We are pleased to announce Associate Prof Peter McGeorge, Director Inner City Health, Clinical Director Mental & Homeless Health Services, Integrated Care Clinical Stream, St Vincent’s Health Network (Sydney) as a Keynote Speaker at The 17th International Mental Health Conference; Guiding the Change to be held at the brand new Sea World Resort Conference Centre on the Gold Coast, QLD from the 11 -12 August 2016. Peter will be presenting on ‘Integrated Mental Health Care - Challenges and Possibilities’.
Despite aspirations, integrated healthcare or the effective linkage and alignment of services to benefit consumers, remains elusive. This paper analyses the history of integrated care and its application to mental health services illustrating the challenges involved and solutions that have been explored in implementing successful systems of care. In conclusion recommendations for achieving integrated, recovery oriented mental health care in Australasia are made.
Associate Professor Peter McGeorge is an Adolescent and General Psychiatrist who has extensive experience in the development and delivery of services in New Zealand and Australia. He is currently the Director of the Inner City Health Programme which includes Mental Health, Homeless Health, Co-existing Disorders and Primary Healthcare Liaison Services. He has also been involved in the development of the St Vincent’s Private Hospitals Young Adult’s Mental Health Service – Uspace as its foundation Medical Director.
Integrated Mental Health Care - Challenges and Possibilities
Over the last 25 years he has been involved in national policy development, reviews of Mental Health Services and setting up systems of comprehensive community and hospital based mental health care. Between 2008 and 2010 he was the Chair of the New Zealand Mental Health Commission. He has also been the Director for Mental Health Services for the Auckland Area Health Board at a time when the major psychiatric hospitals in the region were closed and replaced by locality based community mental health services. Prior to coming to Sydney in 2005 he was the Director for Mental Health Services of the Capital and Coast District Health Board in Wellington, New Zealand.
He has been involved with several NGOs as a Board member, Chair and Clinical Advisor, including the Youth Horizons Trust (NZ) for young people with severe Conduct Disorders with which he was involved in setting up and chairing the Foundation Board. He is a co-Patron of the NZ Mental Health Foundation, the latter of which he chaired during the 1990’s when it developed a focus on mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders and shifted its funding based from grants to contracts. He has also been a board member of the Framework Trust in New Zealand and the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and the Wayside Chapel in Australia.
The 17th International Mental Health Conference; Guiding the Change will be held at the brand new Sea World Resort Conference Centre on the Gold Coast, QLD from the 11 -12 August 2016. To register your attendance at the conference CLICK HERE.
This conference will bring together leading clinical practitioners, academics, service providers and mental health experts to deliberate and discuss Mental Health issues confronting Australia and New Zealand.
The conference program will be designed to challenge, inspire, demonstrate and encourage participants while facilitating discussion. To view the Program CLICK HERE.
