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CLINICAL SKILLS LABORATORYA $46,000 grant application met with success inMarch. It allowed Nursing Education toset-up a well-resourced Clinical Skills Laboratory.The Department of Human Services fundingmeans we now own an Advanced Life Skills(ALS) Resusci-Annie Mannequin, an ALS Baby,a Chester Chest and an Air Matt. This high-techequipment is in big demand.PSYCHIATRIC SERVICESSouth West Healthcare Psychiatric ServicesDivision provides specialist clinical servicesto people suffering from mental illness inWarrnambool, Hamilton, Camperdown,Portland and surrounding regions.The Psychiatric Services Division has a longstandingcommitment to the provision of highquality education for both its clinical staff andother local service providers including GeneralPractitioners, hospitals, nursing homes, andemergency services. Over recent years manyinternational, national and local experts haveprovided training and skills developmentin evidence-based interventions for peoplesuffering from mental disorders.TRAINING STATISTICSDuring the year 103 staff participated in 3,371hours of training with an average of 28 hours oftraining per staff member.EARLY SIGNS WORKSHOPUnited Kingdom Clinical Psychologists DrElizabeth Newton and Dr Michael Larkin visitedthe southwest to instruct staff in the use of apackage developed to assist individuals withpsychosis to monitor for early signs of relapse.This workshop built on the 2003 trainingconducted by Dr Jo Smith and was assessed bystaff as the most useful training.PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS INEARLY PSYCHOSISEarly Psychosis Prevention and InterventionCentre Clinicians Sonia Crulli and Tracey Pearceprovided a one-day advanced workshop onimplementing psychological interventions inearly psychosis. The workshop also examined thefour phases of illness: at risk mental state, acutephase, recovery phase and late recovery phaseand the practical challenges of implementingpsychological interventions with this clientgroup.NURSE STUDY DAYSThe Aged Persons’ Mental Health Serviceprovided education at a study day attendedby nurses from throughout the region. Thisteam also provided training in Portland andCamperdown which was attended by workersin residential aged care facilities. Theseprograms included information on anxiety,depression, delirium, dementia, Behavioural andPsychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD),and managing BPSD. A one-day workshopon the management of depression in acutehealthcare settings was delivered at WesternDistrict Health Service. This was a repeat ofthe successful workshop held at South WestHealthcare last year. A pre and post test wasadministered and results showed a significantincrease in knowledge and confidence whendealing with depressed patients in the acutesetting.UNDERSTANDING & TREATINGBORDERLINE PERSONALITYDISORDERWorkers throughout the South West attendeda comprehensive workshop providing anintroduction to concepts and interventionsrelevant to mental health practice withindividuals who meet the criteria for a diagnosisof borderline personality disorder. Presentedby staff from Spectrum Personality DisorderService for Victoria, the workshop includedunderstanding the client in the context of theirhistory, effective interventions, practical skillsand planning for crises as part of a long termtreatment strategy. Participants came from variedbackgrounds including drug and alcohol services,general counselling services, mental health,private psychiatry and disability support services.ASISTSWH Psychiatric Services Division staffcontinued to provide ASIST training (a suicideintervention program) to new staff andexternally to a range of primary care agencies.WESTERN EDUCATION & TRAININGCLUSTERThere are eight area mental heath services inthe Western Cluster, part of a Department ofHuman Services initiative to provide staff witha range of training and development initiatives,using a collaborative approach and throughsharing expertise. Workshops included clinicalsupervision training, group programs in mentalhealth settings, preceptorship, and motivationinterviewing.OTHER TRAINING PROVIDEDOur Primary Mental Health Team (PMHT)delivered training to both specialist and primarycare providers in multiple subject areas including:Ante/Postnatal Depression; Basic CounsellingSkills for Teachers; CBT for Depression &Anxiety in Young People; Early Psychosis; StressManagement for Professionals; and, Depressionand Antidepressant Medication.RESOURCES MATERIALSThe PMHT developed and distributed a rangeof resource materials to consumers and primarycare providers including Preparing for a NewBaby, A Parent’s Guide to Emotional Health,Stress Management Course handbook, Workingwith the Emotion of Anger, and a FamilySeparation brochure. These resources have beenwell utilised by consumers and practitionersillustrating the value of locally developed qualityresource materials.STRESS MANAGEMENT COURSEPMHT research into its stress managementcourse continued throughout the year and willbe reported on shortly. Preliminary findings areencouraging and suggest beneficial outcomesfor course participants. Stress managementcourses of six weekly two-hour workshops arebeing delivered across the South West throughregionwide South West TAFE campuses. Thecourses are promoted through South WestTAFE, General Practitioners and communityagencies.LATEST SWH RESEARCHSouth West Healthcare recognises the vital roleresearch has in progressing health care. Researchprojects are actively promoted and supported.SWH Emergency Department Unit ManagerKate Sloan’s Tetanus Vaccination: Theissue of ‘just in case’ vaccinations inemergency departments was published inthe Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal[(2006) 9, 35-38] this year. The discussionpaper was co-written with South AustralianUniversity School of Nursing andMidwifery’s Annette Summers.SWH nurses took part in a multi-siteresearch project with Melbourne’s CabriniHospital and Deakin University toinvestigate medication incidents. The projectrevealed that while SWH has a higherreporting rate of medication incidentsit has a lower rate of harm from theseincidents, compared to other hospitals.Three SWH Psychiatric Services DivisionPrimary Mental Health Team workers areabout to report on the findings of researchthey have conducted over the past 12 months,courtesy of prestigious Primary Health CareResearch, Education & Development (PHCRED) Individual and General Practitioner(GP) Research Bursaries awarded byGreater Health (Greater Green TriangleUniversity for Rural Health). Kate Hawkins,Melissa Ferrier, and Nicholas Place have appliedthese bursaries respectively to the evaluationof the Primary Mental Health Team’s StressManagement course, an investigation intoMaternal Postpartum Adjustment, and to thejoint South West Primary Care Partnership/Primary Mental Health Team Chronic Diseaseand Depression Project.26