Education Service Provider for Health Practitioners: Rural Health Education Foundation

ADGP CEO takes Can Do approach to program on mental health and substance use combination

ADGP CEO Kate Carnell will facilitate The “Can Do” Initiative: Managing Mental Health and Substance Use in General Practice, a new program airing on the Rural Health Education Foundation’s satellite network on Tuesday 10 October, providing practical advice to health professionals servicing patients with both mental health and substance use issues.

Funded by the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP), the program is designed to improve the capacity of rural and remote health professionals to recognise and effectively respond to mental health and substance use issues in their community.

“Health service users often present with complex vulnerabilities that require coordinated approaches between a range of health professionals and allied workers,” said Mrs Carnell, a pharmacist and former ACT Chief Minister.

“This program addresses the key challenges for primary care practitioners: early recognition, early intervention and coordination of care to meet the needs of young people who present with substance use and mental health issues.”