Indigenous Health

Integrated Team Care (ITC)

The ITC Activity combines the former Care Coordination and Supplementary Services (CCSS) and Improving Indigenous Access to Mainstream Primary Care (IIAMPC) programs. The ITC recognises and builds on the success of both activities, and strengthens a team-based approach for the provision of coordinated, multidisciplinary care.

Key resources

WA Integrated Team Care referral form [pdf] *

Integrated Team Care pamphlet [pdf]

Referral into the ITC program requires the WA ITC referral form to be completed by a GP and forwarded to the appropriate ITC provider with the care plan for an Aboriginal person’s long-term condition. Health professionals can access more information on HealthPathways.

The aims of the ITC Activity are to:

• contribute to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic health conditions through better access to coordinated and multidisciplinary care; and
• contribute to closing the gap in life expectancy by improved access to culturally appropriate mainstream primary care services (including but not limited to general practice, allied health and specialists) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

ITC is provided by a team/teams of Indigenous Health Project Officers (IHPOs), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers (Outreach Workers) and Care Coordinators. The team works in their region to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to obtain primary health care as required, provide care coordination services to eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic disease/s who require coordinated, multidisciplinary care, and improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to culturally appropriate mainstream primary care.

Care Coordinators have access to the Supplementary Services funding pool for when they need to expedite a patient’s access to an urgent and essential allied health or specialist service (including certain approved medical aids), where the services are not otherwise available in a clinically acceptable timeframe. Supplementary Services can be used to fund the necessary local transport to access the service, where not publicly available.

Review the ITC Guidelines.

WAPHA currently funds the following service providers to deliver the ITC program in WA:

Country WA PHN

Perth North PHN

Perth South PHN

If you are having difficulty contacting your local ITC provider, please contact the WAPHA Aboriginal Health team via aboriginalhealth@wapha.org.au