Location: Block G4, The Flats, Flinders Drive, BEDFORD PARK, 5042
Map: Flinders Medical Centre Precinct Map (PDF 587KB)

GP Plus Elizabeth (SGTS & AGTS Services)
Telephone: (08) 8204 4779
Fax: (08) 8204 5984
Hours: 9.00am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)
Location: GP Plus Health Care Service, 16 Playford Boulevard, Elizabeth, SA, 5112

Services

Mental Health Services at Flinders Medical Centre