Aims, Objectives and Outcomes

'Can Do' for Men in Rural Areas - Foreword and acknowledgements (PDF 165Kb)

Aim
To strengthen, support and network key stakeholders who deliver services to rural men at risk of or experiencing mental health and substance use issues in local areas to improve the capacity to effectively respond to the complexities of coexisting mental health and substance use.

Objectives
To build the capacity of the local primary health care workforce by delivering training to foster partnerships between general practitioners, allied health practitioners and other service providers involved in the provision of care for rural men at risk of or experiencing mental health and substance use issues.

Key learning objectives
On completion of this program, participants should be able to:

• identify the specific and unique needs of rural men
• demonstrate an increased awareness of the mental health and substance use issues relevant to rural men
• demonstrate an increased understanding of why rural men may experience mental health problems and use substances
• identify physical, psychological and social risks to rural men associated with mental health problems and substance use
• demonstrate improved knowledge and understanding of strategies to address these risks
• demonstrate increased awareness of assessment and treatment options, and available services and resources for men with mental health and substance use problems
• identify health and community services at the local level, particularly those that engage with and provide support to men in rural areas
• demonstrate an increase in ability and confidence in developing appropriate pathways of referral and care for rural men with mental health and substance use issues

Key outcomes
The following are the desired key outcomes of ‘Can Do’ for Men in Rural Areas:

• local partnerships and interagency collaboration are fostered
• professional networking is enhanced
• the needs of rural men are understood
• shared care arrangements are understood and strengthened
• knowledge about local services is improved
• referral protocols and processes are identified
• care plans are streamlined
• stigma about working with people with mental health and substance use comorbidity and their families and carers is reduced.