• Charles Sturt’s Three Rivers Department of Rural Health launches the Rural Mental Health Education Enhancement Hub on Wednesday 9 October
• The Hub is a digital education platform to provide students, mental health professionals and rural health professionals with resources
• The first offerings from the Hub - a free performance and workshop, will be held on Wednesday 30 October and Thursday 31 October, respectively

Three Rivers Department of Rural Health at Charles Sturt University have collaborated with Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network to create an online training hub designed to enhance training and education opportunities for students and mental health professionals.

Three Rivers Department of Rural Health (DRH) and the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) have together created the digital education platform, the Rural Mental Health Education Enhancement Hub (the ‘Hub’).

The Hub was officially launched in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 9 October and is designed to meet the needs of rural communities.

The Hub will provide students, mental health professionals and rural health professionals with easy access to information, educational materials and career development tools tailored to challenges and opportunities in rural mental health.

Workshops will be offered through the Hub to provide networking and learning opportunities.

Three Rivers DRH Lecturer in Rural Health in Wagga Wagga Ms Lucinda Derrick said the Hub is a significant milestone in supporting recruitment and retention of mental health professionals.

“The Hub aims to bridge the gap in mental health services and education in rural areas, ensuring students and professionals have the necessary support to contribute effectively to their communities,” she said.

“It has been designed to be a comprehensive resource for mental health education, training and career development.

“It provides accessible, high-quality information and tools to support students and health professionals in rural areas.”

During the design of the Hub, extensive consultation was undertaken with people who have lived experience of mental ill-health, as well as students, industry leaders and academics.

The first initiative from the Hub is Three Rivers DRH sponsoring Gateway Health to bring its award-winning theatre performance, Listening to Voices, to Wagga Wagga on 30 October.

The free 60-minute performance is for everyone and is made and performed by individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges, who use their personal experiences to show the reality of voice-hearing, trauma and recovery.

In addition, a workshop will be held the following day for educators, academics and service providers to consolidate their learnings from the performance into their teaching and professional practices.

Ms Derrick said attending the performance and workshop offers an opportunity to challenge stigma, inspire change and create new conversations around mental health in the community and workplace.

MPHN Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Manager Ms Maja Asmus said the collaboration has produced a useful resource for health professionals and community members.

“By combining our expertise and resources, we’ve been able to create a resource that is poised to become an indispensable tool for students and professionals in rural health, contributing to the overall improvement of mental health outcomes in rural communities,” she said.

Free tickets are available for the Listening to Voices performance, which will be held at the Charles Sturt Riverina Playhouse from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 30 October. The workshop on Thursday 31 October will be held at the Charles Sturt library from 10am to 3pm. Those interested are encouraged to register to attend.