Centre for Psychiatric Nursing

• 4/5 Forums - Tuesday 25 February 2020

  We have invited Helen Kelly and Emma Wellington as presenters for the February 2020 forum. Helen will present on The First Royal Commission into Mental Health in Victoria in 1886 and Emma will discuss the current Royal Commission.

  10 Feb 2020 News
• Consumer Academic Indigo Daya rallies the people to send messages of solidarity at Christmas

  In November CPN's Consumer Academic and advocate, Indigo Daya put a call out for volunteers to come together and write letters of love, hope and solidarity for the people who will spend Christmas in Psychiatric units across Victoria.Initially a small group of 19 (most of whom were also people with lived experience in Mental Health) came together in early December and spent an afternoon writing over 200 cards that were to be distributed to 10 Mental Health Units in Victoria.From there, Indigo’s December Letters Project went viral and dozens of volunteers created and attended similar events across the country and produced over 900 cards that were distributed throughout Australia.

  31 Jan 2020 News
• Message from Bridget Hamilton, Director CPN

  Well hasn’t 2019 flown by! The CPN team have been keenly supporting mental health nurses across Vic to do your best work.From facilitating change with key nurses, to providing grass roots training, to evaluating innovative programs, to leading and contributing at conferences, realising good experiences and outcomes for consumers has been our aim.This Newsletter highlights the ground breaking contributions of the consumer academic team at CPN, under the stellar leadership of Cath Roper.We hope you take a moment to consider the good work you have done this year; wishing you a delightful Christmas and a Happy New Year from us all.

  20 Dec 2019 News
• Learning from attending the 2019 Society for Mental Health Research Conference

  A broad range of research underway was on show at the 2019 Society for Mental Health Research conference. This year had a particular focus on non-medicinal interventions such as social psychiatry, dietary interventions, and pharmaceuticals. In addition to this was the novel work of the impressive Brain Park center which seeks to utilize VR technology and gamified neuropsychological tools to work on issues such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Addictive Behaviors. Other areas of focus were brain imaging of different disorders and techniques for reducing discrimination through school, workplace and online psycho-educational programs.

  20 Dec 2019 News
• Service User Academia Symposium Takeaways

  The CPN’s Consumer Academics recently attended the Service User Academia Symposium(SUAS) in Wellington, Aetoroea (New Zealand). Consumer Academic Hamilton Kennedy has reflected on their takeaway messages.

  20 Dec 2019 News
• What does Consumer Perspective mean to us?

  In Australia, when someone has a lived experience of the mental health system, they are typically referred to as a ‘consumer’. When they work in that system in a specified consumer role, they are often said to be providing a ‘consumer perspective’. However, what it actually means to use this perspective in our work is harder to define.Members of the Consumer Academic Program at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, University of Melbourne, wanted to have a conversation exploring definitions of consumer perspective and how we use it in our work. To continue reading click here

  22 Oct 2019 News
• Perceptions of Dangerousness

  We’re seeking expressions of interest from nurses and consumers to participate in a new research project. Do you have experience of restrictive practices and aggression in mental health inpatient services? You may be interested in participating in this project.

  14 Oct 2019 News
• VMIAC Conference

  The CPN Consumer Academic Program team will be hosting a booth at the VMIAC Conference. For more information visit bit.ly/VMIACconference

  07 Oct 2019 News
• CPN's Consumer Academic Program wins top Australasian award in mental health

  CPN's Consumer Academic Program has won a TheMHS award at the 2019 Mental Health Service Awards of Australia and New Zealand program for service to mental health.

  03 Oct 2019 News
• Making an art of failure

  CPN Consumer Academic, Hamilton Kennedy explores the lived experience of madness and how failure can bring us closer to what we desire in this article 'Making an art of failure' featuring artwork from another CPN academic Rory Randall.

