Increase in gastroenteritis outbreaks in childcare
Read the health advisory for Victoria COVID-19 pages for health professionals
Need a refresher? We listed all our COVID-19 related pages for you Interested in the AOD treatment tender? Register for the info session
Mark your calendar for 16 March Flexible support for people with mild to moderate mental illness
Referrals open for Accessible Psychological Interventions in Bayside HeadtoHelp: Share the Bear with your patients!
Resources to help explain how to access this free mental health service Free suicide prevention training for general practice (29 April)
For practices in Frankston-Mornington Peninsula, Dandenong, Casey or Cardinia COVID-19 vaccines - your questions answered! (16 March)
Learn from this expert panel in this in-person and online event Enrolments open for HIV s100 prescriber course (22 March)
For GPs and Nurse Practitioners to manage and treat HIV in general practice Do you see patients who are stressed, anxious or depressed as a result of their work?
Improve care for these patients by joining the IMPRovE trial Professional development and events
A list of upcoming education events
Increase in gastroenteritis
outbreaks in childcare
Parents and carers are urged to keep young children at home if they are sick amid a rapid rise in outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in Victorian childcare centres. Viral gastroenteritis is highly infectious. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches, with more severe outcomes in the elderly and very young. Symptoms can take up to three days to develop and usually last between one or two days, sometimes longer. Washing hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of infection. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers are not effective against many common viruses that cause gastroenteritis. Anyone recovering from
gastroenteritis should avoid visiting hospitals, childcare centres and aged care facilities to avoid spreading the infection to those most vulnerable. Any person living in a household with someone who has gastroenteritis should refrain from visiting these high-risk facilities until at least 48 hours after the last person in the household has recovered. Read the full health advisory.
COVID-19 pages for health professionals
SEMPHN has a number of COVID-19 information pages for health professionals on our website. Follow the links to access SEMPHN's pages on:
Interested in the AOD treatment tender? Register for the info session
SEMPHN is seeking an organisation to deliver ResetLife: Intensive Outpatient Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Treatment in the City of Casey. Using the Matrix Model, ResetLife is a highly structured, integrated and evidence-based approach to AOD treatment. Individual therapy sessions are combined with specific structured group sessions including: - early recovery skills groups
- relapse prevention groups
- family education
groups
- continuing care social support groups.
During the ResetLife program, clients access 16 weeks of intensive structured treatment, followed by 36 weeks of continuing care in the year-long program. To apply for this tender, applicants must attend the information session on 16 March.
Register here for the information session.
Read more about this tender.
Flexible support for people with mild to moderate mental illness
Connect Health is currently taking referrals for the Accessible Psychological Interventions (API) service in Bayside. API services include a range of short term psychological interventions. These are available in individual and family formats and are matched to people’s needs. Interventions include: - cognitive-behavioural therapy
- skills training
- psycho-education
- relaxation strategies
- other evidence-based interventions.
API services can be delivered by clinical psychologists, psychologists, mental health social workers, occupational therapists and mental health nurses. Refer via SEMPHN Access & Referral (8.30 am-4.30 pm weekdays): - Ph: 1800 862 363
- Fax: 1300 354 053
Referral forms (including medical software
templates) are available on the SEMPHN Access & Referral page. Other referral forms are accepted if they contain the required information. Consent is needed for clients to receive services.
HeadtoHelp: Share the Bear with your patients!
Do your patients need help approaching their mental health care? HeadtoHelp supports Victorians find access to mental health treatment suited to their needs. Who is HeadtoHelp for?The HeadtoHelp service is open to Victorians of any age who may be experiencing distress or mental ill health. This includes people who have never accessed mental health services before and their family and friends. It also is for family and friends of those in aged care. Who can refer to
HeadtoHelp services?Anyone can refer to HeadtoHelp. Support/services are accessible to everyone, at no cost. A Medicare card, ID or Mental Health Care Plan is not required. The team at HeadtoHelp intake are clinicians who use the Initial Assessment Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) to make an assessment and refer people to the appropriate type of service, with their consent. Anyone can call HeadtoHelp central intake on ph: 1800 595 212, Monday to Friday, 8.30am-5pm. HeadtoHelp services do not provide after-hours or emergency mental health advice or support. In case of emergency, call 000. Share the Bear! A friendly and relatable bear was designed to promote the HeadtoHelp service. The bear's worries, stresses and loneliness are relatable feelings for many Victorians since the pandemic started. Share the bear with your patients through some of these helpful resources:
Free suicide prevention training for general practice (29 April)
Is your general practice in Frankston-Mornington Peninsula, Dandenong, Casey or Cardinia? SEMPHN is partnering with the Black Dog Institute to deliver suicide prevention training for health professionals in these parts of the catchment. This training is offered as part of the Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials which is a partnership between the Victorian Department of Health and Victorian Primary Health Networks. Talking about Suicide in General PracticeThis workshop aims to increase GPs skill and confidence in: - recognising presentations where suicide risk is high
- undertaking a detailed risk assessment
- management planning using a collaborative, team-based approach.
