Synopsis
Mental Health is an issue of growing concern across the community. This has been amplified through the COVID-19 pandemic. Child mental health is also an ongoing priority for the Melbourne Children’s Campus (MCC) and its three partners. The RCH treats many vulnerable patient groups (e.g., children with chronic illness, neurodevelopmental disorders, psychosocial challenges) with elevated risk of psychological and mental health difficulties. This extends across our inpatient and outpatient services and into the community. Despite this, mental health services can be fragmented and difficult to access.
Over the past two years an MCC Steering group has designed a ‘Strategic Initiative’ targeted to RCH families, which aims to improve family-centred, evidence-based care for children with mental health concerns and develop staff mental health literacy, underpinned by research and advocacy. This initiative was recently funded by The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation and the MCC steering group. The Grand Rounds presentation will outline the overall scope, purpose and aims of the Strategic Initiative and detail its 4 pillars: Family Centred Care, Consistent and Quality Care, Research and Education and Training.
We will also talk about how you can be involved!
Speakers
Professor Harriet Hiscock is a consultant paediatrician and National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellow. She is Associate Director, Research at the Centre for Community Child Health, Director of the Royal Children’s Hospital Health Services Research Unit and Group Leader, Health Services, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Professor Vicki Anderson, Director of Psychology at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, and Director, Clinical Sciences Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Professor David Coghill is Financial Markets Foundation Chair in Developmental Mental Health in the Departments of Paediatrics and Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, RCH.
Dr Ric Haslam is the Director of Mental Health at RCH. Ric has worked in public mental health for children and adolescents for 20 years.
Professor Sharon Goldfeld is a paediatrician and public health physician. She is Director of the Centre for Community Child Health, RCH and Theme Director Population Health, MCRI.
Belinda Horton