  17 Sep 2019 News
• Consumer leaders training staff of the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health service system

  Consumer leaders know all too well the connection between language, power, policy and the lived experience of mental health issues and services. Whether it is “mental illness”, “recovery”, “madness” or being “managed”, words are powerful tools that can help or hurt.This is the message consumer leaders Cath Roper, Wanda Bennetts, Alison Hall and Simon Katterl brought to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Wanting to know how to think and communicate respectfully about mental health, the Commission chose to listen to those who know first-hand the importance of language.By using open dialogue strategies and a “You can’t ask that” forum, the Commission and consumer leaders discussed the impacts of framing, alternative ways of understanding our experiences, the personal meaning we give words and the ethics of who gets to use them. Training from consumer leaders provided an important opportunity for staff to ask questions and reflect on the effect that they can have in their individual roles. Staff came away with concrete actions. Kerin Leonard, Director, Community Engagement, Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health SystemWe hope the work can assist the Commission to elevate the voices of consumers in their future work and recommendations.

  30 Aug 2019 News
• 2019 Collab Conference Photos

  The 2019 Collab Conference has wrapped up. Check out the photos from the two day event.

  28 Aug 2019 News
• 4/5 Forums - Tuesday 27 August 2019

  Strenghtening the workforce recruitment, expansion and retention!

  09 Aug 2019 News
• Attending the 2019 Collab Conference?

  Handy hints when attending a conference!

  23 Jul 2019 News
• Cath Roper article: 'Ethical Peril, Violence and “Dirty Hands”: Ethical Consequences of Mental Healt...

  CPN's Consumer Academic, Cath Roper's article Ethical Peril, Violence and “Dirty Hands”: Ethical Consequences of Mental Health Laws has been published in a special issue of the Journal of Ethics in Mental Health.Cath discusses the ethical situations of people governed by mental health laws, clinicians working under mental health laws and analyses the 'harder to see' forms of violence experienced by people exposed to these mental health laws.

  18 Jul 2019 News
• International Safewards Day 2019

  Wednesday 10 July was the inaugural International Safewards Day! Safewards is an internationally recognised mental health model that aims to make mental health facilities safer for everyone. The model highlights for staff how they reduce conflicts and the need for restrictive interventions by recognising triggers which can put patients and staff at risk.

  16 Jul 2019 News
• One month until Collab 19!

  The countdown is officially on! Tickets still available.

  15 Jul 2019 News
• Bridget Hamilton 'Ally' for lived experience workers

  CPN Director, Associate Professor Bridget Hamilton was the Inaugural winner of the 2018 VMIAC Consumer Awards ‘Ally’ category back in October. VMIAC CEO Maggie Toko explained the new award was launched to honour work of allies who “don’t do it for us, they do it with us and they make sure we’re out in front, they stand by us”.

  08 Jul 2019 News
• 2019 VCMHN Program Release

  The program for the 20th Annual Victorian Collaborative Mental Health Nursing Conference is now available!

  21 Jun 2019 News
• 4/5 Forums - Tuesday 23 July 2019

  CPN Clinical supervision: looking backward, looking forward

  21 Jun 2019 News
• Rai Waddingham- "Rethinking ‘empowerment’ and ‘recovery’ (overcoming disempowerment and oppression)"

  On Monday 11 February 2019, the CPN were thrilled to host Rai Waddingham as she presented her thought-provoking session ‘Rethinking empowerment and recovery (overcoming disempowerment and oppression) to the Mental Health nursing, academic and research community.Rai who has spent a good portion of her life in and out of psychiatric hospitals, now sees herself as a survivor. She is a freelance trainer, writer and an active member of a variety of UK based committees.The session explored the critical perspectives on the concepts of recovery and empowerment in mental health, ways in which these concepts play out in modern mental health services and oppression and disempowerment within mental health services.Taking inspiration from other civil rights movements, she discussed ways we can work together to recognise and overcome these issues.Feedback: “Rai was an awesome presenter, mediating the session brilliantly, drawing out the points people were making and underlining useful concepts”“Excellent training about oppression found within treatment and recovery. Rai offered her personal view and also enabled an honest discussion.”“Rachel was an inspiring speaker and has given me much to think about and pass on in every aspect of my work.”

  06 Mar 2019 News
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  26 Feb 2019 News
• Co-production: putting principles into practice in mental health contexts

  This new, open-access resource aims to inform and support the implementation of co-production initiatives specifically within the Victorian mental health context.

  05 Apr 2018 News
• Meet the CPN team

  A series of short videos about who we are & why we're passionate about working in mental health.

