I am an overseas trained public health physician and senior lecturer at Monash Rural Health. I developed an interest in the mental health of rural and medically underserved communities. My research focusses on the design, implementation and evaluation of mental health and wellbeing services.

The first mental health service I designed and implemented was called MAANASI in rural Karnataka (India). Following my PhD at Monash University which focused on help seeking for mental health problems by Aboriginal men and the service response, I co-designed a model for early detection of mental health problems among Aboriginal men called the Koori Men's Health Day. I also supported the development of JEKKORA - an Aboriginal model of early identification, and support of persons with psychological distress and suicidal ideation in rural communities.I am also interested in evaluating mental health and suicide prevention services.

My current projects focus on ways to improve care for persons with severe mental illness, with a particular focus on personal recovery. I believe that personal recovery oriented service models must be able to facilitate the key processes of personal recovery such as being connected to people and society, providing hope for the future, offering a positive identity that is different from one's illness and providing some form of daily activity that fosters meaning and purpose in one's life. A mental health service is but one component of this service model. 

The following are some more of my open access publications

Clinicians' and users' views of tele-mental health

Centralized Intake Models

Improving access to mental health services by marginalised communities

Article on the effectiveness of a care coordination service model for persons with severe mental health problems

Article in The Conversation on poverty and mental illness.

Article on lower income levels and psychological distress in Australia.

Article for AEON magazine on 'Chemobrain'

Completed PhD supervision

1. The Spiritual Path: the benefits of spirituality in nature for mental health, wellbeing and recovery 

I am a past Deputy Chair of the Board of Governance of SNAP Gippsland Inc., a Mental Health Community Support Service based in Gippsland, Victoria.