Are you looking to keep up your professional development training online? While many face to face events and professional development opportunities have been cancelled or postponed, there are various online training options for you to consider. We encourage rural health professionals who are looking to undertake online training to apply for an RWAV grant.
An area that may be of interest to rural medical professionals in light of the growing and long-term challenges around COVID-19 is the provision of mental health services to patients. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) offer online learning modules to equip rural GPs with skills to support mental health conditions in rural communities.
RACGP: Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) Online Training Package
RACGP are accepting 2020 intakes for the RACGP Rural FPS ST online training package which provides GPs with essential training to enable them to become a provider of FPS and provide CBT-derived counselling to patients in their practice. Places for the April intake are nearly full, the following intake commences on 22 June 2020.
ACRRM: Mental Health Disorders Training
ACRRM deliver a mental health disorders training course that can be accessed online. Developed by Rural Generalists, mental health nurses, carers, consumers, psychiatrists, and psychologists, this course has a specialised focus on rural and remote Australia by addressing issues such as isolation and drought. This is a four week online course that commences on 7 May 2020.
Medical professionals who meet the eligibility criteria for the Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) are welcome to apply for this grant to undertake either RACGP or ACRRM online training courses. Once you have registered and paid the course fee, applications for the HWSP will need to be submitted prior to the course commencement date.
The HWSP is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health, administered by RWAV, designed to improve access to services needed in rural areas by supporting an increase in skills, capacity and/or scope of practice.
Access up to $10,000 per financial year to undertake professional development, including online learning such as digital courses, conferences, seminars and webinars. To be eligible, you must be working in a private or non-government primary health organisation, in a MMM 3 – 7 location. Applications for the HWSP are to be submitted prior to the course commencement date.
Do you have another professional development opportunity in mind? Contact RWAV to learn more about eligibility criteria or how to access an RWAV grant. Email grants@rwav.com.au or ask to speak to the Grants Administrator on 03 9349 7800.
