Primary Health

A central role has been to interface academic research and evaluation skills with primarily mental health agencies to support and improve outcomes for mental health consumers and carers.  While major projects in the area of Families with Parental Mental Illness are listed elsewhere on the website we regularly undertake other projects in this area.

• 2005 ongoing: Academic expert (Darryl Maybery) member of Vic Health assessment panel for evaluation grants (e.g. $300,000 Community Arts Development Scheme (CADS) evaluation grant, 2005 and 2007).
• Riverina Headspace 3C: will commence early in 2008 and provide coordinated, collaborative and community based early intervention for young people 12 to 25 years with mental health and co morbid issues. With the lead agency, the Riverina Division of General Practice the Centre for Inland Health (represented by Darryl Maybery and Neil Barber) has worked closely with a consortia of local agencies to achieve this grant but more importantly to bring together the consortia of agencies. Along with the Riverina Division the consortia includes:

-Mission Australia (Riverina & South-West),
-Greater Southern Area Health Service - Community Mental Health Services/Child &

 Adolescent Mental Health Services/Drug and Alcohol Services,

-Centrecare Catholic Family -Services,

-Riverina Medical & Dental Aboriginal Corporation,

-Griffith Skills & Training Centre -Central Murrumbidgee JPET program,

-Centre for Inland Health, Charles Sturt University

While the Centre for Inland Health staff were funded to assist in compiling the submission and approximately $50,000 will flow in future to CSU as an evaluation component of the project, the most important facet is that the consortia approach will significantly improve the delivery of mental health services to young people in the region. Approximately $1.5 million ($1.1 million granted so far with up to a further $.5 million in future) will flow into the Riverina for the project over the next 2 years - with a probable extension into the future. More importantly, the project brings partner agency staff together to provide coordinated services to the region.

• 2005: A model of service delivery to meet the mental health needs of young people in the Riverina ($18,000).
• 2003-4: Research and evaluation of the North East (Wangaratta) Integrated Primary Mental Health teams program ($28,000).
• 1999-2000: Evaluation of the General Practice Primary Mental Health Care Education Program provided by the North East Victorian Division of General Practice ($2,000).