“My Physical Health”: Evaluating the Implementation and Impact of Physical Health Support in Community Mental Health Services
Medical, Biological and other Sciences
PLEASE NOTE
- This internship is being funded by the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing and therefore an academic mentor will be assigned from the University of Melbourne.
- It is preferred that the project will be undertaken primarily onsite, however remote candidates will be considered.
ABOUT THE INDUSTRY PARTNER
Mind Australia invests a significant amount of money in research and evaluation; this work being important to the provision of high quality services and the generation of evidence supporting policy and system reform.
Our Research and Evaluation team is leading the work to embed outcome measures in our service system which will help us know the impact of our services. The team also leads research activities supporting policy advocacy and system reform.
We aim to work in partnership with consumers and carers, academics, peak bodies and other services so we can be sure our research addresses issues that make a difference to people’s experience of the service system and their lives.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
- Gain hands-on experience in applied research within the mental health sector.
- Develop expertise in both qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
- Contribute to real-world improvements in health support services, with findings directly influencing practice and policy.
- Enhance skills in knowledge translation by communicating research insights to non-academic audiences.
RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED
This research will assess how effectively Mind Australia integrates physical health promotion into its mental health services. The project will involve:
- Evaluating the use and impact of My Physical Health Checklist and My Better Life goal-setting tool.
- Identifying areas where clients require additional support for their physical health.
- Analyzing how consistently physical health promotion is implemented across Mind Australia services.
- Investigating barriers and enablers affecting the delivery of physical health support.
- Establishing the best methods to measure the impact of physical health promotion on client well-being.
SKILLS WISH LIST
If you’re a postgraduate research student and meet some or all the below we want to hear from you. We strongly encourage women, indigenous and disadvantaged candidates to apply:
- Strong research and analytical skills, particularly in qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis.
- Experience or interest in mental health, community services, or health promotion.
- Ability to translate research findings into practical recommendations for service improvement.
- Strong communication skills for engaging with diverse stakeholders and presenting findings.
- The project is modifiable depending on your interests. For instance, if you have strong quant skills, you wouldn’t necessarily need to do qual interviews as well, instead focussing on an in-depth quant analysis.
While it is possible to complete the internship remotely, the candidate would have a richer experience and increased learning benefits from face to face supervision and meeting other staff and clients of Mind.
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
This project aims to generate actionable insights that will:
- Inform improvements to Mind Australia’s physical health support initiatives.
- Enhance consistency and effectiveness in delivering health promotion across services.
- Identify key barriers and enablers to successful implementation.
- Provide a framework for ongoing assessment of physical health promotion impact.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The intern will receive $3,300 per month of the internship, usually in the form of scholarship payments.
It is expected that the intern will primarily undertake this research project during regular business hours and maintain contact with their academic mentor throughout the internship either through face-to-face or phone meetings as appropriate.
The intern and their academic mentor will have the opportunity to negotiate the project’s scope, milestones and timeline during the project planning stage.
Please note, applications are reviewed regularly and this internship may be filled prior to the advertised closing date if a suitable applicant is identified. Early submissions are encouraged.
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