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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Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention Coaching Session

A one hour coaching session for groups of health professionals who have attended the Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention (ATSP) or Talking About Suicide in General Practice (TASGP) workshop. The session is aimed at improving the recognition of warning signs for suicidality and the development of collaborative safety plans that incorporate the involvement of support people in the person’s life as well as creating a network of health professionals and relevant services to assist the person in remaining safe.  
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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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Expert Insights: Prevention of Mental Illness in Adolescents - Challenges & Innovations

This session showcases a world first research project (Future Proofing) at the Black Dog Institute, taking on the challenges of implementing a universal prevention intervention program for adolescent school students. Can a focus on prevention strategies during adolescence be the key to reducing the prevalence of mental health disorders later in life? What are the early warning signs that can critically inform efforts to inoculate against the damaging effects of mental health issues? What are some of the challenges and opportunities in working with schools to prevent ill health?

Future Proofing has the ambitious target of recruiting over 10,000 adolescent participants across and following them up each year over a 5-year period that will provide major innovations in what we know about trajectory of mental health in adolescents. For more information and interested schools: futureproofing.org.au  

Join our expert panel for this session as we explore this project and what it could mean for adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

Facilitated by Dr Carol Newall

Panel Members

• Dr Aliza Werner-Seidler: Senior Research Fellow & Clinical Psychologist

• Holly Saxon: Primary School Teacher and Lived Experience Rep

• Dr Lyndsay Brown: Research Officer, Future Proofing
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Ketamine Seminar

Designed for clinicians, mental health professionals and academic researchers, the Ketamine Seminar will be facilitated by leading experts in ketamine research and novel treatments of mood disorders, Prof. Colleen Loo and the Sydney Neurostimulation Centre (SyNC) team.

This seminar focuses on:

  • scientific aspects of ketamine
  • clinical treatment in depression
  • regulations and safety considerations
  • ketamine and psychotherapy

This program is delivered via the following modalities:

3 x 2.5 hour online sessions: Wed 23rd, Thurs 24th and Fri 25th September 2020, 4.00-6.30 PM)
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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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Problem Gambling and Mental Health Online Program for GPs

Gambling is a popular pastime for many Australians, however for others gambling can become a problem. This in turn can lead to many adverse health outcomes. The aim of this online interactive workshop is to provide GPs with the knowledge and skills required to screen for problem gambling, treat associated mental health issues and refer clients when necessary.
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Suicide Prevention Training for Pharmacists

Suicide has a devastating impact on families, friends and whole communities. Pharmacists, due to their role and their accessibility in the community, have the potential to play a key role in recognising the signs and symptoms of suicide, restricting means and keeping the person safe until support is available. This Suicide Prevention Training for Pharmacists is an interactive, cased based workshop enabling peer discussion alongside the development of practical skills to implement. This training aims to increase pharmacists’ skills and confidence in:  • Recognising signs warranting further exploration for suicidality • Talking with someone who may display suicidal signs and symptoms • Understanding of the various referral options. Please note: This training is being provided as part of a project funded by Primary Health Tasmania to explore the role of pharmacists in suicide prevention. The project includes a research and evaluation component to measure outcomes from the interventions to help inform future actions. Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has approved this study (HREC number XX/XXXX). Should you wish to discuss the study with someone not directly involved, in particular, any matters concerning the conduct of the study or your rights as a participant, or you wish to make a confidential complaint, you may contact the Ethics Officer on (08) 9266 9223 or the Manager, Research Integrity on (08) 9266 7093 or email hrec@curtin.edu.au.  
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TMS Masterclass

This masterclass will cover:

• Updates on TMS treatment for psychiatric disorders

• Updates on TMS and cognition

• Discussion of complex cases

This course is suitable for researchers, and clinicians who have previous experience with TMS and are interested in further training on TMS and emerging treatments.

This program is delivered via the following modalities:

2 x 2.5 hour online sessions - (Wed 16th and Fri 18th September 2020, 4.00-6.30PM)
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Attendees will learn the principles of tDCS, its effects in psychiatric disorders, and practical techniques including hands-on workshops*.

*Note re tDCS Course practical workshop

Where ordinarily the practical workshops that are part of the tDCS Course were conducted at the Black Dog Institute, due to current uncertainty regarding travel and physical distancing restrictions because of COVID-19, the practical workshops will be organised on a case by case basis. Attendees will be given the option of coming to the Black Dog Institute in Sydney (travel permitting) for a 3-hr introductory practical workshop covering tDCS treatment procedures (date to be determined) or having one of our staff members attend your site to conduct the practical workshop (price upon request). 
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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

An online course in TMS theory.

This course is suitable for clinicians and researchers who want to better understand TMS.

This course is delivered in the following modalities: 2 x 2 hour and 1 x 2.5 hour online sessions: Wed 14th, Thurs 15th and Fri 16th October 2020 4.00-6.30 PM

Note re TMS Course practical workshops

Where ordinarily the practical workshops that are part of the TMS Course were conducted at the Black Dog Institute, due to current uncertainty regarding travel and physical distancing restrictions because of COVID-19, the practical workshops will be organised on a case by case basis. Attendees will be given the option of coming to the Black Dog Institute in Sydney (travel permitting) for a 1-day introductory practical workshop covering resting motor threshold and treatment procedures (date to be determined) or having one of our staff members attend your site to conduct the practical workshops using your own TMS machine/equipment (price upon request).

Upcoming Courses