MHiPS End-of-Year Conference

Published

Friday, November 18, 2022 - 12:00 PM

Culminating three years of the MHiPS project, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders (MHWLs) and project affiliates convened to celebrate and reflect upon some of the year’s achievements.

As the third year of the MHiPS project draws to a close, up to 100 MHWLs, their school leadership and representatives from the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET), the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) came together on the 16th of November 2022 to acknowledge and reflect on the many achievements of the year.

Joining us for the end-of-year conference were a number of affiliate speakers, including host and MHiPS Project Director at the Centre for Community Child Health, Prof Frank Oberklaid as well as Professor Harriet Hiscock, Consultant Paediatrician and Director, RCH Health Services Research Unit, Associate Director of Research, Centre for Community Child Health, and Group Leader, Health Services, MCRI, Skye Wimpole Manager of Mental Health Policies and Programs at DET and Rachel Smith, MHiPS Research Manager at MCRI.

MHiPS conference topics

Skye Wimpole opened the conference and presented an overview of the MHiPS project expansion in 2023 and beyond, and discussed some additional reforms, including the Mental Health Reform Menu.

Rachel Smith then presented on the most recent evaluation findings and outcomes of the MHiPS training program, after which Simon Toyne, MHiPS Learning Leader at MGSE, and MHWL Working Group representatives Erin Brass, St Ambrose PS, Griffin Errey, Woodville PS, and Kathleen Kelly, Kurunjang PS, delivered a short presentation on the outcomes of the Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) framework for MHWLs.

The KSA framework, a co-design between MHWLs and the MHiPS training team, will support and inform the MHWL role and provide a model for inducting new MHWLs in 2023.

Following on, Professor Harriet Hiscock presented a keynote address on some of her research examining the impact of COVID on child mental health, along with the testing and implementation of novel approaches to keep children out of hospital, reduce low value care and integrate health, social and education services to improve health and wellbeing for children, including those living with family adversity. Given schools are continually frustrated by the lack of child mental health services available to support students experiencing mental health concerns, Professor Hiscock’s keynote was keenly awaited and much appreciated by all conference attendees.

The next MHiPS Conference will be held in July 2023 and will be the first conference held after stage one of MHiPS statewide expansion.