Mental Health Smart Hub Project

• Our Board’s desire to enhance the services we provide to our Member businesses, and by extension, to their clients and the broader community.
  
  
• Recognition that approximately 30% of our Members (independent small businesses) work in Allied Health (predominantly Psychologists and Counsellors).
  
  
• To provide ‘post-Pandemic’ assistance enabling business growth, networking & collaboration opportunities, and innovative service delivery models.
  
  
• To assist our Allied Health businesses in bridging the ‘Service Delivery Gap’ that exists between the capacity of existing Practitioners and Mental Health frameworks, and Community needs.
  
  

We were delighted to be awarded a Business Chambers & Trader Groups Round 3 Grant from Small Business Victoria, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, to assist with the Project.

It was decided that the Project objectives would be met through the delivery of three (3) Workshops, and the implementation of a Virtual Practice Hub Microsoft Teams network (the BBC Mental Health Smart Hub).

The three Workshops that were delivered comprised the following:

• Workshop 1: Focus on Suicide Awareness & Prevention – Guests were the Ballarat & District Suicide Awareness Network (B&DSAN), and the Ballarat Men’s Mental Health Group (BMMH).
  
  Outcomes were:
• Increased awareness of suicide in our community, and the needs of key stakeholder groups to meet that challenge
• Business growth for our Allied Health Cohort through new Service Agreements with BMMH
• Increased BMMH Psychologist/Counsellor Panel to aid in reducing suicides
• Professional Development and Supervisory collaboration within our Cohort
  
  
• Workshop 2: Focus on Support for Mental Health Research – Guest was Prof. Warren Payne, Executive Director of the Western Alliance Academic Health Research Network.
  
  Outcomes were:
• Awareness of the Support role that the Network plays in Health Research
• Discussion around the potential engagement opportunities for independent Allied Health businesses
• Professional Development and Supervisory collaboration within our Cohort
  
  
• Workshop 3: Focus on Youth Mental Health – Guest was Prof. Patrick McGorry AO, Chair in Youth Mental Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, Melbourne University, previously Australian of the Year.
  
  Outcomes were:
• Awareness of Youth Mental Health, and more broadly, the community Mental Health issues that Prof. McGorry and his team are confronting at a local, State, and National level.
• Professional Development and Supervisory collaboration within our Cohort