Clinical leadership in rural psychiatry: farmers' mental health and well-being

Innovative models of clinical leadership are essential for responding to workforce shortages in rural and remote Australia. In particular, a shortage of psychiatrists in rural locations means that service delivery often occurs on a fly-in, fly-out basis that reinforces a treatment-focussed approach to mental health service delivery. Current reforms in mental health service delivery highlight the need to broaden and reorient specialist roles to include promotion and prevention activities, especially in rural and remote communities where there might be high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage, poor access to mental health services and stigma associated with mental illness that might increase people’s vulnerability to mental health problems. This report aims to provide an overview of one strategy for enhancing innovative models of clinical leadership for psychiatrists working in rural locations