  19 Dec 2017 News
• Safewards Victoria at 10th Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry

  Contingent of Victorian Safewards trainers & researchers attend EVIPRG Congress; A/Prof Bridget Hamilton to Chair international Safewards Community of Practice

  19 Dec 2017 News
• 2018 Rollout of Psychotherapy Essentials to Victorian AMHs

  Phase One of the CPN’s rollout of Psychotherapy Essentials to community MH nurses is on track for the first half of 2018.

  19 Dec 2017 News
• MH Nursing Graduate Programs Research Project

  This year's 'Graduate Survey' of Victorian public mental health services is a 'preliminary step' to further CPN research into graduate MH nurse program offerings across the state.

  19 Dec 2017 News
• CPN consumer academics present at 2017 Service Users Academia Symposium

  2017's Symposium in NZ attended by contingent of CPN-affiliated consumer academics; 2018's to be hosted by the CPN in Melbourne

  19 Dec 2017 News
• Dr Haley Peckham on neuro-plasticity, trauma & experience

  Dr Peckham's keynote "The Talking Cure is Biological" was very well-received at the 2017 Collab Conference. View the video here in full.

  19 Dec 2017 News
• Involuntary treatment, Australian law & real lives: a public conversation

  Cath Roper and Prof. Bernadette McSherry discuss the legal framework and lived experience of involuntary treatment in Australia

  19 Dec 2017 News
• Dr Finbar Hopkins awarded PhD for research into maternal & child mental health

  CPN Nursing Lecturer Dr Finbar Hopkins awarded PhD for thesis exploring maternal representations from pre-pregnancy to early motherhood.

  19 Dec 2017 News
• 'Check out' from the Recovery Library: Tools for taking stock

  Resources to help MH services & practitioners assess the degree to which their practice promotes autonomy & self-determination for service users

  19 Dec 2017 News

Journal articles

Daya, I., Hamilton, B.E., Roper C. (2019). Authentic engagement: A conceptual model for welcoming diverse and challenging consumer and survivor views in mental health research, policy and practice. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing doi: 10.1111/inm.12653.

Scholz, B., Platania‐Phung, C., Gordon., S, Ellis, P., Roper, C., Bocking, J., Happell, B., Very useful, but do carefully: Mental healthresearcher views on establishing a Mental Health Expert Consumer Researcher Group (2019) pp. 1-10. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs.

Journal articles refereed

Roper, C., (2019), Ethical peril, violence and “dirty hands” – ethical consequences of mental health laws, Special issue, Disordering Social Inclusion, Ethics, Critiques, Collaborations, Futurities, Journal of Ethics in Mental Health   https://jemh.ca/issues/v9/documents/JEMH%20Inclusion%20vi.pdf

Happell, B., Gordon, S., Bocking, J., Ellis, P., Roper, C., Liggins, J. & Platania-Phung, C. (2019). "Chipping away": non-consumer researcher perspectives on barriers to collaborating with consumers in mental health research. Journal of Mental Health, 28(1), 49. doi: 10.1080/09638237.2018.1466051

Scholz, B., Gordon, S., Bocking, J., Liggins, J., Ellis, P., Roper, C. & Happell, B. (2019). 'There's just no flexibility': How space and time impact mental health consumer research. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(4), 899. doi: 10.1111/inm.12589

Juntanamalaga, P., Scholz, B., Roper, C. & Hoppell, B. (2019). 'They can't empower us': The role of allies in the consumer movement. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(4), 857. doi: 10.1111/inm.12585

Scholz, B., Roper, C., Juntanamalaga, P. & Happell, B. (2019). Understanding the Role of Allies in Systemic Consumer Empowerment: A Literature Review. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(4), 354. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2018.1553004

Kapp, S., Gerdtz, M., Gefen, A., Prematunga, R. & Santamaria, N. (2019). An observational study of the maintenance of the 30 degrees side-lying lateral tilt position among aged care residents at risk of developing pressure injuries when using the standard care pillow and a purpose-designed positioning device. International Wound Journal, 16(5), 1080. doi: 10.1111/iwj.13142

Fletcher, J., Hamilton, B., Kinner, S., Brophy, L.M. (2019). Safewards impact in inpatient mental health units in Victoria Australia: Staff perspectives. Frontiers in Psychiatry, doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00462.

