CPM Training & Counselling

Research & Development

CPM provide a range of psychological, training and counselling services to the general community and the health professions

CPM regularly conducts a range of research and evaluation activities for governmental, business and mental health agencies. These activities focus on psychological, training and consumer satisfaction issues.

Recent examples:

CPM conducted a national review of mental health educational literature produced by the Commonwealth Department of Aged Care. We surveyed health professionals, advocacy groups, mental health specialists, advocacy groups, and the general public, to assess their mental health knowledge and satisfaction with the then-current literature. This review led to the development of a revised range of mental health brochures now distributed by health agencies (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 1999).

CPM provided specialised resources in the development of the Commonwealth Government's "National Action Plan for Depression." CPM acted as the resource collection point for health professional and community input to the specialist team preparing the national action plan report. Dr Barry Evans from CPM is acknowledged in the report as Consultant Writer, a role that involved collecting, disseminating and integrating the diverse viewpoints and perspective on depressive disorders and their management (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 1999-2000).

For a number of years, CPM developed and implemented a range of community-based mental health education and promotion activities in Victoria. We conducted a range of public workshops and educational activities and contributed extensively to a number of mental health educational booklets, including: Your Guide to Managing and Understanding Stress; Understanding Depression, Your Guide to Responsible Gambling, and Adolescent Health and Wellbeing: A Guide to Effective Coping (Mental Health Foundation of Victoria and Liberty Victoria, 1999).

CPM conducted a survey of attenders at Victorian Emergency Departments, to assess and categorise psychiatric status. This was repeated following brief training of hospital staff in assessing and managing psychiatric morbidity, to determine the efficacy of training (Department of Human Services, University of Melbourne, Monash University and Australiasian College for Emergency Medicine, 1998).

Stress and Coping amongst Australian General Practitioners. CPM staff have been involved in an extensive, Australia wide study which examined the stressors and coping strategies of Australian General Practitioners. CPM staff were responsible for the design and conduct of the research project, including questionnaire development, testing and distribution, conduct of focus group sessions to elicit qualitative data, data collection, input and analysis, hypothesis generation and testing and report writing. The project was conducted under the auspices of the Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, Monash University, from which a copy of the report is available.

In association with the Mental Health Foundation (Victoria) and Simsion Bowles & Associates, CPM conducted an evaluation of the use of video conferencing facilities to provide psychiatric services in Victoria. The project, won on tender and conducted for the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) Mental Health Branch, collected both questionnaire and interview data on the application, use, advantages and shortcomings of DHS funded video conferencing facilities for the provision of psychiatric services.

Please contact us for more information on our Research and Evaluation activities and for advice about how we can assist you and your organisation with your psychological, health, mental health, and satisfaction evaluation activities.