Regular meetings drive Tasmanian MHPN success

28 February 2013 Network Story

The founder of the Mental Health Professionals Network’s Hobart Perinatal group believes monthly meetings are the key to her network’s success.

Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Nicky Beamish, is the network’s coordinator. She says while measuring advances in community mental health is difficult, the group was nonetheless determined to engage in advocacy for an improvement in mental health services and policy.

The network has succeeded in significantly lifting the level of collaborative interdisciplinary care. Meeting monthly rather than quarterly, as many other MHPN networks do, means members who miss a meeting feel less distanced from the network and are more inclined to attend the next session.

A broad range of participants provides an excellent cross-section of experience

The network has recorded excellent attendance, with an average of 12 participants per meeting, including psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers, speech and music therapists, paediatricians, osteopaths and GPs. Under a state government initiative called Launch into Learning, the network even attracts a small group of teachers.

“Most psychiatrists know that at least in part the aetiology of many illnesses can be tracked back to early infant experiences. The groundwork for good or poor mental health is laid in the very early years.

Need for timely intervention

She says timely interventions carried out in infancy with mothers and babies, or with young families are sometimes very brief. They can prevent the onset of behavioural, emotional, educational and mental health issues in children. As well, early interventions can improve family function, parenting habits and improve adult mental health.

“The great thing about MHPN is that there are a lot of people in Hobart doing really good work, and the network has allowed for cross-referrals. Really, it’s become a true peer support group.

“I love MHPN because they help organise the administrative side of it. The whole thing of having to gather and maintain email records is the part I like least. I can just call MHPN with the broad details of the meeting, and they do the rest.

“Without the support of the Mental Health Professionals Network, I might have started something but I would have run out of puff at some point,” she says.

Visit MHPN’s website for ideas on how to get the most of out of your network.