Harvey, C.A., Brophy, L.B., Tibble, H., Killaspy, H., Spittal, M., Hamilton, B., Ennals, P., Newton, R., Cruickshank, P., Hall, T., Fletcher, J. (2019). Prevention and Recovery Care services in Australia: Statewide implementation of a sub-acute residential mental-health service model Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10(383). doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00383

Fletcher, J., Buchanan-Hagen, S., Brophy, L., A.Kinner, S., Hamilton, B., Consumer Perspectives of Safewards Impact in Acute Inpatient Mental Health Wards in Victoria, Australia (2019) Frontiers in Psychiatry

Hayes, C., Palmer, V., Simmons, M., Hamilton, B., Simons C., & Hopwood, M. (2019). The unheard voice of the clinician: perspectives on the key features of an adolescent inpatient model of care. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, doi: 10.1111/jcap.12242

Kao, C. Y., Aranda, S., Krishnasamy, M., & Hamilton, B. (2019). Identifying essential information to support patient decision-making regarding participation in cancer clinical trials: a Delphi study. European Journal of Cancer Care DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12954.

Kao, C.‐Y., Hamilton, B., Lin, Y.‐F. and Hu, W.‐Y. (2019), Ward‐Based Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Clinical Trials: A Survey Study in Taiwan. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 51: 489-496. doi:10.1111/jnu.12484

Hayes, C., Palmer, V., Hamilton, B., Simons, C., & Hopwood, M. (2019). What nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions are provided to adolescents admitted to general mental health inpatient units? A descriptive review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(3), 671-686. doi:10.1111/inm.12575

Hayes, C., Palmer, V. J., Simmons, M., Hamilton, B., Simons, C., & Hopwood, M. (2019). Protocol for a prospective, longitudinal mixed-methods case study: supporting a Model of Care for Healthier Adolescents (The MoCHA study). BMJ Open, 9(2), e025098. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025098

H, Kennedy., C,Roper., R, Randall., D, Pintado., S, Buchanan-Hagen., J, Fletcher., B, Hamilton.,Consumer recommendations for enhancing the Safewards model and interventions. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing (2019)

Tindall, R., Allot, K., Simmons, M., Roberts, W. & Hamilton B. (2019). Engagement at entry to an early intervention service for first episode psychosis: an exploratory study of young people and caregivers. Psychosis, DOI:10.1080/17522439.2018.1502341

Tindall, R.M., Allott, K., Simmons, M., Roberts, W., Hamilton B.E. (2019). The missing voice of engagement: An exploratory study from the perspectives of case-managers at an early intervention service for first-episode psychosis. BMC Psychiatry. BPSY-D-19-00085R3

Fletcher, J., Spittal, M,. Brophy L., Tibble H, Kinner S., Elsom S., Hamilton B., Outcomes of the Victorian Safewards trial in 13 wards: impact on seclusion rates and fidelity measurement (2017) International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 26(5), pp. 461 - 471

Penno, S., Hamilton B., Petrakis M., (2017), Early intervention in psychosis: Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) outcomes from a five-year prospective study. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2017.07.003

Niels Buus, N., Hoeck, B., Hamilton, B., (2017) Nurses’ shift reports: a systematic literature search and critical review of qualitative field studies. Journal of Clinical Nursing, doi: 10.1111/jocn.13655

McKibbin G., Humphreys C., Hamilton B., (2017) “Talking about child sexual abuse would have helped me”: Young people who sexually abused reflect on preventing harmful sexual behaviour. Child Abuse and Neglect, 70: 210-221

Corbett, R., Elsom, S., Sands, N., Prematunga, R. An exploratory investigation of sexual health screening in the first 12 weeks of case management in populations with severe mental illness (2017) International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 26 (2), pp. 160-169.

Sands, N., Elsom, S., Corbett, R., Keppich-Arnold, S., Prematunga, R., Berk, M., Considine, J. (2017) Predictors for clinical deterioration of mental state in patients assessed by telephone-based mental health triage International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 26 (3), pp. 226-237.

