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In this edition:
- Release of the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy
- Stay Strong mental health leaders awarded Menzies Medallion
- eMHPrac now hosting BDI’s Being Well Blog
- Chirs Boyd-Skinner’s Churchill Fellowship journey: WHO’s Symposium Portugal
- eMHPrac Podcast – Season 3 Episode 7
- Live Webinars from BDI
- WellMob – new blog post
- See the eMHPrac team at these upcoming conferences
- Read the latest dMH research articles
- This month’s featured service: moodgym
Release of the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy
The 10-year National Mental Health Workforce Strategy has now been published on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website. The plan to build Australia’s mental health workforce will guide coordinated action over the next decade to ensure Australians can get the mental health care they need where and when they need it. You can view the Minister’s media release here and access a copy of the Strategy and supporting documentation here.
Stay Strong mental health leaders awarded Menzies Medallion
Professor Tricia Nagel and Patj Patj Janama Robert Mills, leading the Menzies Stay Strong Mental Health Program, have been honoured with the 2023 Menzies Medallion. This award recognises their outstanding contributions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, services, and mentoring.
eMHPrac now hosting BDI’s Being Well Blog
The Being Well blog by the Black Dog Institute is now being hosted on the eMHPrac website. This blog, authored by subject matter experts in mental health, featured insightful commentary on mental health-related topics, self-care strategies, and links to reliable sites and useful resources for health professionals.
Follow Chris Boyd-Skinner’s Winston Churchill Fellowship journey
Attending the World Health Organisation’s Symposium in Portugal
Chris Boyd-Skinner (Engagement Manager at the Australian Digital Health Agency) recently embarked on a groundbreaking journey across the world as part of his Churchill Fellowship, to examine the international perspective on the safe provision of digital mental health services and bring this knowledge back to Australia. His first three stops focus on meetings with important stakeholders including international experts, policy specialists, government representatives, tech entrepreneurs, and advocacy groups. Read about his steps in Washington DC, Norway, and Denmark.
For this most recent stop, Chris Boyd-Skinner attended the WHO Symposium on the Future of Health Systems in a Digital Era in Porto, Portugal. He highlighted key takeaways from the gather of digital health experts, including the importance of telehealth for mental health care and the rise of mental health apps.
Digital Mental Health Musings: Season 3 Episode 7
Season 3 Episode 7 – Algorithms, Chatbots and Big Tech: Navigating the legal and ethical dilemmas around AI and Digital Mental Health
Guest: Dr Piers Gooding, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Law School
“You don’t need a specific legislation concerning digital mental health… digital mental health is very broad, and it is going to occur in a multitude of areas.”
In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings we chat to renowned socio-legal researcher Dr Piers Gooding about the legal and ethical challenges surrounding the use of chatbots and AI in mental health – what we should be cautious about, what we can learn from cases across health systems from around the world, and what existing legal and regulatory frameworks we can apply in the assessment of the tools.
Watch or listen to the podcast episode here and catch up on past episodes here.
Live webinars from Black Dog Institute
“Using Social and Emotional Wellbeing Tools with First Nations Peoples”
When: Online, 23 Nov 1pm AEDT and 23 Nov 8pm AEDT
The WellMob website is a digital library with links to over 350 online resources to support the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Using the example of an Indigenous client presenting with depression, the webinar will explain how the SEWB framework is relevant to clinical and community practice and show how to find and effectively use WellMob resources.
“Behavioural Interventions of Adult ADHD”
When: ONline, 7 Dec 1pm AEDT and 7 Dec 8pm AEDT
In this webinar, the Black Dog Institute will discuss the prevalence of ADHD in adults and what often prompts adults to seek a diagnosis. They will explore effective behavioural strategies that clinicians can use to make a positive difference in the lives of adults with ADHD in tandem with medication. In particular, they will look at strategies to assist with organisational, memory, adequate stimulation, and sleep.
New WellMob Blog Post
Using online resources in your work can help to unpack a tricky topic without creating further stigma or shame, and can help facilitate conversations about the wellbeing issue in a way that is culturally relevant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. The WellMob website now has over 350 online resources that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing specific.
Read more here about how you can use them in your work.
Catch us at these upcoming conferences
STOP Domestic Violence Conference
27-29 November 2023, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, TAS
Presentation and Trade exhibit
The generation that ends Domestic Violence: It’s everyone’s responsibility. What role do we all play in creating safer communities, schools, work and home environments?
See eMHPrac’s Senior Training Facilitator Carol Purtell present on ‘Navigating Online Support for Domestic Violence and Mental Health’ and visit the eMHPrac team at their trade booth.
Indigenous Allied Health Australia National Conference
27-29 November 2023, Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, QLD
Workshop
Join us on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples, Sunshine Coast, for the 2023 IAHA National Conference.
See WellMob’s Director David Edwards and Provisional Psychologist Tiarnee Schafer present on ‘Using online Social and Emotional Wellbeing resources to keep our mob feeling deadly’.
On our reading radar…
Digital transformation of mental health services
Bond, R. R., Mulvenna, M. D., Potts, C., O’Neill, S., Ennis, E., & Torous, J. (2023). Digital transformation of mental health services. npj Mental Health Research, 2(1), 13. Doi: 10.1038/s44184-023-00033-y
Maj, A., Michalak, N., Graczykowska, A., & Andersson, G. (2023). The effect of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety on quality of life: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Internet interventions, 33, 100654. Doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100654
Online mental health screening for rural fathers over the perinatal period
Fletcher, R., Regan, C., Leigh, L., Dizon, J., & Deering, A. (2023). Online mental health screening for rural fathers over the perinatal period. Australian Journal of Rural Health. Doi: 10.1111/ajr.12997
This edition’s featured service… moodgym
About moodgym
moodgym is a free self-help program that teaches cognitive behavioural therapy skills to help prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. moodgym is highly structured and integrates mental health literacy, assessment, self-help strategies, and exercise.
moodgym has 5 modules that each take about 30 minutes to complete:
Module 1 – Feelings
Module 2 – Thoughts
Module 3 – Unwarping
Module 4 – Destressing
Module 5 – Relationships
Who is moogym for?
moodgym was originally designed for young people between 15 to 25 years of age, however, the moodgym program has been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression in older age groups.
Is there a cost to use moodgym?
No, there is no cost to use moodgym.
About the author
