But one expert warns the NEIS is not ‘a panacea for our ailing mental health system’.
The clock is ticking for providers interested in running the Australian government’s new national early intervention service providing free low-intensity digital mental health care.
They had until May 6 to lodge an expression of interest in providing the service – however the process seems more of a fishing exercise than anything concrete.
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“The department is seeking expressions of interest prior to issuing a potential Request for Tender (RFT) for the provision of these services, to refine its procurement strategy and inform a potential RFT,” its REI document reveals.
The department has already held a three-month consultation on the proposed service which was completed in 2024.
In the 2024-25 Budget, the government provided $588.5 million over eight years from 2024-25 and $113.4 million per year ongoing for a new national early intervention service (NEIS) providing free digital mental health support.
According to Department of Health and Aged Care documents, the NEIS “will provide support for people at risk of, or experiencing, mild mental ill-health or transient distress to get the right support when they need it”.
“From 1 January 2026, the service will provide free cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), delivered by skilled and trained professionals, via phone or video,” it said.
“Services will be free and accessible without a diagnosis or referral from a GP. The NEIS will also provide a curated set of free, evidence-based online tools and resources for people able and willing to try self-guided support.
“Once fully implemented by 2029, the service is expected to support over 150,000 people each year.”
The plan has drawn a mixed reaction from mental health sector experts, although none were keen to be drawn on whether they would be lodging an expression of interest at this point.
Dr Peter Baldwin, policy research manager at the Black Dog Institute, said there was evidence supporting the use of online digital mental health services.
“UK Talking Therapies program is a great example, with around 50% of UK patients reporting improvements in their mental health after four to six sessions with a therapist, either in-person or online,” he told Health Services Daily.
“Other large studies of similar interventions have shown positive results, with many patients getting better within seven therapy sessions.
“Low-intensity mental health services have been successfully implemented in several European countries, so we have good reason to think the NEIS will help many Australians experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression.”
Dr Baldwin said the institute welcomed such a large investment in mental health, but warned the NEIS was not “a panacea for our ailing mental health system”.
“NHS data show 30-50% of people who use low-intensity psychological interventions don’t get better,” he said.
“The federal government suggests that once the NEIS is fully active, around 150,000 Australians will use the service each year. If 30-50% of these people don’t get better, around 45,000-75,000 Australians will go back on already intolerable waitlists for more intensive services.
“The walk-in Medicare mental health services may not have capacity to help and the mental health workforce is not growing fast enough.”
He said the institute was focused on research, and while it delivered a small number of services related to its research projects, service-focused colleagues in the sector like Beyond Blue were likely best placed to deliver a national program like the NEIS.
“The NEIS is a welcome addition to the Australian mental health system, but it won’t be suitable for all Australians and it can’t replace the comprehensive reform our mental health system needs,” he said.
“We need better mental health for every Australian, including those facing more complex mental health challenges.”
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A spokesperson for Orygen told HSD the organisation had been “pleased to participate in the consultation phase for the National Early Intervention Service (NEIS)”.
“We’re not in a position to comment on our approach to the REI submissions and it wouldn’t be appropriate to speculate on the intentions of other organisations,” he said.
However, the spokesperson said Orygen supported the government’s investment into the NEIS.
“For many years Orygen has led the world in identifying early intervention as a key strategy to combat rising mental ill-health among young people, with a recent Lancet Commission showing that up to 75% of all mental ill-health onsets by the age of 25,” he said.
“Research shows digital interventions improve the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health care and Orygen’s technology arm, Orygen Digital, is leading the development of groundbreaking, evidence-backed tools.”
An addendum to the REI from the department reveals more detail about the proposed NEIS, including access requirements.
It also reveals that it intends to engage one single service provider for the entire NEIS service, however this service provider may enter into subcontracting arrangements for components of the service.
The DoHAC is also not planning to host the core service components of the NEIS on any departmental or governmental system.
“Help-seekers wishing to access guided low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LiCBT) will be required to undertake a triage and screening assessment process,” the addendum said.
“The triage process, to determine the appropriate level of stepped care that is appropriate for the person, will be undertaken by the separately funded Medicare Mental Health (MMH) phone service.
“The Department is engaging experts to determine whether the screening assessment, used to determine whether the NEIS is a suitable and appropriate service for the help seeker, will take place through the MMH phone service or the NEIS Service Provider.”
People wanting to access self-guided LiCBT only will not be required to undertake a triage and screening assessment process, the department said. The service provider will be responsible for ensuring additional evidence-based tools and resources will be available on the NEIS website which won’t require help-seekers to undertake a triage and screening assessment process to access.
The department goes on to say that it intends to work with the NEIS service provider to ensure the screening and triage assessment process does not limit access for certain cohorts or people with certain preferences.
“Any solutions must be compliant with Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) legislation and any other relevant standards and regulations,” it said.
“The Department intends to work with the NEIS Service Provider to continually enhance access over time to allow help-seekers to access the NEIS through alternative entry pathways, such as GPs or a TGA approved online self-assessment tool, after 1 January 2026.”
HSD made several attempts to seek comment from Innowell without success.
