{"id":5,"date":"2017-07-10T13:49:29","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T04:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/fhbhru-bulletin\/?p=5"},"modified":"2018-04-11T12:26:12","modified_gmt":"2018-04-11T02:56:12","slug":"fhbhru-bulletin-winter-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/behavioural-health-news\/2017\/07\/10\/fhbhru-bulletin-winter-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"FHBHRU Bulletin – Winter 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the Directors<\/a><\/h1>\n

We continue to grow our programs including The Flinders Program, world leading CBT training and supervision programs as well as Gambling Therapy Innovations.<\/p>\n

NHMRC Grant Success! <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cImproving cardiovascular health and quality of life in people with severe mental illness: a randomised trial of a \u2018partners in health\u2019 intervention.\u201d\u00a0($960,000)<\/p>\n

This 4 year randomised trial will test the use of the Flinders Program in people with psychosis. The Flinders team led by Professors, Malcolm Battersby & Sharon Lawn along with Chief Investigators, Professor Michael Kidd, Professor Julio Licinio, Professor Philip Aylward, Professor Amanda Baker, Professor Julie Ratcliffe & Dr Stephen Quinn will work with patients and staff in the Southern Adelaide Mental Health Service to use self -management principles and collaborative partnerships with patients to improve their physical health.<\/p>\n

We continue to receive requests from around the globe from groups seeking to translate the Partners in Health Scale (PIH) for use in research and in practice. This has prompted us to consider how we further refine and streamline our permission and licencing processes for use of this popular standardised chronic condition self-management assessment tool.<\/p>\n

Since our last newsletter, we have had the pleasure of hosting a delegation of mental health champions from West Java who have come to learn more about Australia\u2019s mental health system\u00a0and how\u00a0they might build their community services. Sharon has also visited them in West Java to gain a firsthand sense of their needs. We\u2019ve also hosted research collaborators from the Changchun Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in northern China. You can read more in the stories below.<\/p>\n

Enjoy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professor Sharon Lawn
\n<\/strong><\/strong>Director\u00a0FHBHRU
\n
\n\"Professor<\/strong><\/td>\n		<\/td>\nProfessor Malcolm Battersby
\n<\/strong>Clinical Director Mental Health
\nSouthern Adelaide Local Health Network
\n\"\"<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

$60,000 grant to help families cope with PTSD<\/a><\/h1>\n

a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
Professor Sharon Lawn, Dr Anthony Venning and Ms Paula Redpath at the Hilton in Adelaide for the ANZAC Commemorative Cocktail Evening organized by the Repat Foundation – The Road Home.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Helping families to support veterans and emergency services first responders who experience PTSD is the focus of a new research program, following a $60,000 grant from the Repat Foundation \u2013 The Road to Home.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Repat Foundation \u2013 The Road Home\u2019 research grants were established to promote and improve health and wellbeing for veterans, emergency services personnel and their families across Australia.<\/p>\n

The Repat Foundation \u2013 The Road Home<\/a> raises awareness and funds to support health and wellbeing research and projects into conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress for our nation\u2019s veterans, emergency service personnel and their families.\u00a0 In partnership with The Hospital Research Foundation, The Road Home also coordinates a Wellbeing program for servicemen and women to support their transition from service and\/or injury to the next stage of life through a peer support community and wellbeing activities.<\/p>\n

This grant will assist research to discover how to best help families living with sufferers of post-traumatic stress syndrome. To undertake this research, FHBHRU research staff (including Dr Elaine Waddell) will be joined by Dr Louise Roberts from Flinders paramedics school and Dr Julie Henderson from Southgate Institute. We plan to interview partners to investigate what helps or hinders their ability to provide support to contemporary war veterans and emergency services first responders (ESFRs). We also want to determine what resources and programs are required to maintain the mental health of those supporting their partner with post-traumatic stress at home. The team is looking forward to commencing this important research and we will ensure to provide updates in our next newsletter.<\/p>\n

