Introducing a professional development programme to a rural area mental health service: the importance of context.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the introduction of an ongoing professional development programme for clinicians in a rural area mental health service. The programme involved a series of workshops delivered by clinical psychologists. The training component of each workshop focused on discrete cognitive behavioural strategies, targeted at the amelioration of anxiety and mood symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper emphasizes contextual aspects of the programme: its setting, the modality of delivery, resourcing issues and maximizing engagement by the participants. Preliminary evaluation data are reviewed, and it is argued that programmes that focus on local capacity building in rural settings are an important component of redressing the urban-rural imbalance in the availability of evidence-based psychological treatments.
Hodgins
Gene
G
Centre for Rural Mental Health, PO Box 126, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia. ghodgins@bendigohealth.org.au
Murray
Greg
G
Donoghue
Adrian
A
Judd
Fiona
F
Petts
Alison
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004493:Education; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011361:Professional Competence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D011586:Psychology, Clinical / Q000193:education*; D012106:Research; D019035:Rural Health Services; D014739:Victoria