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Pacific people comprise around 8% of Aotearoa NZ's population. They have higher rates of mental health distress but lower rates of mental health service use than do non-Pacific people. Having more Pacific clinical psychologists is a necessary part of addressing these disparities, yet only 1.7% of currently registered clinical psychologists are Pacific. This paper, co-authored by members of an informal pastoral and clinical support group (Pacific Clinical Talanoa), draws on experiences of clinical psychology training as Pacific people. The support group engaged in regular talanoa as part of their support for one another, which subsequently led to a multi-vocal account of training experiences and concerns. Recommendations are offered to promote and improve equity and Pacific engagement, including wider understanding amongst both non-Pacific psychologists and Pacific communities, as to how the profession can collectively enhance Pacific mental wellbeing. Keywords: Pacific mental health, clinical psychology, cultural competence, equity, health work force diversity, talanoa, INTRODUCTION Who we are A Pacific Clinical Talanoa (PCT) group was set up at the beginning of 2021 as an attempt by the first author to bring together current Pacific [...]

Purpose: From 2018, the Schools Up North (SUN) programme worked with three remote Australian schools to enhance their capability and resilience to support the wellbeing and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. This paper explores the implementation of SUN during the first two years of COVID-19 (2020-2021). Method: Using grounded theory methods, school staff, other service providers and SUN facilitators were interviewed, with transcripts and programme documents coded and interrelationships between codes identified. An implementation model was developed. Results: The SUN approach was place-based, locally informed and relational, fostering school resilience through staff reflection on and response to emerging contextual challenges. Challenges were the: community lockdowns and school closures; (un)availability of other services; community uncertainty and anxiety; school staff capability and wellbeing; and risk of educational slippage. SUN strategies were: enhancing teachers' capabilities and resources, facilitating public health discussions, and advocating at regional level. Outcomes were: enhanced capability of school staff; greater school-community engagement; student belonging and engagement; a voice for advocacy; and continuity of SUN's momentum. Conclusions: The resilience approach (rather than specific strategies) was critical for building schools' capabilities for promoting students and staff wellbeing and provides an exemplar for remote schools globally.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Queensland Ambulance Service may detain and transport persons experiencing major disturbances in their mental capacity to an ED for urgent care. Queensland's new mental health legislation (March 2017) makes this legal intervention difficult to scrutinise. For a large non‐metropolitan region, QPS records for emergency examination orders (EEOs) and emergency examination authorities (EEAs) were compared with annual reports of Queensland's Director of Mental Health and Chief Psychiatrist. From 2009–2010 to March 2017, QPS‐registered EEOs totalled 12 903 while annual reports attributed 9441 to QPS (27% fewer). From March 2017 to 2019–2020, QPS‐registered EEAs totalled 6887. Annual reports declared 1803 EEAs in total for this period, without distinguishing those registered by QPS from the Queensland Ambulance Service. Past year proportions of EEOs, however, indicate perhaps ~1100 originated with QPS (84% fewer). Information crucial for considered emergency mental healthcare responses for thousands of people is no longer readily available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which determined the sources of nutrition information and services for children used by parents and child care staff in Melbourne, Victoria. Methodology; Results; Discussion.

Abstract This study aimed to identify sources of, and gaps in, nutrition information and services used by parents of children aged between six and eight years, their primary teachers and school nurses. This is the fourth part of a larger study of children from birth to eight years of age. Parents of 96 children aged between six and eight years completed a questionnaire. The children were randomly selected from 12 primary schools in Melbourne's western metropolitan region. The grade one primary teachers and the school nurses working in the area also completed a questionnaire and participated in in-depth follow-up interviews. The results indicated that school nurses generally viewed nutrition education as an integral part of their role and were interested in ongoing professional development on paediatric nutrition. Teachers saw themselves as having a role with the children through teaching nutrition as part of the standard curriculum, but most had not received any formal training in nutrition. Sources of nutrition information used by these nurses and teachers included brochures by food companies, newspapers and magazines, and television. Both teachers and nurses requested current, culturally specific nutrition information suitable for use with parents and children. Parents of the children identified family (67%) and own knowledge (65%) as main sources of nutrition information, followed by friends (44%), doctors (40%), television and radio (39%), books (35%) and magazines (31%). Some parents (34%) requested nutrition education to occur through the school system. Dietitians potentially have a role in resourcing the food industry, the popular media as well as health professionals. (Aust J Nutr Diet 2000;57:90-94) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify sources of, and gaps in, nutrition information and services used by parents of children aged between four and six years and their kindergarten teachers. This is the third part of a larger study of children from birth to eight years of age. Parents of 133 children aged between four and six years attending 12 kindergarten groups in Melbourne's western metropolitan region completed a questionnaire. Kindergarten teachers (n = 26) working in the region completed a separate questionnaire. A sample of five teachers, participated in in-depth follow-up interviews. The results indicated that parents commonly accessed the family (74%), friends (48%), doctors (39%), television and radio (39%), magazines (31%) and own knowledge (30%) as sources of nutrition information. Maternal and child health nurses were used by 29% of these parents. Newspapers and magazines and brochures by food companies were cited by the teachers as their most consulted sources of nutrition information. Kindergarten teachers acknowledged that parents or carers viewed them as a source of nutrition information, though they did not see the provision of nutrition information to be a major part of their job. They indicated the need for a regional nutrition resource directory and nutrition information aimed at parents. Teachers requested information about food refusal, food additives, packaged snacks, allergies and drinks for distribution to parents as well as for their own professional use. Teachers also requested access to a dietitian for both referral and consultancy. (Aust J Nutr Diet 2000;57:40-45.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. The objective of this study was to identify the sources of nutrition information and services used by 115 parents of children aged less than two years, and by maternal and child health nurses. This is the first part of a larger study of children aged from birth to eight years old. Parents commonly accessed the maternal and child health nurses (85%), family (66%) and friends (48%) for nutrition information. Doctors (25%) were the second most accessed professional group by parents for nutrition information. Dietitians were most likely to be used by maternal and child health nurses, for information about specific nutrition problems as well as for referral. Maternal and child health nurses requested access to dietitians for both consultancy and referral, but preferred the latter. There were gaps in nutrition information available to both parents and professionals. Both groups expressed a need for information to be consistent, clear, concise, easy to use, and available in the required community languages. Doctors need to recognise the role they have in the provision of nutrition information to families with young children. Dietitians are well placed to provide specialist services for referral as well as resourcing the maternal and child health service, food industry, government departments and the media. (Aust J Nutr Diet 1999;56:209-214.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific people comprise around 8% of Aotearoa NZ's population. They have higher rates of mental health distress but lower rates of mental health service use than do non-Pacific people. Having more Pacific clinical psychologists is a necessary part of addressing these disparities, yet only 1.7% of currently registered clinical psychologists are Pacific. This paper, co-authored by members of an informal pastoral and clinical support group (Pacific Clinical Talanoa), draws on experiences of clinical psychology training as Pacific people. The support group engaged in regular talanoa as part of their support for one another, which subsequently led to a multi-vocal account of training experiences and concerns. Recommendations are offered to promote and improve equity and Pacific engagement, including wider understanding amongst both non-Pacific psychologists and Pacific communities, as to how the profession can collectively enhance Pacific mental wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]