2:15 PM - 2:20 PM
S5.6 - Facilitator
2:20 PM - 2:40 PM
42471 - SANE Guided Service: Insights from Australia’s First National, Digital Psychosocial Support Service for People with Complex Mental Illness
Ms Rachel Green, Chief Executive Officer, SANE Australia
Background
SANE’s guided service is designed to bridge the gaps between primary care and access to recovery focused, peer-to-peer and e-mental health services for adults with complex mental health needs and carers. This personalised service delivers counselling, peer support and access to recovery groups and a community of support, to empower individuals to build skills that improve recovery and quality of life.
Key service features include:
•Access via self-referral or referral by GP, health or other service provider, family or carer.
•Rapid access to a structured, 14-week program offering the choice of free counselling, peer support, mutual self-help peer support groups, online community Forums and guidance to access online and other mental health services
•Choice between counselling and peer support depending on individual needs and preferences.
Methods
Quantitative data from several sources were analysed to understand patterns of utilisation of supports offered through the Guided Service and impacts on recovery, quality of life and psychological distress. Data sources included (1) Guided Service routine data; and (2) Pre-post data collected via the online participant portal, assessing General recovery, using the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS-R), Quality of life, using the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) Questionnaire and Psychological distress and role functioning, using the Kessler 10+ or K5 where appropriate.
Results
Between May 2022 and October 2024, 9,603 people were referred or self-referred to the service, with 5,663 actively engaging—an engagement rate of 60% that rose to 63% for the July-September quarter of Financial Year 2024. Of those who engaged, 4,372 continued to participate in personalised peer or counselling sessions, averaging five sessions each.
Of 329 respondents who had completed at least 4 sessions, and had at least partial responses to the baseline survey and Time 2 surveys, the mean age was 42.7 years (SD = 13.5, range 18-81 years), and 69% (n=227) identified as female, 24% (n=78) as male and the remainder preferred other terms. The majority, 93% (n=305), identified as a person with a complex mental health issue.
Comparison of baseline scores to follow up scores on the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) shows statistically significant improvements over time. Scores on all subscales also showed statistically significant improvements over time. Effect sizes were mostly in the medium or large range. Comparison of baseline scores to follow up scores on the Kessler 10 psychological distress scale (K10) shows statistically significant improvements over time. The effect size was medium.
Comparison of baseline scores to follow up scores on the Recovering Quality of Life Scale (ReQoL) also showed statistically significant changes over time. While the majority of people did not experience clinically significant changes, a greater proportion of people improved than deteriorated on the RAS. A ‘dose-response’ effect was observed in the Guided Recovery service, showing that individuals who participated in more sessions experienced greater improvements in outcomes.
Conclusions
The link between the number of sessions and positive outcomes suggests that consistent engagement with SANE’s services enhances recovery, reinforcing the value of a multi-session model compared to single session helpline services.
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM
A060 - Measuring What Matters: The Foundations of a High Performing
Measuring mental health system activity and supporting improved outcomes, experiences, sustainability and positive impacts in equitable ways across large systems is complex to say the least. This presentation will consider the critical building blocks to achieving a high performing health system from a system manager perspective, using NSW, Australia as an example case study. It will delve deep into the key role measurement, transparency and accountability all play in the delivery of a high performing mental health system.
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
A081 - Empowering patients to tell their medical history using an adaptive knowledge based digital intake solution
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
39058 - Data-Driven Healthcare
Imagine a patient comes to see me for the first time. His name is Paul. As a clinician I will first take down all Paul's details (assuming I don't have them already), and then conduct a clinical assessment of Paul's situation. What I have at the end of this process is a digital health profile of Paul and I will then use all my knowledge, skills, training and experience to suggest possible treatments which will lead to the best outcome. What I won't do is find all the other "Pauls" in my clinical database, look at the journeys they have been on - and the outcomes they have achieved - and use this information to suggest the best form of treatment. From the point of referral to discharge, patients leave a trail of data behind them. Pooling this data creates a mountain of information that shows how a service is performing - and where problems might be occurring. Yet all too often the outcomes of all this activity are not measured consistently. And patient outcomes may not be recorded at all. Yet the combination of standardised care pathway analysis and outcome measurement provides clinicians with a set of tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems immeasurably. This is data-driven healthcare in a nutshell. In 2025 we should be doing this and we’re not. In this talk Chris May demonstrates how the value in this data can be unlocked, providing a wide range of performance metrics and identification of problem areas such as bottlenecks. This analysis can then be used to redeploy resources more efficiently and streamline processes to facilitate service improvement across the care pathway. Most importantly, the power of data-driven approaches to improve healthcare outcomes is now unprecedented and in this new era of artificial intelligence, the technical possibilities are readily accessible to all. We just need to get the underlying data consistent, complete and joined up. In healthcare systems which are fragmented it is difficult to do this but not impossible. We just need to employ some simple frameworks and be more disciplined. This presentation then, paints a picture of what is possible, bringing together standardised approaches and personalized healthcare into one coherent framework to paint a vision for healthcare in 21st century, and emphasising that, far from being the cinderella service it has been historically, mental healthcare is poised to lead the way.
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM
47368 - Leveraging Digital Tools to Measure and Advance Psychological Health and Safety in Workplaces
Workplaces play a critical role in shaping population mental health. Yet, organizations worldwide struggle to move from awareness to action when it comes to Psychological Health and Safety (PHS). As demand grows for concrete, scalable mental health solutions, Opening Minds has responded by creating a digital PHS assessment platform designed to close the gap between commitment and measurable change. This presentation will explore how Opening Minds is using technology to operationalize the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and turn it into a practical, accessible tool for employers. The result is a dynamic digital platform that supports self-assessment, benchmarking, and guided action planning for organizations at every stage of their mental health journey. The session will cover: 1. The Problem and Equity Gap Despite global uptake of mental health awareness, many organizations—especially small to mid-sized enterprises—lack the tools to assess where they stand. Traditional methods are costly, complex, and inaccessible for many, widening the equity gap. We will show how our tech-based assessment removes barriers by simplifying the process, providing immediate feedback, and offering tailored guidance for improvement. 2. Designing a Scalable Solution Participants will learn about the strategic development of the PHS digital tool, including: o Aligning with international frameworks and standards o Building an intuitive user experience for non-expert audiences o Embedding equity considerations through inclusive design and cultural adaptability 3. Driving Organizational Change This section will demonstrate how the platform enables organizations to: o Identify strengths and gaps in workplace psychological health o Engage leadership and staff through results-driven feedback o Develop action plans grounded in evidence and customized for their context 4. Global Implications As governments and industries around the world seek to mandate or incentivize psychologically safe workplaces, our model offers a transferable framework that supports policy alignment and international collaboration. We will explore how digital tools like ours can help operationalize global mental health commitments and meet the moment for systems-level change. Digital transformation is not just about efficiency it’s about equity. By embedding psychological health and safety into everyday workplace systems through accessible technology, we can improve mental health implementation and set a new global standard for action.
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM
44920 - Climate Change, Mental Health, and the Role of Digital Interventions in Canada's Crisis Response
In this presentation, I will summarize the mental health health effects of climate change induced disasters, including data from Canadian wildfire and flooding studies. I will then present the results of the evaluation of the Text4Hope program launched to support individuals in communities affected by the 2023 wildfires in Canada. I will then highlight the broader implications of the Text4Hope study outcomes for climate change induced crisis response in Canada and globally.
3:30 PM - 3:40 PM
46837 - Mental Health on the International Stage: Policy and Programs Making a Difference
This presentation addresses what everyone in the field needs to know about what is happening on the world stage that supports and promotes their work