Campaigns that raise community awareness of mental health issues and reduce stigma are building momentum and becoming increasingly effective. As a consequence, over time it is highly likely more people will seek help.
Campaigns that raise community awareness of mental health issues and reduce stigma are building momentum and becoming increasingly effective. As a consequence, over time it is highly likely more people will seek help.
Increased need requires improved response
MHPN believes those seeking help will do so through a number of avenues, with many presenting at their local GP or medical clinic. Supporting GPs and other primary care practitioners to work together better, including making targeted and timely referrals, has the potential ultimately to help improve consumer outcomes.
MHPN is uniquely placed to support practitioners to develop enhanced referral pathways and consider how they can work together more effectively with others in their local community to respond to heightened need.
This support is provided through MHPN’s two platforms; locally-based networks and the online professional development program. Each promotes interdisciplinary practice and collaborative care, providing forums where practitioners from a range of mental health disciplines come together voluntarily to explore how they might work together to support consumers more effectively.
Networks improve referral pathways
In communities across Australia, MHPN supports almost 400 networks where mental health practitioners from the local area meet face-to-face on a regular basis to discuss topics of local importance, learn about the availability of local services and each others’ specialties and fields of expertise, as well as participate in interdisciplinary professional development.
Network engagement is voluntary
Practitioner engagement has been strong and consistent. For three consecutive years, 11,000 practitioners have voluntarily attended network meetings.
Around one-third of networks have decided to focus on a subject in which they all share a common interest. Groups with shared interests in complex trauma,diabetes and mental health, youth and adolescent mental health, and transcultural mental health have been amongst the most popular. The remaining networks cover a range of topics over the course of a year, and often also include topics related to those covered by special interest networks.
Online professional development models a collaborative care response
MHPN produces a webinars that features an interdisciplinary panel discussion between expert practitioners from the different mental health disciplines. Each webinar sees the panel discuss an authentic case study. Their discussion and interaction with the audience explores how they can work together better to support consumers.
Practitioners from a range of disciplines including GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, community mental health workers, dietitians, physiotherapists, oncologists, and a range of others have actively supported the webinar series through their voluntary participation.
In 2013-14, more than 6,000 practitioners attended an MHPN webinar and almost 14,000 viewed a webinar recording. View the webinar library now to see the range of topics that have been covered.