Please email<\/a> Professor Sharon Lawn for more information.<\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Connecting with China to fight chronic disease<\/a><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Blue skies over the CDC in Changchun, Northeast China<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In May 2016, I was invited to spend three weeks at the Centre of Disease Control in Changchun China (the home of Pu Yi \u2013 the Last Emperor).<\/p>\n

The CDC in Changchun is responsible for tracking and coordinating the monitoring of air, water, food, and infectious disease in Changchun. As the burden of chronic disease rises in China, the CDC has an increasing focus on also helping its community to address this as a significant public health issue.<\/p>\n

I provided several presentations and ran workshops on how Chronic Condition Management is managed in Australia. I also carried out site visits to primary care services,\u00a0 Changchun\u2019s large mental health hospital and visited research staff at Jilin University. I was inspired by witnessing their primary health centres and rehabilitation programs for patients with mental illness at the psychiatric hospital. I think we can learn as much from them as they can learn from us.<\/p>\n

This invitation arose from the link between Flinders University and Deakin University in Warrnambool as a result of its sister city arrangement with Changchun.\u00a0Professor Peter Harvey, our FHBHRU colleague who recently retired from the role as Director at Deakin Rural Health, followed up with a visit to Changchun late last year.<\/p>\n

Mr Zhang (Head of Changchun CDC) and his colleagues were incredibly gracious and wonderful hosts. We were pleased to return their hospitality in March and early April this year when two CDC staff from their chronic disease section visited us for two weeks in Adelaide to undertake further workshops and training in chronic condition management. A highlight for me was taking them to visit colleagues at the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in Adelaide. It was enlightening to connect the sectors and the environmental context in which chronic conditions can develop. We hope to continue building our relationship and our shared focus on chronic condition management. They are particularly keen to support them to develop their model of care in primary healthcare services to build more self-management focus.<\/p>\n

Professor Sharon Lawn<\/strong>
\nDirector<\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s happening in Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (LICBT)?<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Building on the success of the beyondblue and Movember funded NewAccess initiative, Flinders continues to lead the way in delivering and training practitioners in LICBT. We are working with Remedy Healthcare to build on the success of their program Mindstep, which is showing some impressive outcomes for people with complex and co-morbid problems. In addition we are also delivering training to regional and remote organisations through Country South Australia Primary Health Network (CSAPHN). We are looking forward to developing new and burgeoning partnership with other leading SA and interstate organisations in the coming months.<\/p>\n

To support the training and education in LICBT we are committed to ensuring that areas that need greater access to evidenced based treatments are prioritised. With this in mind we are looking forward to new partnerships that will see innovative and responsive initiatives that will meet the needs of those in the community yet to gain access to programs that demonstrate efficacy and improve recovery.<\/p>\n

Current Partners
\n<\/a><\/h1>\n

We are partnering with Phoenix Australia to redesign and deliver systematic update of the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) group program content for the major therapeutic areas of clinical need (specifically Anxiety and Pain Management).<\/p>\n

We are providing training to Country Outback Health (CObH) staff that are working across a number of different programs in regional South Australia and Remedy Healthcare who have added more coaches to their Mindstep team.<\/p>\n

Clevertar and FHBHRU have collaborated to develop and design the content of a digital coach for people experiencing anxiety and depression living within the area where services are commissioned by Wentwest, Eastern Sydney PHN. The program will be piloted and evaluated in the coming months to determine user acceptability and determine outcome measurement.<\/p>\n

We continue to build and maintain strong working relationships with our industry partners both locally and nationally and look forward to supporting the implementation and evaluation of these vital services for all Australians who are seeking accessible, effective and personalised mental health service options.<\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Continuing Professional Development \u2013 LICBT Practitioner and Supervisor Training
\n<\/a><\/h1>\n

The Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (LICBT) practitioner training was developed from our involvement with the successful NewAccess program to provide anyone working with people experiencing anxiety and depression to develop and attain competencies in the delivery of focussed psychological interventions. Completion of the training provides participants with recognition of learning that leads to potential entry into the Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy<\/a> at Flinders.<\/p>\n

