Dear Members of the Section of Social, Cultural and Rehabilitation Psychiatry,

We are pleased to invite you to read our latest newsletter, which highlights the activities and achievements of the past 12 months. This edition offers a comprehensive overview of our initiatives, events, and milestones, showcasing the collective efforts and dedication of our community.

We encourage you to explore the newsletter to stay informed about our progress and to celebrate the successes we have achieved together. Your continued support and engagement are invaluable to our ongoing mission.

Dr Nicholas Burns
Chair, Bi-national Section for Social, Cultural and Rehabilitation Psychiatry Committee

Dr Andrea Baas
Editor

Section Conference

In March 2024 the Section hosted its Conference titled “Paradigm Shifters at the Three Sisters: viewing psychiatry through the social lens”. 99 people attended the highly successful conference, with presenters covering a range of topics including the impaction of social interventions for people with complex mental health conditions, homelessness and examples of innovative accommodation options within Australia for people with complex mental health conditions, the impact of loneliness, suicide prediction and other topics. The social event, featuring welcome drinks and dinner, was well attended and enjoyed by all, providing and excellent opportunity to engage with like-minded colleagues.

We captured great moments at the conference, and we would love for you to see it! Please take a look at the photos below.

RANZCP Congress Presentations May 2024

The Section contributed to the following presentations at the Congress:

• Symposium on Rehabilitation Psychiatry featuring updates from around Australia chaired by Dr N Burns.
• Plenary session on contemporary practice in Rehabilitation Psychiatry by Dr F Dark.
• Symposium on NDIS chaired by Dr D Watson featuring psychiatry and NID experts.

Additionally, there was a lunch meeting for Section members to gather and introduce the new committee to members.

Advanced Skills Training- Rehabilitation Psychiatry Project

The development of the online training program continues as the pilot group nears completion of tier 2 of the program. The development of the pilot has been seed funded by NSW Ministry of Health and the initial pilot group of 30 are all from NSW. The third and final tier of the program will be tested by the pilot group in early 2025, with the hope the program will be officially made available for psychiatrists and trainees across all states and jurisdictions from Mid-2025. This is hopefully the first step in a more comprehensive training pathway for psychiatrists wishing to be rehabilitation specialists.

Update about South Australia's 72 New Mental Health Rehabilitation Beds

South Australia’s commitment to increasing mental health rehabilitation beds in the state is on track to open these new beds, located in three 24-bed units across Adelaide by late 2025 to early 2026. Planning has commenced on the education and training required for new staff to ensure that the units provide contemporary, evidenced based services to those requiring rehabilitation which will be delivered consistently across the new units.

New Committee Members

We are delighted to introduce our new committee members who have recently joined us. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to advance our goals and initiatives. Please join us in welcoming:

Dr Emma Glanville - ACT Jurisdictional Member

Senior staff specialist in psychiatry at the University of Canberra Hospital in Canberra.  Her role includes working in a specialist inpatient mental health rehabilitation unit, providing consult liaison services to the broader hospital and also supporting our outpatient group day program that also runs from the campus.

Dr Glanville completed her Fellowship in 2008 and hold an Advanced Certificate in Adult Psychiatry and also a master’s in health leadership and management and a Masters in Psychological Medicine.  She has spent most of her career working in Adult Community Psychiatry and was very involved in the model of care design for Adult Community teams in the ACT.  She commenced working in Rehabilitation Psychiatry in 2019 and has been really grateful for the support of their excellent multidisciplinary team and also the opportunity to learn from others who have had longer experience in the field.

She also has an interest in clinical governance and am very involved in the Morbidity and Mortality committee for the Mental Health, Justice Health Alcohol and Drug Services program area for Canberra Health Services.  As part of this she has spent a lot of time recently thinking about how we can better learn from families and carers when things don’t go to plan in our health services.

A personal note from Dr Glanville: “I grew up in Canberra but had to leave to study medicine because there was no medical school here.  I returned to my hometown in 2007 and really enjoy the 4 seasons (including the winters!) and being back amongst family and long-term friends.   I’m happy to be contacted by anyone considering a move to Canberra – it’s a great place to live and work.”

Trevor Ma, MBBS MPhil - NSW Jurisdictional Member

Forensic Psychiatrist at the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Conjoint Lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. He received his MBBS from the University of Sydney, MPhil in Forensic Mental Health from the UNSW, and Master of Bioethics from Harvard University. He has clinical expertise in correctional psychiatry and formerly held the position of Clinical Director of Custodial Mental Health. He has published research on correctional and forensic patients and his areas of interest include applied mental health ethics and social justice in the carceral system.

Dr Ann Brennan - VIC Jurisdictional Member

Currently working in the role of Director Adult Community and Older Adult Program, Alfred Mental and Addiction Health, Melbourne

Adult and Forensic Psychiatrist who has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist for over 20 years within public sector psychiatry across Adult Community and Rehabilitation Services in Melbourne and within the Victorian Forensic Mental Health Services in prison, hospital and community settings. Leadership roles in delivery of Adult Community and Older Adult Services. For several years I have provided psychiatrist consultation services to Mind Australia with a particular focus on the residential housing sector across Victoria and this has focused my attention on the challenges of integrating care across the clinical and non-clinical sectors especially in the context of the evolving NDIS landscape. Some of her areas of interest include complex psychosis and psychosocial rehabilitation pathways, family inclusive practice, delivery of services to forensic consumers who sit within general mental health services and integration of family violence supports into mental health services.

Mr Hamza Vayani - Community Member

Mr Vayani is a distinguished carer representative with deep insights and connections within the mental healthcare system. With extensive lived experience, he actively contributes to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Practice, Policy, and Partnerships Committee. In this role, he provides valuable lived/living experience perspectives that are crucial in shaping the committee's work.

His involvement extends to other significant college committees, such as the Racism Action Steering Group and the Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) Accelerated Pathway Taskforce. Mr. Vayani's expertise as a health consumer advocate is backed by nearly two decades of experience in health and human services management.

We are excited to have them on board and look forward to their contributions to our committee's success.

Recent Statements

Please see below recent statements that may be of interest to you:

1. Joint Statement on climate change and health
1 Oct 2024
In an Australian first, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control and Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) have signed a Joint Statement, representing all medical colleges and the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. 

2. Position Statement 46: The Provision of Mental Health Services for Asylum Seekers and Refugees – This statement advocates for accessible and culturally appropriate mental health services for these vulnerable populations.

3. Position Statement 103: The Role of Psychiatrists in Working with Trans and Gender Diverse People – This position emphasizes the importance of inclusive practices and support for the mental health needs of trans and gender diverse individuals.

Next Edition

If there is anything you would like to see included in future newsletters, please contact andrea.Baas@sa.gov.au

Thank you for reading.