Mental Health ECHO

Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes

The Mental Health ECHO Program will focus on management mental illness in the context of the national Equally Well action to improve the mental and physical health of people living with mental illness.

This is Series One of the Mental Health ECHO Program, with Series Two commencing in 2024.

Enrol for the Mental Health ECHO

ECHO aims to create a community of practice for shared learning and professional support.

ECHO meetings provide an opportunity for participants to learn best-practice mental health care from our panel of experts and contribute to real-life case discussions. Through participation, practitioners can increase their confidence in applying evidence-based practice to improve the care of people living with mental illness.

We welcome all healthcare professionals from metropolitan, rural and regional SA to join the program.

If you are from outside of South Australia or are interested in joining as session as an observer, please email echo@sapmea.asn.au 

Enrol now

Submit your cases

We welcome all cases, whether they involve common clinical scenarios related to diagnosis and care, or those that involve complex or challenging presentations and patient management scenarios.

Individuals and teams are invited to submit cases for discussion to promote learning and reflection, and improve patient care and outcomes.

Please note that ECHO meetings are not secondary consultations and do not replace specialist referral, where needed.

submit a case

Meet the Mental Health ECHO expert panel

  • Dr Adelaide Boylan - General Practitioner, Pro Health Norwood (program facilitator)
  • Dr Joel Pannell - Consultant Psychiatrist, SALHN Outer South Psychosis team
  • Dr Jayde Clark - General Practitioner, Malvern Medical Centre

Guest panellists:

  • August: Vanessa Browne - Nurse Practitioner, Aboriginal Mental Health
  • September: Dr Rebecca Hill - Consultant Psychiatrist & Head of Unit at Helen Mayo House
  • October: Dr Michael Page - Consultant Psychiatrist & Head of Unit at the Older Persons Mental Health Service, SALHN
  • November: Dr Randall Long - Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Head of Unit at the Statewide Eating Disorder Service & Head of Unit at the Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service

      Meeting Resources

      Meeting 1: Wednesday 30th August

      Meeting 2: Wednesday 20th August


      Mental Health & Equally Well resources:

      SA Health Mental Health GP Shared Care

      SA Health Metabolic Health Resources

      Equally Well: A national action to improve the physical health and wellbeing of people living with mental illness:

      HealthPathways SA: Online access to evidence-based clinical pathways and local referral information. Available Mental Health pathways of care across the life course include:

      … plus many more….start exploring today

              CPD eligibility 

              GP participants will receive 1 CPD hour under the Reviewing Performance category with RACGP/ACRRM for each meeting attended.

              GPs presenting a case for discussion, will receive 1 CPD hour under the Measuring Outcomes category (to be self-claimed).

              The Statement of Attendance and CPD hours will be provided at the end of the ECHO series.

              Learning outcomes

              At the end of the Mental Health ECHO series, participants will be able to:

              • Apply best evidence-based practice to address mental health and physical health concerns in people living with mental illness.
              • Apply a systematic and biopsychosocial approach to the care of mental illness.
              • Understand their role in integrated health care, including their responsibility to ensure people living with mental illness receive quality physical health care.
              • Identify early detection and intervention strategies to reduce avoidable physical illness in people living with mental illness.


              Learn more about how ECHO sessions work here.

              Find other ECHO networks here.

              For questions and enquiries, please contact the ECHO Coordinator at ECHO@sapmea.asn.au.

              This program is funded by SALHN with support from SA Health Office of the Chief Psychiatrist