Supporting Rural Low Intensity Mental Health Clinician Development and Capability within a Stepped Care Framework
Tracks
Grand Ballroom 1 and Virtual via OnAIR
| Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
| 2:00 PM - 2:20 PM |
Overview
Grace Shuttleworth, Lives Lived Well
Presenter
Dr Nicholas Kerswell
Clinical Implementation Specialist
Lives Lived Well
Supporting Rural Low Intensity Mental Health Clinician Development and Capability within a Stepped Care Framework
Presentation Overview
Delivering accessible, high-quality mental health care in rural and remote areas requires more than innovative models; it depends on a well-supported, confident workforce. In response to persistent service gaps in the Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs, Lives Lived Well developed Low-Intensity Mental Empowerment (LIME): a modular, brief intervention tailored to people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, depression, or life stress in rural settings.
Following a successful six-month pilot in the South Burnett region where the program demonstrated strong client outcomes and stakeholder support, LIME was expanded across the entire Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs. Central to its scalability has been the integration of a sustainable clinical supervision framework designed to support a diverse rural workforce.
LIME is delivered by practitioners from varied professional backgrounds, many of whom are early-career or living in remote locations with limited access to peer support. To strengthen clinical capability and ensure safe, consistent care, the program includes structured, ongoing supervision provided remotely by two in-house clinical psychologists. This includes weekly group supervision and monthly individual sessions, promoting reflective practice, professional growth, and strong clinical governance.
This presentation will explore how LIME’s embedded supervision model has supported staff development and reduced professional isolation; challenges that are often magnified in rural settings. Presenters will also share practical insights into how supervision has been adapted to meet the evolving needs of the team as the program scaled.
By aligning service innovation with workforce development, LIME demonstrates how low-intensity mental health programs can deliver both clinical impact and workforce sustainability, supporting not only the communities they serve, but also the people delivering care on the ground.
Following a successful six-month pilot in the South Burnett region where the program demonstrated strong client outcomes and stakeholder support, LIME was expanded across the entire Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs. Central to its scalability has been the integration of a sustainable clinical supervision framework designed to support a diverse rural workforce.
LIME is delivered by practitioners from varied professional backgrounds, many of whom are early-career or living in remote locations with limited access to peer support. To strengthen clinical capability and ensure safe, consistent care, the program includes structured, ongoing supervision provided remotely by two in-house clinical psychologists. This includes weekly group supervision and monthly individual sessions, promoting reflective practice, professional growth, and strong clinical governance.
This presentation will explore how LIME’s embedded supervision model has supported staff development and reduced professional isolation; challenges that are often magnified in rural settings. Presenters will also share practical insights into how supervision has been adapted to meet the evolving needs of the team as the program scaled.
By aligning service innovation with workforce development, LIME demonstrates how low-intensity mental health programs can deliver both clinical impact and workforce sustainability, supporting not only the communities they serve, but also the people delivering care on the ground.
Biography
Nick is a clinical psychologist with experience working across a range of settings in mental health and AOD clinical work. His doctoral thesis research focused on the assessment and treatment of trauma, work which has continued with the UQ LLW Research Group and Lives Lived Well, contributing to implementation projects.
Grace Shuttleworth
Clinical Research And Program Content Lead
Lives Lived Well
Supporting Rural Low Intensity Mental Health Clinician Development and Capability within a Stepped Care Framework
Presentation Overview
Delivering accessible, high-quality mental health care in rural and remote areas requires more than innovative models; it depends on a well-supported, confident workforce. In response to persistent service gaps in the Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs, Lives Lived Well developed Low-Intensity Mental Empowerment (LIME): a modular, brief intervention tailored to people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, depression, or life stress in rural settings.
Following a successful six-month pilot in the South Burnett region where the program demonstrated strong client outcomes and stakeholder support, LIME was expanded across the entire Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs. Central to its scalability has been the integration of a sustainable clinical supervision framework designed to support a diverse rural workforce.
LIME is delivered by practitioners from varied professional backgrounds, many of whom are early-career or living in remote locations with limited access to peer support. To strengthen clinical capability and ensure safe, consistent care, the program includes structured, ongoing supervision provided remotely by two in-house clinical psychologists. This includes weekly group supervision and monthly individual sessions, promoting reflective practice, professional growth, and strong clinical governance.
This presentation will explore how LIME’s embedded supervision model has supported staff development and reduced professional isolation; challenges that are often magnified in rural settings. Presenters will also share practical insights into how supervision has been adapted to meet the evolving needs of the team as the program scaled.
By aligning service innovation with workforce development, LIME demonstrates how low-intensity mental health programs can deliver both clinical impact and workforce sustainability, supporting not only the communities they serve, but also the people delivering care on the ground.
Following a successful six-month pilot in the South Burnett region where the program demonstrated strong client outcomes and stakeholder support, LIME was expanded across the entire Darling Downs and Western Queensland PHNs. Central to its scalability has been the integration of a sustainable clinical supervision framework designed to support a diverse rural workforce.
LIME is delivered by practitioners from varied professional backgrounds, many of whom are early-career or living in remote locations with limited access to peer support. To strengthen clinical capability and ensure safe, consistent care, the program includes structured, ongoing supervision provided remotely by two in-house clinical psychologists. This includes weekly group supervision and monthly individual sessions, promoting reflective practice, professional growth, and strong clinical governance.
This presentation will explore how LIME’s embedded supervision model has supported staff development and reduced professional isolation; challenges that are often magnified in rural settings. Presenters will also share practical insights into how supervision has been adapted to meet the evolving needs of the team as the program scaled.
By aligning service innovation with workforce development, LIME demonstrates how low-intensity mental health programs can deliver both clinical impact and workforce sustainability, supporting not only the communities they serve, but also the people delivering care on the ground.
Biography
Grace Shuttleworth is a Clinical Psychologist at Lives Lived Well, working as the Clinical Research and Program Content Lead. Grace contributes to the development of mental health and substance use programs and oversees the implementation of clinical research into the organisation’s therapeutic approaches. Grace provides ongoing supervision and clinical support to staff at LLW.
Grace’s therapy practice exclusively supports rural and remote Australians via telehealth, with a focus on co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges. She is a registered provider of Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD. Grace is also a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.
