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The peer workforce has increased significantly in recent years; however, structured development and support for the roles are lacking. This paper explores the role of executive and senior management understanding in the employment of peer roles. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with 29 participants from a range of nongovernment and public mental health services within Queensland, Australia. Findings of this study suggest management exposure to and understanding of peer work are essential to the development of an effective peer workforce. Exposure and understanding of peer roles reportedly led to greater acceptance and commitment from management. This commitment inspired action in the form of; enhanced support including advocacy/championing, increased development of roles and influenced culture within the organization to be more accepting of peer work. There was a perception that developing an 'accepting' organizational culture supported the integrity and expansion of peer roles including designated 'peer management' positions. Development of peer management positions is suggested as an effective means of improving the impact of peer perspectives, advocating for peer work and providing ongoing and timely supervision. Recommendations include the need for training and information for management on the unique function, purpose and value of peer roles; and the development of networks, including mentoring opportunities, for organizations with limited experience to gain support and advice from those with greater experience developing peer roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public policy across the world is increasingly focusing on the role of mental health promotion in whole of health strategies. There is a growing evidence-base that mental health promotion, delivered by trained facilitators, is effective in promoting self-awareness and self-care to prevent the damaging effects of ongoing stress in one's life and to promote early detection of any possible emerging mental health problems. Within Australia, however, few clinicians or school staff are confident or trained in mental health promotion. Aims: This paper reports the results of a two-day training designed for facilitators of a mental health program for secondary-school students. The goal was to develop facilitators' knowledge and understanding of best practice in youth mental health promotion and to increase their confidence in delivering the program. Design: A mixed methods evaluation assessed the impact that a solution-focused training program had on participating facilitators. Methods: A questionnaire was created and included eight quantitative items and one open ended, qualitative question. Twenty-seven nurses and guidance officers from central Queensland were recruited via convenience sampling and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: The evaluation revealed that participants' perception of their ability to facilitate a youth mental health program significantly improved after completing the training. Qualitative data indicated that participants found the professional development experience to be valuable, provide useful and transferable skills, and believed it to be necessary for mental health promotion work. Conclusion: By providing detailed description of the program's content and processes, other mental health professionals may be inspired to further develop effective learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present case study is to illustrate the outcomes of a dedicated allied health (AH) research position within a large Queensland regional and rural health service. The secondary aim of the case study is to describe the enabling and hindering mechanisms to the success of the role. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the Executive Director of Allied Health and the current AH research fellow incumbent within the health service. A focus group was also undertaken with six stakeholders (e.g. clinicians, team leaders) who had engaged with the research position. Outcomes of the AH research fellow included clinical and service improvements, enhanced research culture and staff up-skilling, development of research infrastructure and the formation of strategic research collaborations. Despite being a sole position in a geographically expansive health service with constrained resources, key enabling mechanisms to the success of the role were identified, including strong advocacy and regular communication with the Executive. In conclusion, the case study highlights the potential value of an AH research position in building research capacity within a large non-metropolitan health service. Factors to facilitate ongoing success could include additional research and administrative funding, as well as increased use of technology and team-based research. What is known about the topic?: Dedicated research positions embedded within health care settings are a well cited strategy to increase research capacity building of allied health professionals (AHPs). However the majority of these positions are within metropolitan health settings and unique challenges exist for these roles in regional and rural areas. Few studies have described the impact of dedicated AH research positions within regional health centres or the factors which facilitate or hinder their role. What does this paper add?: Dedicated research positions within a non-metropolitan Australian health service may have a positive impact on AH clinical services, research culture, staff upskilling, research infrastructure and research collaborations. Key enabling mechanisms to support the role may include advocacy from higher level management, strong networks and communication channels. Additional research and administrative funding, the use of technology and team based research may enhance sustainability of such roles. What are the implications for practitioners?: AH research positions have potential value in building research capacity within a large non-metropolitan health service. Health managers and researchers should be aware of the unique challenges to these roles and consider mechanisms that may best enhance and sustain outcomes of the positions including: the development of infrastructure (i.e. technology, website of resources), networks, and communication strategies (i.e. regular meetings with leadership and promotion internally). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A standardised tool was needed to measure a generalist dietitian's confidence about working with clients experiencing psychological issues in order to effectively evaluate mental health ‐ related professional development activities. The aim of this study was to develop, pilot and validate a robust instrument that measures a generalist dietitian's professional confidence for working with clients experiencing psychological issues. Methods: The Dietetic Confidence Scale (DCS) was developed. Two cross ‐ sectional samples of practicing dietitians (n = 185; 458) from various settings and locations were recruited. Study 1: principal components analysis (PCA) helped refine scale items and derive a model, which was then validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, Study 2). Cronbach's alpha estimated scale reliability. Correlations assessed associations between factors. Results: Study 1: A 13 ‐ item, two ‐ factor solution accounted for 69.1% of the total variance. Total Cronbach's α = 0.92. Dietetic confidence was associated with: (i) Confidence using the Nutrition Care Process and (ii) Confidence Advocating for Self care and Client care. Study 2: The CFA supported the proposed scale and model. A Good Fit Index of 0.95 indicated a strong fit. Item ‐ factor correlations ranged from r = 0.50 to 0.91. The final scale showed good reliability (α = 0.93). Conclusions: This is the first self ‐ efficacy scale for dietetic practitioners subjected to PCA and CFA using two independent samples. The DCS is a psychometrically robust instrument with strong internal consistency. It can be used to measure dietetic confidence about working with clients experiencing psychological issues and to highlight areas where additional support or training may be needed. Further validity and reliability testing is needed to enhance scale generalisability and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]