The University of Newcastle Receives $465,000 For Mental Health

Friday 7 April 2006

The University of Newcastle's Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) has welcomed the funding boost of $465,000 from the NSW Government.

The CRRMH, which is a major rural initiative of the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle and NSW Health, is based at Bloomfield Hospital in Orange. The Centre began operations in January 2001 to improve the mental health of rural and remote communities across NSW through academic leadership, collaboration and achievements in research, education, service, planning and policy development.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma has announced that the additional funding will be allocated over three years, taking the total annual funding to $1.35 million. It is an important recognition of the University of Newcastle's achievements through this Centre.

Professor Brian Kelly, Director of the CRRMH said, "This additional funding is great news for the Centre and for people suffering from mental illness in rural and remote NSW. It gives us the opportunity to increase support for established programs and start work in other areas of need".

The funding will allow the Centre to increase support for emergency and Aboriginal mental health, assist in early intervention of substance abuse, develop rural workforce programs, address the needs of the farming sector and provide academic and training support for rural mental health professionals.

Professor Kelly said, "Rural and remote communities are faced with unusual challenges compared to metropolitan areas. The feeling of isolation and the on-going drought add a different element to mental illness and further need to have a specialised centre such as the CRRMH".

The CRRMH is an important resource for mental health in rural NSW. The Centre has the potential to contribute nationally to improved understanding of mental health needs of people in rural areas, and ways of developing better health services to meet those needs.

For further information contact: Professor Brian Kelly on (02) 6360 7991.