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Outcomes of the Postgraduate Overseas Specialists Training (POST) Program based in Melbourne, Australia
Author(s) -
Merner Bronwen,
Ng Chee,
Ryan Brigid,
Goding Margaret
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
asia‐pacific psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1758-5872
pISSN - 1758-5864
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-5872.2011.00103.x
Subject(s) - mental health , workforce , medical education , program evaluation , training (meteorology) , capacity building , medicine , mental health service , professional development , nursing , psychology , family medicine , political science , psychiatry , geography , public administration , meteorology , law
This article explores the short‐ and long‐term outcomes of the Postgraduate Overseas Specialists Training (POST) Program. This program, based at St. Vincent's Mental Health (Melbourne) facilitates short‐term clinical placements in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne for mental health workers from the Asia‐Pacific. The program aims to contribute to capacity development in the region's mental health workforce. Methods: A total of 164 Fellows from 15 countries participated in the POST Program from 2001 to 2008. From mid‐2006 to mid‐2008, all POST Fellows (n=71) were asked to complete an evaluation survey on the last day of their placement. Six to 12 months after returning to their home countries, these same Fellows were sent a further survey to report on the long‐term outcomes of their POST placement. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the returned questionnaires were used as the basis for this evaluation. Results: The short‐term evaluation surveys indicate that the majority of POST Fellows were very satisfied with the training program and their training supervisors. Service developments and improvements, enhanced clinical leadership, attitude change and broad peer education emerged as potential long‐term outcomes. Discussion: The POST Program, as an out‐of‐country clinical training program, may play a unique role in contributing to building capacity of mental health clinicians in the Asia‐Pacific region. However, further evaluation is required to ascertain the longer term impact of such professional training program.