NSW Rural Psychiatry Project
The NSW Rural Psychiatry Project is a partnership between the RANZCP NSW Branch and NSW Health and commenced in 2002, to provide support for rural psychiatry.

The Project is overseen by a Steering Committee including representatives from RANZCP Branch, NSW Health, NSW Country Psychiatrists Association, and Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (University of Newcastle) and both rural resident and outreach psychiatrists.

The project is working to provide supports which include:

• Supporting rural psychiatry training and rural resident trainees - through the establishment of a Rural Director of Training position and Rural Training Zone.
• Establishing a NSW Rural Psychiatry Recruitment Service to assist in recruitment of staff specialists, visiting medical officers, career medical officers, trainees and locums.
• Increasing psychiatrist influence with rural Area Health Services through the establishment and ongoing support of Area Psychiatrists Councils.
• Creating opportunities to use professional skills in teaching and supervision through partnerships with the CRRMH and other organisations.
• Improving links between private and public psychiatrists.
• Enabling rural psychiatrists to participate in College business and educational activities.
• Supporting rural General Practitioner training in mental health

The SSRS is a joint initiative of the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges and the Department of Health and Ageing, and is funded by the Australian Government, to support ongoing professional education for specialists working in rural Australia. This project builds on and extends the work from the previously successful Peer Review Network for Rural Psychiatrists project implemented under Round Seven of the Scheme.  Eligible participants include psychiatrists based in rural and remote Australia, from private or public practice. International Medical Graduates and trainee psychiatrists in rural locations are also encouraged to participate.  Project activities will include:

• The continuation of sub-speciality focused rural peer review groups to meet on a monthly basis via videoconferencing or teleconferencing;
• The creation of new rural peer review groups to accommodate additional participants if the need arises;
• The presentation of four videoconferenced seminars determined on the basis of questions arising from rural peer review meetings; and
• Web forum follow-up of seminars using the existing Rural Station website.

SSRS Webinar Presentations

For more information on the national SSRS program visit:
www.ruralspecialist.org.au