To support and sustain implementation of Low Intensity interventions it is essential that services embed a supervision framework within the organisation to support practitioners, ensure fidelity and treatment outcomes are maintained. To complement the training for practitioners we have also developed a supervisor training program. More information regarding these is available here.<\/p>\n

LICBT Practitioner Training\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 LICBT Supervisor Training<\/a><\/p>\n

We have developed five core Low Intensity Guided Self-Help workbooks: Graded Exposure, Managing Worry, Problem Solving, Behavioural Activation and Behavioural Experiments. We have also developed additional workbooks in the areas of Perinatal Mental Health, Pain Management, and More information about Post-traumatic stress disorder\u00a0(PTSD). These resources are available for download<\/a> on the Flinders website.<\/p>\n

We are keen to hear your feedback so get in contact \u2013 www.cbt@flinders.edu.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Postgraduate Courses<\/a><\/h1>\n

The three awards in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy\u00a0(<\/strong>CBT) (certificate, diploma and masters) have welcomed a new cohort of students from a range of backgrounds and experiences in 2017. We have students from behavioural sciences, psychology honours, social work, nursing, medicine and counselling joining us, which brings a diverse, interdisciplinary experience to the teaching, learning and research components of the programs.<\/p>\n

Continuing students in the diploma and masters are undertaking placements in a range of organisations both locally and interstate, Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Northern Health Network, Corrections, Community Mental Health, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies @ Flinders and State-wide Gambling Therapy Services.\u00a0 Thank you to our industry partners for supporting the students and providing them with vital work integrated learning opportunities.<\/p>\n

Paula Redpath
\n<\/strong>Course Coordinator and CBT Programs Lead<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s New in Gambling Research & Programs?<\/a><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Dr David Smith<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Problem gambling is a serious disorder. Treatment approaches for problem gambling may include psychotherapy, medications or self-help groups. At Flinders Centre for Gambling Research (FCGR), much of our research has focused on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). This involves helping patients to challenge their inaccurate gambling-related thoughts (e.g., \u201cI have some control over predicting my gambling wins\u201d) and extinguishing the urge or \u201ccraving\u201d to gamble. While the CBT evidence-base for problem gambling continues to build, there are still many challenges to address in order to help clients beat their addiction, such as high rates of relapse and treatment drop-out like other addictions disorders.<\/p>\n

Responding to these areas of need, our recent research has attempted to identify whether there are critical points of change experienced by patients during their cognitive and exposure-based therapy. We have found substantial variation in trajectories of change at the individual and also symptom level. These results are vital to the development of a more streamlined gambling-specific cognitive-exposure therapy (CET) program.<\/p>\n

Another of our recent studies has examined the generalisability of different interventions (i.e., strictly controlled randomised controlled trial [RCT] and routine clinical practice) outcomes by comparing across three treatment arms (i) RCT involving electronic gaming machines (\u2018pokies\u2019) versus<\/em> pokies and horse\/track betting treated with routine clinical care; and, (ii) routine clinical care for pokies versus<\/em> routine clinical care for horse\/track betting. Sophisticated statistical methods enabled us to address key factors that normally constrain comparisons across studies using differing methodologies and populations. The findings were able to identify that routine practice treatment outcomes are as efficacious as those that result from RCT interventions.<\/p>\n

This research trajectory has enabled us to connect with other international groups who have recently made contact with FCGR, including institutions producing cutting-edge work in the field of psychiatric epidemiology.<\/p>\n

Dr David Smith<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Current Projects<\/a><\/h1>\n

Flinders Aboriginal gambling services<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

Our service has two components: a gambling help service, which delivers education and conducts community awareness raising activities, plus a specialist gambling treatment service. Our team of six are responsible for delivering services across the southern, northern and western suburbs, and we usually work off-campus so we\u2019re not seen much in the office. Our main grant is funded by the Office for Problem Gambling, Department of Communities and Social Inclusion, with our agreement running up until June 30, 2019. At the same time we apply for grants that are related to this work, boosting our knowledge and connection with community.<\/p>\n

