Supporting mental health post-disaster: Disseminating a 'Skills for Psychological Recovery' training program to practitioners across Queensland

Following the 2011 natural disasters in Queensland, the Queensland Government funded delivery of the SPR training and support program to hundreds of health, mental health and welfare providers across the state. This paper reports on the delivery and evaluation of this program.

For many, their difficulties will be limited to mild or sub-threshold mental health problems that may not require specialist interventions. The Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR: Berkowitz et al, 2009) program was specifically developed to enable health practitioners and counsellors to teach coping skills to community members affected by such problems.

SPR focuses on evidence-based interventions including a brief needs assessment, problem-solving, promoting positive activities, helpful thinking, rebuilding social supports and managing distressing reactions. The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) has developed an SPR training and support program using a capacity-building dissemination model.

The aims of the program are to train and accredit competent trainers, improve the competence of practitioners to teach simple coping skills, and promote uptake of teaching these skills by practitioners. Key program activities include selection, training and accreditation of SPR trainers from both adult and child/adolescent services; quality assurance and support visits by ACPMH to practitioner workshops; teleconferences for trainers facilitated by APCMH; and completion of online modules by both trainers and practitioners.

Alexandra Howard, Clinical Specialist, Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health will speak at the 4th Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Conference in Adelaide on November 19th to 21st,  2012.

The theme this year is PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST: MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND INITIATIVES IN AUSTRALIAN RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES.

The Conference Program is available here. http://anzmh.asn.au/rrmh