Integrating mental health services into a rural GP clinic sounds simple—until you’re in the thick of mismatched systems, unclear funding lines, and very different workplace cultures. This session shares the candid, ongoing story of how a rural GP clinic and a community mental health service worked together to build something collaborative, client-centred, and grounded in the rural reality—all while already in motion.

Our integration journey wasn’t driven by perfect planning or top-down reform. Instead, we began with small, strategic steps that helped us build trust, test ideas, and adapt quickly. Along the way, we discovered that proximity doesn’t equal partnership—placing services side by side is only the beginning. What followed was a genuine effort to develop shared goals, strengthen communication, and support joined-up care across two distinct systems.

Importantly, our rural community wasn’t just a recipient of this service—they were an active partner in shaping it. We learned that local input isn’t just valuable; it’s essential for creating something that’s both sustainable and fit for purpose.

This session is for anyone grappling with the messy middle of integration—where the path isn’t always clear, but progress is possible. We’ll share the practical strategies that worked for us, the mistakes we learned from, and how we found momentum through humility, creativity, and a willingness to laugh at ourselves.

Expect honest reflections, actionable insights, and a few stories from the trenches as we explore what it really takes to make mental health integration work in a rural context.

Integrating mental health services into a rural GP clinic sounds simple—until you’re in the thick of mismatched systems, unclear funding lines, and very different workplace cultures. This session shares the candid, ongoing story of how a rural GP clinic and a community mental health service worked together to build something collaborative, client-centred, and grounded in the rural reality—all while already in motion.

Our integration journey wasn’t driven by perfect planning or top-down reform. Instead, we began with small, strategic steps that helped us build trust, test ideas, and adapt quickly. Along the way, we discovered that proximity doesn’t equal partnership—placing services side by side is only the beginning. What followed was a genuine effort to develop shared goals, strengthen communication, and support joined-up care across two distinct systems.

Importantly, our rural community wasn’t just a recipient of this service—they were an active partner in shaping it. We learned that local input isn’t just valuable; it’s essential for creating something that’s both sustainable and fit for purpose.

This session is for anyone grappling with the messy middle of integration—where the path isn’t always clear, but progress is possible. We’ll share the practical strategies that worked for us, the mistakes we learned from, and how we found momentum through humility, creativity, and a willingness to laugh at ourselves.

Expect honest reflections, actionable insights, and a few stories from the trenches as we explore what it really takes to make mental health integration work in a rural context.