Scholarships available for distance education cross-culturalmental health unit for GPs

The NSW Institute of Psychiatry and NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre are offering a unit of study Cross-cultural Mental Health Care in General Practice for GPs or GP registrars (doing a minimum of 3 clinical practice sessions a week). This unit will provide new and experienced GPs with the skills, knowledge and means of building better therapeutic relationships and
working more effectively with patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The unit covers a variety of
topics including: assessment and culture, cross-cultural formulation, working with refugees and asylum seekers, ethno-psychopharmacology and issues in cross-cultural counselling. Scholarships are available for GPs practising anywhere in Australia. The scholarships are provided by the Transcultural Mental Health Centre and Diversity Health Institute. Applications for scholarships close on February 7, 2009.

Frequently asked questions:

• The unit is offered twice a year.
• The first semester commences on February 23, 2009 and finishes on June 19, 2009.
• It is distance education with 5 telephone tutorials and 1 workshop in Sydney on Saturday May 23, 2009.
• GPs from rural and remote areas are encouraged to apply.
• Course materials and readings are provided (text book is extra).
•  The unit can be taken as a stand- alone subject or as an elective for a Diploma, Certificate or Masters of Mental Health Studies
  (General Practice) at the IOP.
• The full course fee is $1500.00 but "early birds" (those that pay by February 13, 2008) will only need to pay $1200.00.
• The Scholarships cover the reimbursement of the fees.

Comments from past students include:

" Excellent course content" , "Terrific to discuss cases with other GPs" , "I enjoyed the course and thought that it was very good". "I have a more detailed understanding of cultural factors in idioms of distress", "I have more awareness of ethnopharmacology". "I really enjoyed the course. I found the textbook very inspiring also. I couldn't help
finishing reading the whole book. It has already had an impact on my consultation style". " The course delivery was a marvellous blend of thinking, assessing and acting."

For further information please contact:

Chandrani Kannangara at the TMHC on 02 9840 3800 Chandrani.Kannangara@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au or
Administrator General Practice on 02 9840 3833 Amelia.Hatch@nswiop.nsw.edu.au