This episode of Psych Matters includes 4 child psychiatrists who have or are currently working in regional, rural or remote locations across Australia. Child and adolescent psychiatry is an important subspecialty within psychiatry and the distribution of child psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand is disproportionately within metropolitan settings. Working in rural and remote settings brings with it unique challenges, beyond just the tyranny of distance. We here from our 4 experts as to the varied opportunities, practice and challenges they have experienced in their careers, including the benefits of considering child and adolescent training in these settings.

Associate Professor Mathew Coleman is a consultant psychiatrist with the WA Country Health Service, Clinical Director for the Great Southern and Midwest Mental Health Service and Clinical Academic with the Rural Clinical School of WA. He is a qualified child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatrist and has experience and qualifications in health service management. He was also the former Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.

Dr Michael Bowden is a Senior Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with over 30 years’ experience working in various settings in mental health. He is Senior Clinical Advisor for Child and Youth Mental Health at the NSW Health Mental Health Branch.

Dr Steven Blefari is rural child and adolescent psychiatrist. Trained in the Hunter New England region with focus on rural psychiatry, he moved to Southwest WA 5 years ago and now has the role of Director of Clinical Services for Mental Health and very excited to be the inaugural Rural Director of Training for the brand new Rural WA training zone.

Dr Ria Leonard is a Perinatal psychiatrist in the Hunter New England local health district and also provides disability psychiatry input to Western, Far West and Murrumbidgee LHDs of NSW. Following undergraduate medical studies in Sydney and post-graduate studies in Melbourne, Ria Leonard has returned to the rural town she grew up in.

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This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.