Researcher Development Program (RDP) :: Northern Rivers Department of Rural Health

Researcher Development Program (RDP)

Current RDP researches:

Cathy Malla has spent the last four years working in Aboriginal health promotion for an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of WA. In this position, she worked with women and young people in the 45 remote communities of the Fitzroy Valley, focusing on sexual health. At NRUDRH, her position involves working with a research team trialling a quit smoking intervention with Aboriginal pregnant women in rural NSW

Shawn Wilson is working on a team of researchers who are adapting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for use with Aboriginal clients. Using an action research approach, in the first stage of the research the team will be recruiting Aboriginal mental health clinicians who will undertake CBT training, then evaluating and adapting the CBT training process.

Previous Research Clinicians:

2009

Larisa Barnes the benefits of belonging to pre and postnatal support groupd, using semi-structured interviews with participants. She found support groups were valuable resources which supported health and wellbeing. Larissa presented a paper at the General Practice and Primary Health Care Research Conference in 2009 and is preparing a journal article for publication.

Cecily Barrack completed the Preventing Future Fracures study with support from the RDP program in 2007 and 2009 as well as the NSW Institute for Rural Clinical Services and Teaching and the NCAHS. She evaluated the implementation of an evidence-based intervention in Emergency Departments to try to improve detection of osteoporosis among people presenting with minimal trauma fractures, and help prevent future fractures. She has had a paper published in the Australia Journal of Rural Health, presented papers atht eh General Practice and Primary Health Care Research Conference and Rural Health Research Colloquium, and won a North Coast Areal Health Service Quality Award in 2009

Darlene Rotumah a counsellor in an Aboriginal health service, worked on the NRUDRH researh project Strategies to Increase Home Medicines Review in Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Communities, Darlene received training and mentoring to complete eithics applications, a literature review, data collection and background information for the research sites, 11 Indigenous communites around Australia. She presented a paper at the Rural Health Research Colloquium in 2009.

2008

Robin Davis a foster parent and PHC consumer interested in Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), examined the care and management of children with FASD from the perspective of the parent or carer.

2007:

Cathy Powell, an Aboriginal Health Worker, undertook a comprehensive literature review on the impact of vicarious trauma on Aboriginal Health Workers. Cathy presented her work at the NSW PHCRED Conference in November 2007, and submitted a paper for publication in the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal.

2006:

Bernadette Basset is a dental therapist and coordinator of the Dental Department at Bulgarr Ngaru Aboriginal Medical Service in Grafton. She was concerned about the large number of people who don"t attend for their dental appointment and undertook an audit of service records to identify characteristics associated with non-attendance.
Deanna Bowen works with the Youth and Family Mental Health Service of the NCAHS, in Byron Bay. Her research assessed use of complementary and alternative medicine by young people accessing community mental health services
Michael Du Sautoy is a clinical psychologist. Michael’s research interest was in stress, burnout and staff retention among the mental health workforce.

2005:

Louise Sands a paediatric occupational therapist with the NCAHS investigated the effectiveness of an occupational therapy intervention to aid preschoolers who are behind in developmental milestones to improve fine motor skills.
Pam Walmsley investigated discharge medications and safety among elderly people admitted to Murwillumbah hospital, examining the adequacy of education given at discharge and whether follow-up education and management after discharge by GP, pharmacist, and/or community support group enhance patient knowledge.
Molly Galea, a mental health worker, undertook a project titled "How Are We to Live? Understanding Recovery from Depression”. This qualitative research project used in-depth semi-structured interviews to obtain people’s own understandings of how they recovered from an episode of depression.
Carol Stevenson, a local GP, conducted a study on the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections among 16 to 30 year old male and female patients attending GPs in the Northern Rivers area.