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In this edition:
- Mental Health Month
- Webinar from Medicare Mental Health Check In
- MindSpot leadership update
- New single session support from Butterfly
- Read out recent blogs:
- The roles of digital mental health
- What’s on our reading radar
- A word from WellMob on their new video series
- See the eMHPrac team at these upcoming conferences
- Read the latest articles on digital mental health
- Shape the sector through:
- Raising Healthy Mind’s advisory panel
- Research of Momentum
- This month’s featured service: FriendLine
Mental Health Month 2026
October is Mental Health Month, and this year’s theme, “A Little Connection Goes a Long Way,” highlights the impact that everyday moments of connection can have on our wellbeing.
As health practitioners, we play an important role in supporting our patients and clients to build and maintain connections that promote wellbeing. Connection can take many forms, from spending time with family and friends, participating in community activities, and engaging in hobbies, to simple interactions that help people feel seen and supported. Equally important is self-connection through activities that encourage reflection, enjoyment and a sense of grounding.
For those who may benefit from additional support, digital peer support services such as ReachOut, Beyond Blue and FriendLine offer accessible ways to connect and access helpful resources. These services, along with other wellbeing supports, can be found in our Stress and Wellbeing Referral Sheet.
Free webinar for new online mental health service: Medicare Mental Health Check In
Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2026 1-2pm
Health professionals are invited to attend a free webinar on Medicare Mental Health Check In, a new online mental health service designed to support people experiencing mild mental health challenges. Medicare Mental Health Check In provides free evidence-based low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LiCBT) to help people build practical skills, strengthen confidence and improve their mental health. The webinar will provide an overview of the service and help health professionals better understand patient suitability, referral pathways and how the service fits within the broader mental health system.
Attendees will hear from representatives from both the Department of Health and St Vincent’s Health Australia on:
- How Medicare Mental Health Check In works
- Which patients may benefit from the service
- The evidence behind LiCBT
- Referral pathways and integration with clinical care
- Patient safety, privacy and risk management processes
- Practical examples and patient journey insights
The session will also include a live Q&A panel, providing an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from experts. For those unable to attend live, a recording of the webinar will be made available following the event.
To learn more about Medicare Mental Health Check In, visit mentalhealthcheckin.gov.au. For enquiries about the webinar, email MedicareMentalHealthCheckIn@health.gov.au
MindSpot Leadership Update
MindSpot recently welcomed Katherine Burchfield as its Executive Director, succeeding Professor Nick Titov, who has transitioned to the role of MindSpot Scientific Advisor. Katherine is an energetic, passionate and highly experienced health leader with more than 25 years’ experience across the not-for-profit, public and private sectors in Australia and internationally – and a longstanding commitment to improving health outcomes through accessible evidence-based care.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to build on MindSpot’s strong clinical work and evidence base. I look forward to strengthening integration with our service partners, creating a sustainable business model and extending our impact in mental health”.
Katherine’s previous roles include Chief Executive Officer of NPS MedicineWise, Health Director at Royal Far West and most recently, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for Eli Lilly ANZ. Katherine is based in Sydney and looks forward to meeting everyone in the digital mental health community.
Butterfly’s New Single Session Support
Butterfly is now offering Single Session Support through one-off free, 60-minute phone sessions for people aged 16 years and over who are experiencing eating concerns and are either considering treatment or currently on a treatment waitlist. The structured session provides an opportunity for participants to better understand how disordered eating may be affecting their health, explore their challenges, identify positive changes, and build motivation to engage with treatment. Following the session, participants receive a summary of the discussion and tailored resources to support their next steps. While not a replacement for ongoing treatment, Single Session Support may help reduce disordered eating symptoms and increase the likelihood of treatment engagement.
The Many Roles of Digital Mental Health in Practice
Have you ever considered using digital mental health in your work but not sure how?
In this blog we explore some of the ways to integrate digital tools into practice, and where to start.
On our Reading Radar – October 2026
A snapshot of some of the latest research we’ve come across in the digital mental health space.
Check out our blog on the latest research on the effectiveness of digital mental health, implementation, the evolving role of AI and more key developments shaping the digital mental health landscape.
A word from WellMob
WellMob’s new video series for health practitioners
The series was developed to support health practitioners to confidently integrate WellMob’s digital social and emotional wellbeing (d-SEWB) resources into everyday practice, promoting culturally safe, strengths-based approaches to care and wellbeing. They cover practical topics such as introducing digital resources into your work, matching resources to a person’s needs and digital confidence, following up after recommendations, and using WellMob to support culturally safe practice and health promotion.
Whether you’re new to WellMob or a regular user, the videos provide practical examples and insights to help build confidence in using free digital resources to support wellbeing outcomes in communities.
Read our Blog: Behind the Scenes: Creating the WellMob Video Series Through Collaboration, Culture and Care – eMHPrac
Watch the videos: Playlist 1 videos – Why use online wellbeing tools with your Indigenous clients? – All resources – WellMob
Catch us at these upcoming conferences
Rural Mental Health Conference
4-6 November, Gold Coast, QLD
Keynote Presentation and Trade Exhibit
What Works, Where It Matters: Strengthening Integrated Rural Mental Health Systems, Workforce and Communities
Catch a keynote presentation by eMHPrac’s Director Heidi Sturk on “The Importance of Trust in a Fast Moving Technological World” and visit the eMHPrac trade booth to chat with our friendly team.
Implementation Science Health Conference Australia (ISHCA26)
26-27 November, Brisbane, QLD
Presentation
Connect with the latest thinking and build new global and local connections at ISHCA26
Catch a presentation by eMHPrac’s Director Heidi Sturk.
What we’ve been reading
Artificial intelligence in digital mental health technology: Considerations for regulation
Pais, S., Coole, H., Alagarajah, J., & Bergin, A. G. (2026). Artificial intelligence in digital mental health technology: Considerations for regulation. Digital Health, 12, 20552076261467804.
Zhai, S., Goodman, A., Smith, A. C., Diminic, S., & Zhou, X. (2026). The effectiveness, facilitators, and barriers of digital mental health services for First Nations people in Australia: systematic scoping review. Interactive journal of medical research, 15(1), e80386.
Chau, L. W., Lam, R. W., Minas, H., Hayashi, K., Nguyen, V. C., & O’Neil, J. (2025). Digital health interventions for depression and anxiety in low-and middle-income countries: rapid scoping review. JMIR mental health, 12, e68296.
Shape the sector
Contribute to research that informs practice and policy
EOI for the Raising Healthy Minds Practitioner Advisory Panel
Raising Healthy Minds, a digital mental health app for children, has achieved accreditation under the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards, recognising its commitment to safety and quality.
Mental health professionals are invited to join the Raising Healthy Minds Practitioner Advisory Panel and help shape the ongoing development of the app. Practitioner feedback will help ensure the platform continues to meet the needs of Australian families and the professionals who support them.
Share Your Experience with Momentum
The University of Southern Queensland is seeking feedback from mental health professionals on the implementation of the Momentum digital mental health platform for children and adolescents.
Whether you have used Momentum in practice, referred young people to the platform, or have had limited experience with it, your insights can help inform future improvements. Participation involves a 10-20 minute online survey, with a $20 gift card offered as a thank you for completing the survey.
There is also an optional opportunity to participate in a follow-up interview and share more about your experiences.
Our featured service… FriendLine
About FriendLine
Our featured service this month is FriendLine, a phone line and webchat service for Australian adults who want to reconnect by chatting with trained volunteers.
Read our blog delving into FriendLine here.
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