Services & Programs

The 'Can Do' Initiative

Overview

The initiative promotes a ‘can do’ approach to General Practice to meet the challenge of mental health and substance use and focuses on education, training and networking between multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals:

• General Practice Teams
• Community Health Teams (especially those engaged in alcohol, drug and mental health service delivery as well as community pharmacy)
• Allied Health Professionals

Objectives

The ‘Can Do’ initiative aims to improve the capacity of General Practice and BSDGP to recognize and effectively respond to mental health and substance issues in the community through:

• The implementation of structured education and training focused on multi-disciplinary team approaches and covering the coordination of care assessment, treatment and referral for service users who present with mental health and substance use conditions.
• The adaptation, dissemination and uptake of accredited resources and materials that enhance General Practice understanding of co-existing mental health and substance use conditions.

Program Details

The ‘Can Do’ Initiative operates through the utilisation of two separate training modules namely:

A ‘Teams of Two’ Network Training education module, which focuses on professional networking, peer learning and multi-disciplinary team work in the local context using case discussions to address and map access, treatment, referral and review pathways for people with complex mental and drug health needs. Topics covered include:

• Alcohol and depression
• Benzodiazepines and anxiety 
• Cannabis, mental health and young people
• Amphetamines and psychosis 
• Drugs, pain and opiod dependence 
• Drugs, sexual health and pregnancy