Our Programs

COVID-19 Alert

We are continuously monitoring the COVID-19 situation as per government recommendations and plan to deliver workshops where it is deemed appropriate to do so. The health and wellbeing of you, your community and our staff are our priority.

The workshops listed in the training calendar are currently planned to go ahead.

If you have any concerns please contact our education team at education@blackdog.org.au.

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Our Programs

Black Dog Institute Health Professional education is for GPs, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and mental health care workers looking to expand their knowledge and skills in the area of mental health. As a world leading translational research institute, our accredited programs draw on the most current research and clinical evidence. Our interactive, case-based workshops are led by expert clinician facilitators who inform theory with practical, real world examples.

Attend your workshops to:

  • update your clinical knowledge
  • practice skills that are directly transferable into practice
  • learn from expert facilitators and peers
  • network with fellow health professionals
  • gain CPD points

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ABC of CBT: Skills for GPs

Psychological presentations are increasingly common in general practice. For many people, psychological care delivered by their regular general practitioner is both an acceptable and accessible starting point to seeking help for their emotional health. Our ABC of CBT provides GPs with a broad range of psychological skills readily applied in a general practice setting. Successful completion of the program also fulfills the criteria for FPS Skills Training accreditation allowing GPs to access Medicare item numbers for the delivery of focused psychological strategies. This program is delivered via the following modalities: • 2 x 6 hour workshops (2 weeks apart) • 8-hours of self directed learning between workshop days 1 and 2 • 1 x 2 hour coaching session (online) two weeks after day 2
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Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention

This workshop aims to increase health professionals’ skill and confidence in taking a detailed suicide history and developing a collaborative management plan to increase the safety of people planning suicide. It also provides practical tools for health professionals managing the full spectrum of suicide risk presentations including the acute suicidal crisis, care after a suicide attempt and assisting families experiencing suicide bereavement.
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Dealing with Anxiety Disorders

This highly interactive workshop aims to provide GPs with a comprehensive theoretical understanding of anxiety disorders together with an extensive range of skills and strategies to better manage anxiety in their practices. Clinical scenarios form the basis of learning as participants explore how anxiety disorders arise, how they are maintained and the role general practitioners can play in addressing these effectively.   The program will assist GPs to gain further confidence and competence in the effective use of Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS).  

Please note this program is only applicable to GPs
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Dealing with Depression in Rural Australia

Depression is a common condition frequently managed in primary care. Identifying and managing depression in a rural context presents a unique set of challenges for health professionals providing mental health care in their communities. Dealing with Depression in Rural Australia is a highly interactive, multidisciplinary program developed specifically to address the needs of clinicians delivering health care for people presenting with depression in a rural setting. Using a case-based problem solving format, the program outlines a practical framework for assessment and management planning readily applicable to primary care.
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Depression Dilemmas

Despite improved awareness and education, there are still some presentations of depression that are highly challenging for clinicians to manage in the primary care setting. Depression Dilemmas is a new interactive workshop that tackles areas of treating mood disorders that clinicians can find particularly demanding. Using case studies as the platform for learning, the program explores strategies to tackle depression in the context of alcohol use disorder, late life depression and depression that is failing to remit despite seemingly adequate treatment. Open to both general practitioners and psychologists, this advanced workshop also provides an opportunity for the two professions to interact, share each other’s perspective and problem solve together.
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Diagnosis and Treatment of PTSD in Emergency Service Workers

NOTE: All times listed are AEDT/AEST

GPs often play a central role in the provision of healthcare to communities in the immediate, acute phase of emergency situations, and on an ongoing basis for the long-term recovery of individuals and their broader community. 

 

Emergency Service Workers are one of the high-risk groups for trauma exposure and are more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. These mental health conditions have significant impact on their employment, family/relationships, and wellbeing.

 

This workshop has been designed with a focus on GPs, to diagnose patients with acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other comorbidities. Evidence based guidelines will be used as the foundation to appropriately diagnose and identify treatment pathways including recommended referrals, trauma focused psychological therapy and psychological first aid to help support their management of emergency service workers. The training may also be relevant to other health professionals.

 

This training aims to increase participants’ skills and confidence to:

1.   Understand the relationship between traumatic events and the development of mental health conditions

2.   Identify evidence-based treatment and referral pathways for a patient impacted by trauma

3.   Recommend evidence-based resources, including e-Mental Health, for family/kinship groups impacted by trauma 

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM

The Grant Program for Emergency Services Workers trauma Care, including PTSD support services, is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. 

https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/davidlittleproud/Pages/mental-health-grants-support-emergency-services-workers.aspx
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Expert Insights: Disclosure of Mental Illness in Medical Practitioners - Demystifying Fears about Professional Impacts

Medical professionals face significant challenges when they are experiencing an episode of mental illness. Their doctors play a dual role as both the health provider and colleague who could report to the medical board and affect another health provider's capacity to practice. This can hinder help-seeking in health providers, increase stigma, and delay early intervention. 

This panel session will examine the barriers to disclosure for medical professionals and demystify the threshold for reporting to the medical board for impairments in the context of mental health disorders. We will also discuss new resources and programs to support health practitioners in self-care and support-seeking.
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Managing Youth Mental Health

Managing youth mental health presents a myriad of challenges for GPs working in primary care but also a unique opportunity to assist young people in the context of their families and communities.

Managing Youth Mental Health is a highly interactive, clinically focused 6 hr program that aims to provide GPs with a practical and structured approach to youth mental healthcare readily implemented within the busy general practice setting.
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Perinatal in Practice

This workshop aims to introduce health professionals to the current understanding of perinatal mood disorders and its management, using lecture, case studies and interactive exercises.
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Talking About Suicide in General Practice - Webinar

NOTE: All times listed are AEDT/AEST

The Talking About Suicide in General Practice workshop aims to increase GPs skill and confidence in:

• recognising presentations where suicide risk is high

• undertaking a detailed risk assessment

• management planning using a collaborative, team based approach

Upcoming Courses