Past Projects with China
A brief history of our various projects with China is highlighted below:
2003
The first formal collaboration between Asia-Australia Mental Health and China occurred through The Successful Ageing Project. This project aimed to further develop partnerships between key Australian and Chinese institutions and organisations involved in mental health care and health promotion for aged people. The project's vision was to exchange ideas, explore and develop culturally appropriate and acceptable models for the delivery of integrated community mental health care for aged people.
Following initial discussions with the Institute of Mental Health Peking University in February 2003, a workshop was held in Beijing from 13-14 October 2003. The Chinese participants included: Dr He Yanling, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Prof Huang Yueqin, National Center for Mental Health, China CDC, Prof Jiang Longhu, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Associate Prof Ma Hong, Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Dr Yao Jianhong, Ministry of Health, Dr Yu Xin, Institute of Mental Health, Peking University and Dr Ziqing Zhu, Shanghai Mental Health Center. Australian participants in the workshop included: Prof. Ed Chiu, The University of Melbourne, A/Prof. Chee Ng and Ms Julia Fraser (Co-Directors of Asia-Australia Mental Health).
The content of the workshop was shaped equally by the Chinese and Australian working groups. The workshop resulted in a fruitful exchange of ideas and experiences about delivering community mental health care for aged people. It was agreed that further collaboration and development in the field of mental health would be highly beneficial for both countries.
2004
The University of Melbourne has been building relationships with China in the field of mental health for over 20 years. The Chinese interest in Australian mental health expertise reflects solid links forged with mental health leaders in China by mental health professionals from the University, including Professors Chiu, Herrman and Singh.
Prior to 2004, at least nine Chinese psychiatrists had trained in Australia and people from both sides now knew each other well in terms of training ability and facility, human resources and funding capacity.
Asia-Australia Mental Health hosted a delegation led by Madame Xu Guihua, Deputy Director, China Center for Disease Control, in Melbourne to explore possibilities for collaboration between China and Australia in mental health system development. The delegation gained an overview of the Victorian mental health system and visited mental health and community programs that were potentially relevant for China.
The visit culminated in the University of Melbourne's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kwong Lee Dow, and Madame Xu Guihua, signing a Letter of Intent on future directions.
2005
In 2005, the Victorian government launched China, 2005 & Beyond, a document that set out the Victorian Government's vision for the State's trade and investment relationship with China and that outlined initiatives to further strengthen this relationship. A key initiative highlighted in the document was Asia-Australia Mental Health's work with China in the field of mental health.
Collaboration over a number of years was formalised in the signing of a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding between Asia-Australia Mental Health and Peking University in October 2004.
Officially launched at Asialink in April 2005, the first joint activity under this Memorandum was a training program for 19 heads of major hospitals across China and senior Ministry of Health officials. The 5 day program involved lectures, workshops and site visits to key services that collaborate to provide mental health service delivery to Victorians.
2006
Evaluation of China's National Mental Health Strategy
In January 2006, AAMH members worked with The National Institute of Mental Health Peking University to help identify a national mental health evaluation strategy. Managed by AAMH, a delegation from China including Dr Liu Jin, Chief of Executive Office, National Center for Mental Health, China-CDC, Prof He Yanling, Shanghai Mental Health Centre and Prof Li Ming, President
Suzhou Guangji Hospital spent a week in Melbourne with leading experts in mental health service evaluation including Prof. Graeme Hawthorne, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne.
Leadership training and development in community mental health
In July 2006 a further group of 20 mental health leaders from across China came to Melbourne for a lecture and site visit program. This completed a two-year Melbourne-based training program of regional directors and heads of hospitals covering all regions in China.
In October 2006, representatives from AAMH joined colleagues from the National Institute of Mental Health, Peking University to monitor the progress of three pilot sites across China. These sites were part of the 686 project, a comprehensive program initially involving 60 sites across China who piloted the introduction of community mental health service delivery. As professional development in case management was a key requirement to the success of the 686 project, Asia-Australia Mental Health began working with colleagues in China and Hong Kong to develop a tripartite training program in case management for mental health professionals in China.
2007
The first stage of the tripartite training program began with workshops held for clinicians in Hong Kong (February 2007) and Guangzhou (March 2007).
Supported by AusAID, the first stage of the Protecting Children in Disasters project commenced. By the end of 2007, in partnership with the Institute of Mental Health Peking University, a train-the-trainer package for school teachers and community leaders about protecting children’s mental health in disasters had been developed and piloted in several rural and urban sites in China.
AAMH also hosted another group of Hospital Directors involved in the 686 Project, visited Melbourne in July 2007 for a week long training program in community mental health service development and delivery.
China is also actively involved in the Asia-Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project. Dr Liu Jin, Chief of Executive Office, National Center for Mental Health, China-CDC, presented at the APCMHD Symposium held in conjunction with WPA International Congress in Melbourne in November 2007. Dr Liu was also a keynote speaker at the Congress discussing China's transition to community mental health service delivery including the 686 project and the tripartite training program.