Mental ill health is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Psychologists along with other mental health professionals play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of mental ill health. One of the ongoing challenges psychologists face in doing this is communicating important mental health concepts to the wider community. It was this challenge that led Dr Gareth Furber to contact UniSA's Match Studio to discuss how psychologists could collaborate with emerging designers to create engaging and informative mental health education materials for the general public. The outcome is the Visualising Mental Health project.

Now in its fourth year, the Visualising Mental Health project, facilitated by UniSA’s Match Studio and led by academic Dr Doreen Donovan, engages UniSA’s third year Bachelor of Design students in a 12-week co-design project to develop concepts and design prototypes of visual communication tools that can assist clinical psychologists to communicate with clients and the general public.

Join us as we hear from the two winning teams being funded by a grant from the South Australia Mental Health Commission to have their concepts developed into a limited production run prototype for distribution to selected psychologists across the state.

This will be followed by an address from Mr Chris Burns CSC, Commissioner, SA Mental Health Commission, and a panel discussion moderated by University of South Australia's, Dr Nicholas Procter.

This event coincides with World Mental Health Day (10 October). The Visualising Mental Health exhibition will be showing in the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, from 8-23 October, alongside Clothing for Good.

KEYNOTE: CHRIS BURNS CSC
SOUTH AUSTRALIA MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER

SA Mental Health Commissioner Chris Burns CSC is a passionate advocate for strengthening the mental wellbeing of his fellow South Australians.

Chris is involved with people from all walks of life and organisations ranging from government to private enterprise as he spreads the message that good mental health starts with strong, inclusive communities and early intervention,
promotion and prevention rather than acute care and emergency departments.

He prioritised and incorporated the views of South Australians as he led the development of the SA Mental Health Strategic Plan 2017-2022. Chris and his team are now implementing the Strategic Plan.

PANELLISTS

Dr Jane Andrew is the Founding Director of Match Studio at the University of South Australia. She joined UniSA’s academy in 2009, where she has combined a professional background in design practice, executive leadership and public service within the South Australian government, with research focused on regional innovation systems. For the past decade Jane has developed professional practice opportunities for students across the praxis of teaching and learning, research and industry engagement, to enable the next generation of professionals to think creatively. Jane is the recipient of the 1998 Giles Scholarship (University of Adelaide); 2004 APIA Scholarship (Australian Research Council); 2012 Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence (University of Adelaide); and most recently, as Director of Match Studio, was awarded the 2018 Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) Excellence in Case Studies Award for a Peer 2 Peer initiative that exemplified design thinking in work integrated learning (WIL).

DR GARETH FURBER, RESEARCHER, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Dr Gareth Furber is based at Flinders University. He works primarily in child and adolescent mental health, and as a researcher. His research topics include the evaluation of intensive long-term parent-child psychotherapy, service benchmarking, mental health workforce estimation, and the use of technology in service delivery. At Flinders University his work is focused on enhancing the mental health related services provided by Health, Counselling and Disability Services, using the internet and technology. This includes the use of blogging, vlogging, teleconferencing, internet and email enhanced triage. His research is widely published.

MODERATOR: PROFESSOR NICHOLAS PROCTER,
CHAIR, SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Professor Nicholas Procter RN, MBA, PhD is Chair: Mental Health Nursing and leader of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research Group, Division of Health Sciences. Working as a Communities of Practice, his group brings together mental health consumers, clinicians, policy makers and academic faculty. All research undertaken - including Honours, Masters and PhD student projects - relates to the real world problems of people living with mental distress, the needs of carers, and the next generation of health professionals willing and able to support recovery with dignity. Deep scholarship, deep connectivity and diffusion of the insights are central elements of the group's community engagement strategy.

Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and Match Studio, University of South Australia

PARTNERS

SUPPORTERS

Partners

SA Health, Government of South Australia
South Australian Mental Health Commission,
Office of the Chief Psychiatrist (South Australia)
Institute of Private Practising Psychologists (IPPP)
Cred8d design
Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA)

Supporters

Australian Psychological Society
SA Psychology & Health Forum

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While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - and Building our future.

The copying and reproduction of any transcripts within the Hawke Centre public program is strictly forbidden without prior arrangements.