07 February 2024
PACFA appreciates the continuing opportunity to work with MHPN that began 18 months ago, and recognises the contribution and brilliant work of CEO Chris Gibbs, who will be retiring effective March 2024, and has held the position since August 2008.
Chris played a key role in assisting PACFA to become a partner organisation of MHPN; it was his support for the role of counsellors and his appreciation for the value of tertiary-qualified counsellors that enabled PACFA to join MHPN.
PACFA is proud to continue its Partner Organisation status with the Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN), and is the only counselling organisation which is an official partner of MHPN due to PACFA’s high standards of registration.
PACFA’s status as an MHPN Partner Network enables MHPN to continue the delivery of an interdisciplinary message to an interdisciplinary audience which promotes and celebrates the principles and importance of interdisciplinary practice and collaborative care.
As part of the partnership between MHPN and PACFA, MHPN promotes CPD to PACFA members as appropriate through PACFA’s website and eNewsletter. Since 2008, MHPN has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care with a focus on strengthening the primary health workforce by improving referral pathways and practitioner expertise through the promotion of interdisciplinary practice and collaborative care.
Other Member and Partner Organisations of MHPN include the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Australian Psychological Society (APS), The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapy Australia, the Australian Association of Social Workers, and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.
The organisation is unique in that its activities purposely cross disciplinary boundaries, both private and public modes of practice, as well as location, to encourage and foster the development of interdisciplinary collaboration.
The purpose of the MHPN is to support and improve interdisciplinary and collaborative care practices between practitioners working in mental health service delivery in Australia. This is achieved through the delivery of two core programs: the
National Networks Program and the Online Professional Development Program, consisting of
webinars and
podcasts.
To find out more about MHPN and its Member and Partner organisations, please
click here.