Prison Project \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Ben Riley\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The team has provided art workshops and forums across units within the Adelaide Women\u2019s Prison. A new poster sprang out of this work, and a few of the participants were referred to our therapy service. We commence\u00a01:1 therapy sessions while the women are still in prison, with most connecting once\u00a0they are based in community again.\u00a0An earlier study\u00a0by Ben Riley found that more than 60% of women based in prison have significant gambling problems, therefore this a group we wish to target.<\/p>\n

We use the Flinders Living Well, Keeping Strong Tool kit, as our assessment and planning tool. This is based on the CCM program \u2018My Health Story\u2019 tool kit, and is giving us the opportunity to validate its use with this vulnerable population.<\/p>\n

Anangu Pitjantjatjatjara Gambling Screen<\/h1>\n

Based on a Flinders University seeding grant we have been developing a gambling screen app to use with Pitjantjatjara speakers and are about to commence \u00a0trialling with community. The app presents the nine questions in text, with an audio accompaniment.<\/p>\n

This is all very exciting \u2013\u00a0we know of no other\u00a0in-language gambling screen developed for Indigenous people in the world. The translation and testing process has been interesting, the feedback we\u2019ve received so far is that Pitjantjatjara people don\u2019t have strong judgements about gambling per se,\u00a0their central concern is around \u2018losing money\u2019. There are an estimated 1,500 Pitjantjatjara people now residing in Adelaide, therefore we will looking \u00a0for trial participants locally and \u00a0also travelling to Ceduna and Yalata to link in with other Pitjantjatjara speakers.<\/p>\n

On the horizons<\/h1>\n

We are in deep discussions with Prime Minister and Cabinet to provide community forums and service provider training on gambling in the APY Lands. This represents a small grant at the outset, but we would hope that other opportunities will \u00a0arise from this. A contingent of us are planning to travel to the Lands, swags and all, in late July. All fingers crossed for this one.<\/p>\n

Sue Bertossa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s new in Education and Training?<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Motivational Interviewing<\/h3>\n

There has been lots of demand related to Motivational Interviewing (MI) across a number of different professions and services. In response to increasing demand, we have updated our previous Communication and Motivation workshop and are now pleased to offer the following:<\/p>\n

How to\u00a0 use Motivational Interviewing skills in everyday practice:<\/em> Using a blended learning approach with\u00a0 online pre-workshop activities and a one-day face\u00a0 to face workshop, participants are presented with key concepts underpinning Motivational Interviewing and practice opportunities for health coaching skills and strategies that can be used to support clients to engage in behaviour change.<\/p>\n

Additionally FHBHRU is currently delivering a series of short Motivational Interviewing (MI) sessions for SA Health allied health professionals. A combination of individual and group activities provide interactive opportunities for participants to practice and refine motivational interviewing skills and strategies. These sessions have a focus on healthy lifestyles as a part of chronic disease prevention and management and have been very well received.\u00a0 We are also piloting delivery of skills-based Motivational Interviewing via group teleconference for Country Health SA staff so stayed tuned for further developments in this space!<\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Flinders Program online<\/a><\/h1>\n

Our online Flinders Program training courses remain popular with recent comments from participants included below:<\/p>\n

\u201cthe Flinders model for CCM has enabled me to tie together the biopsychosocial model in a way that is patient centred and has meaning not only to the client but to me as a health professional. It has made me consider how important it is to actually sit back and listen to an individual\u2019s health story from their perspective and not \u2018preach\u2019 to them what they must do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have also noticed that asking questions around the impact <\/em>of the client\u2019s wellbeing can unravel discussion that has possibly never taken place before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVideo was a good tool to demonstrate the communication between patient, doctor\u00a0\u00a0 and allied health professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the Flinders Program continues to evolve there has been increasing interest in implementation support for embedding the tools and processes within various settings. In response to this, we have developed two short online courses, each of approximately 45 minutes duration with additional reading and activity completion time.<\/p>\n

The courses have been designed for the individual online learner and can supplement existing Flinders Program training (online or face to face) but have also been developed to meet the needs of a wider audience. This potential audience could include managers having oversight of the Flinders Program implementation within their service but not directly involved in using the Flinders Program tools:<\/p>\n