Hypothetical Case Scenario

MHPN’s Special Professional Development Event
Hypothetical Case Scenario

Join our session host Professor Mark Creamer and the esteemed panel to see how they respond in real-time to an unfolding case scenario that evolves both rapidly and dramatically.

7 – 8.30 pm AEDT
Tuesday 21 November
No cost to attend this special MHPN event.

The scenario:

The Robinsons are a family characterised by volatile interpersonal relationships and underlying mental health and personality issues.

Following a particularly bad argument, at home between parents Jim and Jodie, the situation spirals out of control. In a few short hours, the health professionals who work with the Robinson family will be drawn into a frightening scenario involving not only family members, but also the school, the police, and the media.

How will our panel respond?

Broadcast live, this activity is unscripted and unrehearsed. The panel have had no forewarning as to how the scenario will unfold.

The session host, Professor Mark Creamer will guide the panel of five professionals, all experts in their field, through a scenario that escalates quickly and unexpectedly.

At key points different panel members will be introduced and invited to consider how they would respond to the situation as presented, deciding in-situ what steps to take to support the safety, and mental health and wellbeing of the individual family members, extended family, and the local and wider community.

At the session’s conclusion, attendees will have a better understanding of:

the skills and expertise that different professions bring to supporting the safety and mental health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities
how working as part of a team can better support individuals, families and communities in crisis situations.

All attendees will receive a Statement of Attendance to allow self-reporting for CPD purposes. This activity has not been accredited by the RACGP.

Learning outcomes:

The expert panel:

Host: Professor Mark Creamer

Professor Mark Creamer is a clinical and consulting psychologist with over 35years’ experience in the field of post-traumatic mental health.

Mark is internationally recognised for his work in the field and provides policy advice, training and research consultancy to government and non-government organisations, with the aim of improving the recognition, prevention and treatment of psychological problems following stressful life events.

Mark is a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and has an impressive research record with over 180 publications.

Mark is an accomplished speaker and has given numerous presentations (by invitation) at national and international conferences.

Professor Andrew Chanen

Professor Andrew Chanen is Chief of Clinical Practice and Head of Personality Disorder Research at Orygen in Melbourne, Australia. He is also a Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne. Andrew established and directs an internationally recognised program of research, treatment innovation, and service development in youth mental health and early intervention for severe mental disorders in young people. Andrew established the field of early intervention for personality disorder and is a leading global advocate for effective, evidence-based policy.

He has produced over 220 scientific publications in high-impact international journals and has received over $30 million in competitive grant funding. He serves on the Editorial Boards of several journals, and expert national and international groups. He is a Past President of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders. His work has been recognised with several awards for advancing healthcare, including the 2023 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ Ian Simpson Award and the 2017 Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Field of Severe Personality Disorders from the Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Centre and Personality Disorder Institute, New York.

Dr Cait McMahon

Dr Cait McMahon OAM is psychologist and an international expert on the intersect of trauma and journalism. She was the founding Managing Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma-Asia Pacific (2003-2021) a project of Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism, NYC. In that role she facilitated in-person psychoeducation across 30 nations in the Asia Pacific region, as well as North America, the UK and other parts of Europe. She has consulted to media houses internationally on the implementation of policies and processes to mitigate the impacts of work-related trauma exposure.

Working with the media profession since 1987 when engaged at The Age newspaper in Melbourne as an in-house staff counsellor, McMahon completed one of the world’s first studies on journalists and trauma in 1993. In 2016 her doctoral work focused on trauma exposed media professionals, examining posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth.

Dr McMahon was integral to the establishment of peer support programs at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the cross-industry peer program of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. In 2016 Cait McMahon was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to journalists’ mental health and wellbeing.

Dr Wei-May Su

Dr Wei-May Su, is an academic GP and supervisor with specific interests in mental health, complexity, abuse and violence, and neurodiversity. She continues part time clinical alongside academic roles. She is Academic Lead (GP), facilitating the multidisciplinary Master of Psychiatric Medicine and the Master of Applied Mental Health Studies at HETI Higher Education, Australia, and is Higher Degree Research Candidate at the Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Western Sydney Uni on the topic of abuse and violence. She is co-author of the Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) Guideline of Abuse and Violence (White Book) and is Chair of the RACGP Abuse and Violence in Families Specific Interest Group.

Dr Lyn O’Grady

Dr Lyn O’Grady is a Community Psychologist with three decades of experience in the community, health and education sectors. She currently works in private practice, mostly with children and young people. She has a particular interest in suicide prevention and has authored a book for parents titled ‘Keeping our Kids Alive, Parenting a suicidal young person’.

Lyn has worked in various roles in school settings, including as a school psychologist and leading an emergency management team responding to critical incidents in the western metropolitation region of Melbourne. Lyn is an AHPRA approved supervisor of psychology interns.

Mick Elliot

I am a retired Detective Senior Sergeant of Victoria Police, having commenced service in 1989, where I performed duties as a frontline responder, before transitioning to the role of Detective Senior Constable in Melbourne’s western suburbs and then the Armed Offenders Squad for three years.

In 2001, I was promoted to Sergeant and subsequently to a Detective Sergeant, where I spent 11 years supervising investigations at the Drug Taskforce, Sexual Crimes Squad, Phoenix Taskforce (Black Saturday Bushfires), Western Region Investigation Units and within high-risk covert areas in support of high harm / high community impact incidents.

In 2015, I was promoted to Detective Senior Sergeant and over a 9-year period I was an investigation manager in Regional, Crime Command and Covert areas of policing, in which the prevention and disruption of offences and prosecution of offenders, occurred in support of enhanced community safety.

I established the Wayward Taskforce into extremely violent crimes of aggravated home invasions and carjackings by networked youth offenders, as well as a High-Risk Family Violence Unit that focuses on disrupting offences and supporting and rehabilitating vulnerable members of the community who are at risk of high harm through repeat victimisation.

Register Now

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to witness the panel thinking on their feet to respond to a situation that evolves both rapidly and dramatically.

Any questions?
Please call 1800 209 031 or email contactus@mhpn.org.au

MHPN wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri and the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation,
the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which our national office stands.

MHPN’s Special Professional Development Event Hypothetical Case Scenario

7 – 8.30 pm AEDT Tuesday 21 November No cost to attend this special MHPN event.