Empowering mental health professionals to manage and support the delivery of mental health services in their communities

The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) in partnership with the University of Queensland’s Centre for Online Health (COH) are seeking subject matter experts to join Northern Australia’s first Health eMinds Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) as a panel team member.

Panel members will have a unique opportunity to help develop and deliver an interactive and collaborative model to share knowledge amongst health service providers and practitioners involved in the delivery of care to people in need of mental health support across the north.

Experienced mental health service providers from medical, nursing, community care and allied health disciplines would be well positioned to serve as members of the inaugural panel, with experts from outside these fields, with extensive experience in mental health services, also invited to register their interest.

CRCNA CEO Anne Stünzner said the Health eMinds ECHO is an opportunity to build something uniquely Northern Australian for the purposes of building capacity, skills and networks across the region to better support patients with mental health issues.

“Ultimately, we would like to see better access to specialist mental health services for everyone living in Northern Australia, and peer-support training opportunities for those working in primary care and community healthcare settings.”

In each session a subject matter expert or panel member will be responsible for delivering a short 10-minute presentation and will then provide comments on case presentations made during each session. They will also help identify other possible presenters and curriculum topics throughout the project delivery. Case studies will be invited from throughout the network and included in every ECHO session. Participation in the ECHO programs is an excellent process of sharing expertise and support, in a similar way to outreach. Involvement in the ECHO panel and sessions is a voluntary arrangement.??

UQ’s COH will provide all the technical and operational support, including assistance with the coordination and moderation of ECHO sessions.?The COH will also provide training and lead the delivery of these sessions.

To register your interest in becoming an inaugural Health eMinds ECHO panel member please complete the online form here by 5pm AEST Friday 10 February 2023.