Men in Rural Areas

‘Can Do’ for Men in Rural Areas  improves the capacity of general practice and the Network Member Organisations to recognise and effectively respond to the needs of Men living and working in Rural Areas who are at risk of or experiencing mental health and substance use issues in their local community. It does this by strengthening, supporting and networking GPs and other key stakeholders who deliver health and community support services to rural men at risk of or experiencing mental health and substance use issues.

Key learning objectives
The overall educational goal of this accredited training program is to provide general practitioners, allied health professionals and other service providers with specific knowledge and skills to work with rural men at risk of or experiencing mental health and substance use issues to improve their health.  On completion of this program, participants should be able to:

  • identify the specific and unique needs of rural men
  • demonstrate an increased awareness of the mental health and substance use issues relevant to rural men
  • demonstrate an increased understanding of why rural men may experience mental health problems and use substances
  • identify physical, psychological and social risks to rural men associated with mental health problems and substance use
  • demonstrate improved knowledge and understanding of strategies to address these risks
  • demonstrate increased awareness of assessment and treatment options, and available services and resources for men with mental health and substance use problems
  • identify health and community services at the local level, particularly those that engage with and provide support to men in rural areas
  • demonstrate an increase in ability and confidence in developing appropriate pathways of referral and care for rural men with mental health and substance use issues

AGPN would like to acknowledge Dr Cate Howell, Michele Murphy, Charlotte Marshall, Melissa Opolski and Ros Yuen from CM Consulting SA: Workplace Health and Productivity for their time and hard work in researching and putting together ‘Can Do’ for Men in Rural Areas.