Consumer Academic Program Update

2022 has certainly been a busy year for the Consumer Academic Program at CentreMHN. We have been working with the wider university community and mental health services on the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, contributing to the EOI submission lead by the University and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. We will hear in the New Year if we have been successful in moving forward into the second stage. The CAP also contributed to the submission for the State-wide Trauma Service and is currently discussing with Phoenix Australia (the lead on the successful bid) our ongoing involvement.

The CAP has also been allocated a significant body of work in projects funded by the Department of health to support the ongoing development of the Consumer workforce. There is some research and evaluation projects, support and mentoring for scholarship holders and scoping work for micro credentials, post graduate study and employment supports. This has resulted in some growth in the CAP, with positions being currently advertised (link?)

Finally we have several new members of CAP this year, Tash Swingler, Nina Joffee-Kohn and Leah McKenner and Deb Carlon and Cat Van Remman will be joining us in the new year. Hamilton Kennedy has been on leave throughout the year but is continuing their research with us. This year we also said goodbye to Indigo Daya, who decided to pursue her interest in peer delivered services and the use of art in activism.

With the new project work, our ongoing commitment to co-producing supports for mental health nurses the CAP is looking forward to an exciting and fruitful 2023.