The Rural Psychiatry Project has been working with NSW Health and the NSW Institute of Psychiatry to develop a distance learning course for General Practitioners in Mental Health. Eight rural GP's and twelve metropolitan based GPs are commencing the course in March 2005. They will be undertaking weekly phone tutorials which will focus on practical application of learned material to the reality of providing mental health care in rural general practice.
Kathy Lambert
Certificate Coordinator
(02) 9840 3833
email:
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Additional online information about becoming an fellow can be found here.
The General Practitioner (GP) Postgraduate Mental Health Program offered by the NSW Institute of Psychiatry (NSWIoP) is the only course in Australia which gives GPs a postgraduate qualification in mental health. The program is offered via distance education mode and all course materials are available online. Students also have regular opportunity to liaise within a small group of their peers under the guidance of a psychiatrist or psychologist in telephone-based tutorials and during at least one onsite practical workshop. GPs in NSW may complete a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters in Mental Health under a Scholarship program provided by the NSW Health Department.
The Graduate Certificate course has been accredited by the GPMHSC as a “Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) & Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST)” course. Successful completion of this activity qualifies GPs to register as a provider of focussed psychological strategies with Medicare Australia through the GPMHSC. The RACGP QA&CPD program has approved the Graduate Certificate Course as a Higher Education program for the 2008-2010 triennium. On successful completion students receive 60 (Category 1) points plus points for workshop attendance.
The Institute offers Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) and Focused Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST):
Stand-alone units of study involves a 15 week distance education package with an attached workshop (ranging 1 -3 days depending on the unit selected) and assessments.
The following stand-alone units of study will be offered in Semester 1 2010:
Cross cultural mental health care in general practice (MVV009)
Supportive psychotherapy in general practice (MVV434)
Mental health of children youth and families (MVV015)
Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (EVV053)
Two Focused Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST) programs are available in 2010:
Introduction to CBT (EVV053) [Semester 1]
Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Interpersonal Counselling (MVV013) [Semester 2]
Mental Health Skills Training workshops/ALMs:
CPD036 Mental health assessment in general practice: 2 days - Friday 12, Saturday 13 March 2010
CPD038 Children Youth and Families: 1 day - Saturday 20 March 2010
CPD031 Supportive Psychotherapy: 2 days - Friday 28, Saturday 29 May 2010
CPD030 Cross Cultural Mental Health Care in General Practice: 1 day - Saturday 5 June 2010
CDP037 Mental health management in general practice: 2 days – Friday 20, Saturday 21 August 2010
All workshops are accredited with GPMHSC as ‘Mental Health Skills Training’ and with RACGP as an ALM, attracting 40 (Category 1) RACGP QA&CPD points.
Applicants may view information and download forms from the following link:
http://www.nswiop.nsw.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=44&Itemid=102
For further information contact:
Natalie Healey
General Practitioner (GP) Postgraduate Mental Health Program
(02) 9840 3833
Email:
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Copyright 2010 RANZCP NSW Branch Rural Psychiatry Project, The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.