Rao, S., Broadbear, J. H., Thompson, K., Correia, A., Preston, M., Katz, P., Trett, R. (2017). Evaluation of a novel risk assessment method for self-harm associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. Australasian psychiatry, DOI: 10.1177/1039856217707390

Buus, N., Hamilton, B., (2016) Social science and linguistic text analysis of nurses’ records: a systematic review and critique. Nursing Inquiry 23: 64–77

Goh, S.M.Y., Westphal, A., Daws, T., Gascoigne-Cohen S., Hamilton, B., Lautenschlager, N., (2016) A retrospective study of medical co-morbidities in psychogeriatric patients. Psychogeriatrics. 16 (1): 12–19.

Byrne, L., Roper, C., Happell, B., Reid-Searl, K., (2016), The Stigma of Identifying as Having a Lived Experience Runs Before Me: Challenges for Lived Experience Roles, Journal of Mental Health, p 1 - 7

Brophy, L., Roper, C., Hamilton, B., Tellez, J., McSherry, B., (2016), Consumers’ and their supporters’ perspectives on barriers and strategies to reducing seclusion and restraint in mental health settings, Australian Health Review 40 (6): 599-604.

Brophy, L., Roper, C., Hamilton, B., Tellez, J., McSherry, B., (2016), Consumers and their supporters’ perspectives on poor practice and the use of seclusion and restraint in mental health settings: results from Australian focus groups, International Journal of Mental Health Systems 10(6)1-10

Lima, S., Jordan, H.L., Kinney, S.,   Hamilton, B., Newall, F., (2016) Empirical evolution of a framework that supports the development of nursing competence. Journal of Advanced Nursing 72(4), 889–899.

Lima, S., Newall, F., Jordan, H.L., Hamilton, B., Kinney, S., (2016) Development of competence in the first year of graduate nursing practice: a longitudinal study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 72(4), 878–888.

Kinner, S., Harvey, C., Hamilton, B., Brophy, L., Roper, C., McSherry, B., & Young, J. (2016). Attitudes towards seclusion and restraint in mental health settings: Findings from a large, community-based survey of consumers, carers and mental health professionals. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 1-10.

Tonso, M.A., Prematunga, R., Norris, S.J., Williams, L., Sands, N., Elsom, S.J. (2016) Workplace Violence in Mental Health: A Victorian Mental Health Workforce Survey International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 25 (5), pp. 444-451.

Sands, N., Elsom, S., Colgate, R., Haylor, H., Prematunga, R. (2016) Development and interrater reliability of the UK Mental Health Triage Scale International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 25 (4), pp. 330-336. DOI: 10.1111/inm.12197

Roper, C., McSherry, B., Brophy, L., (2015), Defining seclusion and restraint: legal and policy definitions versus consumer and carer perspectives, Journal of Law and Medicine, 23:297-302

Happell, B., Byrne, L., McAllister, M., Lampshire, D., Roper, C., Gaskin, C. J., Martin, G., Wynaden, D., McKenna, B., Lakeman, R., Platania-Phung, C. and Hamer, H. (2014), Consumer involvement in the tertiary-level education of mental health professionals: A systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23: 3–16.

Other articles

McSherry, B., Brophy, L., Hamilton, B., Roper, C., Tellez J., (2017), Reducing Seclusion and Restraint: Hearing from consumers and their supporters, The Health Advocate, 41:34-35

Peckham, H., (2013). Epigenetics:The dogma-defying discovery that genes learn from experience. International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy, 1, 9-20. doi: 10.12744/ijnpt.2013.0009-0020

Book chapters

Roper, Cath, et al. "Health and safety for spirit seers, telepaths and visionaries". Psychosis (2019). doi: 10.1080/17522439.2019.1652844

Roper, C. (in press), Capacity does not reside in me, Critical Perspectives on Coercive Interventions: Law, Medicine and Society, Routledge

Roper, C. (2016) Is partnership a dirty word? In Russo and Sweeney (eds), Searching for a Rose Garden, Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies, PCCS Books, Monmouth, UK

Trett, R., & Peckham, H. (in press). Psychotherapeutic practice in mental health nursing. In K. Edward & I. Munro (Eds.), Mental health nursing dimensions of praxis (3 ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Trett, R., & Peckham, H. (in press). Personality Disorders. In K. Edward & I. Munro (eds), Mental health nursing dimensions of praxis (3 ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.