Quarterly Report July – September 2019 About the CRRMH
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CENTRE FOR RURAL & REMOTE MENTAL HEALTH Quarterly Report July – September 2019 About the CRRMH The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) is based in Orange NSW and is a major rural initiative of the University of Newcastle and the NSW Ministry of Health. Our staff are located across rural and remote NSW. The Centre is committed to improving mental health and wellbeing in rural and remote communities. We focus on the following key areas: • the promotion of good mental health and the prevention of mental illness; • developing the mental health system to better meet the needs of people living in rural and remote regions; and • understanding and responding to rural suicide. Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health As the Australian Collaborating Centre for the International Foundation for PO Box 8043 Integrated Care, we promote patient-centred rather than provider-focused Orange East NSW 2800 care that integrates mental and physical health concerns. T +61 2 6363 8444 E [email protected] As part of the University of Newcastle, all of our activities are underpinned by research evidence and evaluated to ensure appropriateness and effectiveness. crrmh.com.au @crrmh @crrmhnsw /company/crrmh 2 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Contents Report Page Director’s Report 4 Snapshot of the Quarter 5 Research 6 John Hoskin Library 7 Connections 8 Communications 11 Online Connections 13 Partnerships 15 Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) 18 Staff News & Achievements 20 Appendix 21 3 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Director’s Report Centre Director Professor David Perkins There is only one real theme this quarter, only one conversation and that is the drought. Its impact arises in many guises and impacts all of us in different ways. One theme is clear – no one seems to have a clear idea about how to address it. There is an obvious political imperative to do something and a wide range of initiatives from government, voluntary organisations and communities themselves to deal with impacts such as water insecurity, shortages of animal feed, the continued costs which are not balanced by incomes, the impact of reduced incomes on rural businesses and the impact on the carers and services such as our RAMHP Coordinators, Rural Resilience Workers and similar services. The question, “Who cares for the carers?” arises in many forms. Our RAMHP workers live and work in rural and remote areas. They are “permanent residents” and cannot go home to escape the rigours of the drought. We have also experienced early and serious fires in the north of the state, and our RAMHP workers are fully engaged linking people to the services they need, providing information, and playing their full part in the strategic response. Frequently, they are going beyond their roles supporting newly appointed staff and new arrivals appointed to provide extra short-term resources. Our rural and remote staff and their families are not immune personally from the difficulties facing their communities with rural businesses and amenities facing reduced incomes and challenges to their viability and continued existence. As an established high-quality service, RAMHP and the CRRMH support team are proving their worth and their resilience and it is encouraging to see that contribution being recognised. Most recently, the CRRMH was awarded the National Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Organisation of the Year and this follows upon the TheMHS Medal for the Glove Box Guide, a NSW Premiers Award, and a national nomination for our podcast series. Such recognition is encouraging but should not divert us from the main game which is the support of rural communities and their members as they face various adversities. These are long term issues requiring consistent and reliable support and towards the end of another year, I am truly proud of our team and their contribution to rural Australia. David Perkins, Director CRRMH 4 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Snapshot of the Quarter Research John Hoskin Library Connections Communications Online Connections CRRMH Director 7 new papers 367 articles supplied to The Orange David Perkins key Full Let’s Talk Rural published CRRMH and LHD staff Declaration on presenter at Mental Health Rural and Remote International podcast series Mental Health 2 conference Initiative for Mental released, with over landing page presentations Health Leadership 3,000 listens launched on website Exchange Partnerships RAMHP Staff Achievements CRRMH releases RAMHP Coordinator findings from Glove Box Guide to Jen Keoiskie Barnados Mental Health awarded the Australia LINKER awarded the TheMHS Rainbow Inclusion Service evaluation Medal for Mental Award for her part in report at its official Health the Rainbow Waves launch festival 5 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Research Compiled by Research Assistant Lucy McEvoy 7 new papers published 2 conference presentations The Mental Health Services Research Lead Dr Hazel Dalton Associate Professor Nelly Oelke on Conference in Brisbane in at the Barnardos Australia a Research Fellowship from the August - Building Healthy LINKER service launch in University British Columbia. Communities: Stories of September. Resilience and Hope. For more detailed information please see Appendices 1-5 6 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 John Hoskin Library Compiled by CRRMH Librarian Paul Stanfield Short ready reference inquiries proved to be high for this period, especially for Western Library Activity CRRMH LHD Patients Students Other Total NSW LHD staff (96) and patients (83). staff Staff health Short reference 44 96 83 19 9 251 Inter-library loan requests (GRATIS) were Inter-library loan requests 6 18 18 42 quieter for this period for Western (GRATIS) NSW LHD staff (18). UON inter-library loan requests were also down. Inter-library loan requests 5 14 19 (UON) Articles supplied by the CRRMH library Inter-library loans incomplete 2 3 4 9 were down for Western NSW LHD staff (198), Request supplied from 145 198 4 20 367 but stable for CRRMH staff (145). CRRMH library Requests supplied externally 8 12 20 Data collection for library statistics has to CRRMH library changed during this quarter, the following table represents estimate figures only. Loans 6 59 2 12 4 93 Library Updates: CRRMH Librarian Paul Stanfield attended training in Endnote, research methods and web design at the UON Callaghan campus from August 5 – 9. Paul continues to work with UON Senior Research Librarian Debbie Booth on developing collection management strategies and identifying the research needs of CRRMH academic staff. During the quarter, the reoccurring themes in CRRMH literature searches were stress and farming accidents. 7 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Connections Compiled by Senior Development Officer Vanessa Delaney Key dates sector planning: In early July our RAMHP and CRRMH Communications Coordinators Lauren Dunkley and Jocie Johnston headed to Sydney to discuss planning for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day and RUOK? Day. The meeting was hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia, and communications and media representatives from across the mental health sector provided an update on key initiatives and discussed ways of working together. International Leadership Exchange: CRRMH Director David Perkins was in Boulder, Colorado in September key presenting at the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) Leadership Exchange. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to share with international leaders the work that is taking place in Australia, including the work being led by the CRRMH in community wellbeing collaboratives and rural suicide prevention. World Suicide Prevention Day launch: Senior Development Officer Vanessa Delaney attended the official launch of World Suicide Prevention Day at Parliament House in Canberra on September 10. The event was organised by the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, led by Julian Lesser MP and Mike Kelly MP, and hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA). SPA unveiled the latest in suicide prevention research with the launch of its white paper “Turning Points: Imagine a world without suicide”. Guest speakers included Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Shadow Minister for Health Chris Bowen. 8 | Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Quarterly Report: July – September 2019 Connections cont. Compiled by Senior Development Officer Vanessa Delaney Towards Zero Suicides planning workshop: On Telecommunications in September 10 Research Lead Dr Hazel Dalton attended Rural Areas: RAMHP a planning workshop to support the NSW Premier’s Program Manager Tessa Towards Zero Suicides Premier’s Priority to reduce the suicide rate in NSW by 20 per cent by 2023. Caton attended a meeting in Dubbo with CEO of NBN This unprecedented commitment is a unique opportunity Stephen Rue, Minister for for a whole-of-system and community-wide approach Communications The Hon. needed to reverse NSW’s rising suicide rate. Representing the CRRMH, Hazel joined people with Paul Fletcher and Assistant lived experience of suicide, suicide prevention experts, Minister for Regional key mental health system decision makers, leaders Services, Decentralisation from community managed organisations,