title: Working Together for Mental Health: evaluation of a one-day mental health course for human service providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Working Together For Mental Health course is an 8-hour course designed to demystify mental illness and mental health services. The main target group for the course is people working in human service organisations who provide services for people with mental illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was administered to all participants attending the course during 2003 (n = 165). Participants completed the questionnaire before and immediately after the course, and at three month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A response rate of 69% was achieved with 114 people completing the questionnaire on all three occasions. The responses showed a significant improvement in the self-assessed knowledge and confidence of participants to provide human services to people with a mental health problem or disorder, three months after the course. There was no significant improvement in participants' attitudes or beliefs about people with a mental health problem or disorder at three month follow-up; however, participants' attitudes were largely positive before entering the course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Working Together For Mental Health course was successful in improving participants' confidence and knowledge around providing human services to people with a mental health illness.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Service Development, University of Wollongong, Australia. pamg@uow.edu.au
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grootemaat
authors.forename: Cathie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillan
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Forward
authors.forename: Narelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heywood
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011287:Prejudice; D012946:Social Welfare