In the February edition of MHPN Connect:

Browse upcoming network meetings

Start a network in a regional, rural or remote area

Register for our upcoming professional development webinar: Understanding and responding to childhood suicidal ideation

Listen to our popular podcast series:

• Creative Arts Therapies
• A Conversation About… Mental Health and Music Therapy

Networks

What's on

350+ interdisciplinary mental health networks meet all over the country and undertake professional development and peer support about a range of topics, relevant to their needs. View upcoming meetings below, or find a network near you.

NATIONAL

Online PMDD Peer Supervision - Peer Supervision Meeting | Monday, 10 February
Plurality and Dissociative Phenomena Peer Support - Welcome to our first meeting! | Monday, 24 February

TASMANIA
Tasmanian Child Mental Health Community of Practice - Sharing experiences and planning learning | Wednesday, 19 February

NEW SOUTH WALES

Coffs Harbour Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing - What’s Love Got to Do With It? | Tuesday, 11 February
Port Macquarie - Addiction is not a dirty word | Wednesday, 19 February
Northern Beaches & Surrounds ADHD Professionals - The Power of Words and How to Re-Wire Your Brain | Wednesday, 19 February

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA Centre for Perinatal Mental Health and Parenting Support (WACPPS) - Supporting cognitively impaired parents | Tuesday, 25 February

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide Veteran-Focussed - Why Compassion Matters in Mental Health & Suicide Prevention | Wednesday, 12 February
South Australian Solution Focused Therapy Community of Practice - Using SFBT when your client is feeling suicidal | Monday, 24 March

VICTORIA

Bellarine Peninsula Mental Health Network - Animal Assisted Therapy | Thursday, 13 February
Eating Disorder Network: South East Melbourne - Creating a cohesive care team, from a GP perspective | Wednesday, 19 February
Victorian Older Persons Mental Health Network - Monthly Network Meeting | Thursday, 20 February
Abbotsford Eating Disorders - Current landscape in Australian and Victorian eating disorder system of care | Wednesday, 26 February
Critical wellbeing studies - Introducing critical wellbeing studies - New Network Launch! | Thursday, 13 March

If these topics interest you and you live in the area, join the network via your MHPN account to get involved!

Pictured from left to right: Rockingham/Kwinana MHPN; Neuro & Queer Affirmative MHPN; Cairns and Beaches MHPN.

Rural and remote practitioners, access this funding!

Are you a practitioner from a regional, rural or remote community?

Liaise with MHPN to bring together your local mental health service providers for CPD and peer support activities at no cost to you or your colleagues. It only takes a few minutes to apply!

MHPN’s National Networks Program has funding available to support practitioner meetings you can tailor to your community’s needs. We understand that every local area is unique, especially in more isolated areas of Australia.

MHPN are proud to support practitioners to meet for CPD and peer support, no matter where they are or how small the group – even with just 4 practitioners. 

Feeling unsure? Request a call from one of MHPN's dedicated Project Officers who can help you decide if starting a group in your area is for you. 

Webinars

Understanding and responding to childhood suicidal ideation

Tuesday 25 February | 7.15 - 8.30 PM (AEDT)

Produced in partnership with Emerging Minds.

Stay tuned for more 2025 webinars announcing soon!

Podcasts

Our regular podcast schedule will resume tomorrow, 5th February! In the meantime, catch up on our previous series you might have missed.

Creative Arts Therapies

Produced in partnership with the Australian New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) and hosted by clinical psychologist, Professor Mark Creamer, this series features practising therapists and academics who explore the diversity of creative arts therapies and their value.

Episode 1 – The Evidence
Episode 2 – Qualifications and Competencies
Episode 3 – Clients and Settings
Episode 4 – Future Directions

A Conversation About… Mental Health and Music Therapy

This three-part series features Clinical Psychologist Professor Mark Creamer and Registered Music Therapists: Dr Jason Kenner and Dr Jennifer Bibb, as they explore the practice of music therapy.

Episode 1 - An Introduction
Episode 2 - Exploring a Session
Episode 3 - Therapeutic Outcomes

External opportunities

New models for Physical Health Care Navigators 

Charles Sturt University and Equally Well

Are you a mental health professional or working in urban or rural Australia? This survey wants to hear from you!

Research shows people living with mental health conditions experience much poorer health and significantly reduced life expectancy compared to the rest of the population. A research project being conducted by Charles Sturt University and supported by Equally Well, aims to develop a co-designed model of physical health care navigation aimed at improving mental and physical health care outcomes for people living with mental illness. 

Learn more and complete the survey below!

Trauma's Impact Endures: Effects, Disorders, & Treatment with Bethany Brand

Australian Society for Psychological Medicine

Discover how traumatic experiences can ripple through every aspect of life, leading to symptoms like anxiety, depression, dissociation, and PTSD, as well as many medical problems such as chronic headaches. Learn to recognize the signs that often go unnoticed.

This session will be packed with actionable strategies to respond effectively to traumatized patients. From creating safe spaces to integrating mental health resources into your practice, you'll walk away equipped to make a real difference in your patients’ lives.

PHN activities

Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) training
Brisbane South PHN

Brisbane South PHN is delivering training on the effective use of the IAR-DST and how it can be implemented into practice. Visit their events page and type ‘IAR’ in the search box to view upcoming training dates.

Community of practice for health professionals working in residential aged care homes | Shepparton
Murray PHN

February 27 | 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

This free forum is for GPs, clinical and care staff and other health professionals working with residential aged care homes. It will focus on collaboration and dementia, with guest speakers and panellists including local dementia specialists.

Paediatric Assessment Workshops for Primary Health Nurses | Cairns & Townsville
Northern Queensland PHN

This program is delivered as a one-day in-person workshop delivered by a team of expert facilitators, including both knowledge and skills. View training dates and express interest below.

The Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN) respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri and the
Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation, the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which our office is situated. We also acknowledge Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.