APR.Intern recently collaborated with the University of Melbourne to secure three PhD researchers for a vital community-focused mental health research project.
The project was facilitated by Mind Australia and cohealth, and jointly supported by the Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing (CCFMHW) and the Commonwealth Government’s Women in STEM grant. The goal was to connect exceptional research talent with organisations working to improve mental health outcomes in the community.
All three projects addressed practical challenges facing the mental health and wellbeing system, including the analysis of data from community mental health and residential recovery services, the development of new approaches to partnering with families, carers and supporters, and the translation of complex datasets into practical recommendations for service improvement.
Research
The researchers worked alongside services to support quality improvement and strengthen outcomes for people accessing care. Researcher Eleanor Shao (cohealth, pictured above) worked on a family, carers and supporters’ engagement framework, Jooa Kwon (Mind Australia) analysed data for residential mental health services, and Pyae Phyo Maung (Mind Australia) worked on evaluating community mental health programs.
All three individuals generated practical tools, frameworks and recommendations that organisations can now use to strengthen care and inform future decision-making, while providing emerging researchers with valuable experience working at the intersection of research, practice and service delivery.
Eleanor’s project with cohealth, for example, developed an evidence-informed framework to strengthen how mental health staff engage and partner with families, carers and supporters. Developed through collaboration with consumers, carers, staff and subject matter experts, this new framework provides a foundation for more inclusive, person-centred practice and has the potential to be extended across the organisation.
At Mind Australia, Jooa and Pyae Phyo focused on using data outcomes to understand the importance of community mental health and residential recovery services, while identifying opportunities for improvement.
Meaningful outcomes
Justin Mabbutt, APR.Intern Business Development Manager (VIC, WA & TAS), worked closely with the CCFMHW and industry partners to scope the projects, identify suitable PhD candidates, and facilitate the internships from conception through to conclusion. Commenting on the program, he said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to facilitate projects that deliver meaningful outcomes for organisations making a real difference in the community.
“Seeing all three internships achieve such positive outcomes was the icing on the cake, highlighting the calibre of PhD talent at the University of Melbourne.”
Media Enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing, Communications and Events Coordinator, APR.Intern
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
