Professional development opportunities and events read more

Referrals open into new mental health services
You can refer patients with mild-moderate and severe/complex mental health conditions read more

SEMPHN festive season closure
Please note our office closure from 22 December to 2 January read more

Suicide Prevention Forum a success
There was great discussion at the SEMPHN-hosted forum last week read more

Last Practice Network for 2017
The last topic for 2017 is the 5th Edition Standards read more

New Day Boxes
Big thanks to Ballarto Medical Centre read more

Survey closes Friday: My Health Record expansion?
Please take 5-10 minutes to help inform education and support read more

Online training: Medication Assisted Treatment for Opiod Dependence (MATOD)
Module 1: Safer Opiod Prescribing is available online read more

Suicide Prevention Training Workshop
Wesley LifeForce is offering free training for relationship counsellors read more

DHHS Immunisation newsletter
Check-out the latest issue read more

Kids and food: Challenges families face
Here are the key findings read more

New respite centre in Frankston 
Do you have patients and carers needing respite? read more

Did you know that you can now refer patients into two new mental health services, funded by SEMPHN?

Accessible Psychological Interventions (API) – flexible psychological services for people with mild-moderate mental illness, like mild depression and anxiety. Replacing Access To Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS).

Mental Health Integrated Complex Care (MHICC) – flexible support and clinical services for people with severe-complex mental illness. Replacing Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP).

The new services are for people with health care cards or who can’t afford/access similar services and especially designed for people from hard-to-reach population groups.

How can I refer?

Fax a referral and GP Mental Health Treatment Plan to fax: 9793 9052 or call SEMPHN Mental Health Intake on ph:1800 862 363 (business hours) for priority assistance.

Please note, SEMPHN Mental Health Intake will be closed from 3pm Friday 22 December and reopen 2 January, 2018.

Referral forms can be found here. We've just updated them to make patient consent easier.

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Please note:

• SEMPHN will be closed from 3pm Friday 22 December and reopen 2 January, 2018.
• SEMPHN Mental Health Intake will also be closed during this time.
• Network News will take a break after the 18 December issue and return to your inbox on 8 January.

Warm wishes from everyone at SEMPHN for a safe and happy festive season.

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Last week, SEMPHN hosted a Suicide Prevention forum for service providers and community groups from the Greater Dandenong and Frankston Mornington Peninsula regions.

SEMPHN CEO Elizabeth Deveny provided an update on local mental health data and suicide prevention programs and initiatives.

Attendees also participated in group discussions around local challenges, which will help identify opportunities to help suicide prevention in these areas.

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Are you a practice manager or practice nurse?

Come and join your colleagues for the last Practice Network this year, where the Standards for General Practice (5th Edition) will be discussed.

• Frankston: 14 December - Cube 37, Frankston 6pm – 7.30pm

Cost: Free. Sandwiches and coffee provided.

Please see the flyer for details and registration.

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Big thanks to Ballarto Medical Centre whose staff (pictured at right) donated New Day Boxes for women in crisis.

SEMPHN staff (pictured below) did a great job of preparing the boxes, which are now ready for drop-off to the New Day Box team.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this great initative.

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The Federal Government's expansion of My Health Record aims to have a record for every Australian by December 2018. 

This will be achieved by moving to an opt –out model where a record will be created for every Australian who does not already have one. 

In order to inform the education, training and support for the expansion, the Australian Digital Health Agency would like to hear from General Practitioners and Pharmacists about their understanding of the My Health Record system and the opt-out participation arrangements.

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the My Health Record Program Survey by 15 December.

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RACGP Victoria is offering online training with information and strategies for safer opiod prescribing. The training is a prerequisite for prescribers who want to attend MATOD Module 2.

Prescribers must be registered with AHPRA to be eligible for this training.

Register here for MATOD Module 1.

If you don't have an RACGP number, please contact Maryan Valverde to access the online training as it's available for all GPs.

This online session is accredited for 4 Category 2 QI&CPD points for the 2017-2019 triennium.

For more information please call Ms Maryan Valverde ph: (03) 8699 0414 or email maryan.valverde@racgp.org.au.

More information and enrolment form

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Wesley LifeForce is offering free training for relationship counsellors in Dandenong and Pakenham.

The training is developed from evidence-based practice in Australia.

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Check-out the latest issue that covers these topics:

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) is contraindicated for the shingles vaccine, Zostavax®
• New meningococcal vaccine resources
• Adolescent HPV vaccination coverage reports 2016
• Introduction of Gardasil®9 vaccine from 2018
• Free active surveillance vaccine safety software - SmartVax
• Free immunisation resources.

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The latest RCH National Child Health Poll has revealed Aussie kids aren’t getting enough vegetables in their diet, and many Australian parents believe fruit drinks may be healthier than water.

Other key findings of the poll include:

• Over half of parents (57%) say it's hard to know which foods are healthy choices when buying food for their family
• Two thirds of parents (67%) find it hard to know how much added sugar is in the food products they buy for their children
• A third of children (35%) regularly consume sugar-sweetened drinks, with one in six preschoolers having sugar-sweetened drinks almost every day
• Over a quarter of parents (26%) mistakenly believe fruit drinks may be a healthier choice than water
• More than a third (37%) of school aged children have not been taught how to cook or prepare food and almost half (44%) of teenagers rarely or never help to make dinner
• Despite one in four Australian children being overweight or obese, only one in eight children in this poll were considered to be overweight or obese by their parents.

Read more here.

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Do you have patients or carers who might need respite over the Christmas period?

Benetas respite in East Brighton will close on 22nd December and Benetas Hurlingham in Frankston will open on 22 January. 

Services include:

• centre-based day activity programs
• community access groups
• overnight respite.

The services are for people over 65 years with low to medium level physical needs, including clients with varying degrees of dementia, and their carers.

The programs are Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) funded and available to clients on Home Care Packages.

For more information about intake and bookings, eligibility and funding, please call Alicia Crozzoli, Regional Respite Coordinator, on 0437 756 674.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

12 Dec		Averting a public health crisis of opioid overdose deaths by encouraging psychological pain management in health services Psychologist Webinar Details and registration
14 Dec		Frankston Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers Frankston Details and registration
31 Jan		Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training Workshop Relationship Counsellors Dandenong Details and registration
13 Feb		Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training Workshop Relationship Counsellors Pakenham Details and registration
15 Feb		St Kilda Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers St Kilda Details and registration
21 Feb		Dandenong Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers Dandenong Details and registration
22 Feb		Frankston Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers Frankston Details and registration
17 Mar		The Alfred Allergy Symposium 2018 GPs  Melbourne Details and registration
17 Mar		Skin Cancer Skills for GP's - Brygel Surgiskills Workshop GPs Melbourne Details and registration

For more information about events contact Stephenie Cook ph: (03) 8514 6609 or events@semphn.org.au

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