In addition to the training, The Black Dog Institute will make a number of resources available. When: 29 April 2021, 6pm-9pm
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free
Registration: https://www.cvent.com/d/fjq2sh
Accreditation: This course is accredited with RACGP, ACRRM and GPMHSC. Click here for more information or view the flyer.
COVID-19 vaccines - your questions answered! (16 March)
What is mRNA? Why are there two vaccines on offer? What’s the difference? What does herd immunity mean? How long will the rollout take? Are the vaccines safe? As Australia begins to rollout the COVID-19 vaccines, we are faced with an abundance of new information, technical terminology, and vaccine myths and misinformation. It can quickly become confusing and overwhelming. At this Q&A event hosted by the ABC’s Michael Rowland, a panel of experts will answer your burning questions around the COVID-19 vaccines. The panel: - Professor Sharon Lewin AO, Director, Doherty Institute
- Associate Professor Margie Danchin, Consultant Paediatrician, Royal Children’s Hospital and Clinician Scientist at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Professor Terry Nolan AO, Head of Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group, Doherty Institute
- Dr Janine Trevillyan, Lead, COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Austin Hub; Head, Clinical Virology and HIV Services, Austin Health; and Infectious Diseases Physician
When: Tuesday, 16 March, 6 pm -
7.30 pm
Where: Attend in person (Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) or stream online
Register here.
Enrolments open for HIV s100 prescriber course (22 March)
VHHITAL has opened enrolments for an HIV s100 prescriber course for GPs and Nurse Practitioners in managing and treating HIV in the general practice setting. Upon successful completion of this training and the associated assessment, participants can apply to the State Department of Health for authority to prescribe section 100 (s100) drugs for the management of HIV. This free activity starts Monday, 22 March 2021. This is an accredited activity for 40 RACGP CPD Accredited Activity points for the 2020-22 triennium; Approved for 20 PDP points by ACRRM; ACNP Endorsed. It will be conducted online in
four sessions over four weeks with elements to be completed before, between and after the sessions. Practitioners who complete HIV and/or Hepatitis s100 training and become accredited are paired with a mentor, and also have the opportunity to become a member of the s100 HIV and Hepatitis prescriber communities of practice.
Do you see patients who are stressed, anxious or depressed as a result of their work?
Monash University invites GPs who would like to improve their care for these patients by joining in a new NHMRC-funded Partnership trial entitled "Implementing work-related Mental health guidelines in general PRactiCE (IMPRovE). GPs who complete two surveys (one now and one in 18 months), attend an academic detailing session and attend a pre-specified webinar will receive $800 plus either 40 RACGP CPD points or 8 ACRRM points at the conclusion of the trial, and their practices will receive $500. Over an 18 month period, GPs who are randomised
to receive the intervention will receive tailored educational outreach and be offered engagement and support through an online community of practice. GPs who are randomised to the control group will be offered key components of the intervention when the trial concludes. The trial has commenced recruitment of interested GPs. GPs in Victoria are invited to participate. If you would like to know more about this project, please visit: www.monash.edu/improve-trial or contact improve.trial@monash.edu or call 0428 044 655.
Professional development and events
16 March: The Alfred Heart Centre: Heart Failure Masterclass
General practitioners, practice nurses 16 March: COVID-19 vaccines - your questions answered
General practitioners, practice nurses, practice managers, pharmacists 18 March: Webinar: Pain management in palliative care
General practitioners, practice nurses 22 March: Webinar: Aged Care COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout #2
Aged care workers, general practitioners 29 April: Talking about Suicide Prevention in General Practice
General practitioners, practice nurses, practice managers For an overview of all events, visit SEMPHN's event calendar.
For more information, contact events@semphn.org.au
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