Rural Mental Health Conference, Tasmania 2025

BaptistCare were proud sponsors of the Rural Mental Health Conference in Hobart last October. 

The theme for this year’s conference was “Rural Mental Health for the Future: Innovations, Collaboration and Inclusive approaches”. Read on for some insights from the Mindset team at the conference. 

During the conference, we heard a rich mixture of voices, all working hard towards providing vital mental health services and supports to people in the rural remote areas of Australia. It was evident through connecting, learning, and listening to people that there are amazing, dedicated, and passionate individuals doing some great things all around our country.  

These people range from Clinicians, peer workers, researchers, practitioners and other health service professionals. 

A Highlight was Professor Russell Roberts' presentation about applying research to optimise client impact. 

This centred around people with Mental Health illness and 
improving their physical health outcomes.  At the conference, we were fortunate to host an information stall and deliver two presentations. People were interested to learn about what we do and how we do it. 

In addition to poster presentations, we had the following two presentations: 

• Choices: A Community based Psychosocial Support Program for Adults Experiencing Mental Illness. A controlled Evaluation. 
• Adapting a Psychosocial Model of Care for Impact in Rural and Remote Areas. 

It was evident through listening to the presentation speakers that our Mindset Programs are industry-leading with our practices.

These include our client-led, person-centred approach, as well as our lived experience framework. The Mindset staff all thoroughly enjoyed attending various presentations and learning about the initiatives other Australians are implementing to connect and support people in rural areas. 

Ash Vincent (Head of Research & Partnerships, Innovation & Quality) had the following reflections on the conference. “In addition to the approximately 20 staff that we sent to the conference, we supported one person to attend from each of our key consumer peak bodies – Mental Health Lived Experience Tasmania and Mental Health Family and Friends. 

Both are represented on our Lived Experience Advisory Group, and they volunteered at our booth! As we had a couple of people unable to attend at the last minute, we also supported two people from our sector peak body, the Mental Health Council of Tasmania. 

All were so grateful and contributed to a lot of goodwill at the conference. Conference organisers noted we had the largest presence at the event from any organisation – and several people commented on the quality of our oral and poster presentations.

 Aside from delegates taking away 100s of service brochures and pens, we handed out 150 fidget cubes and 300 tins of stress putty – all branded, of course!”

For more information about the Mindset program, visit this link: 

https://www.baptcare.org.au/mental-health-support/?location=tas-vic