Australian Rotary Health

Approximately 150 Rotarians attended Australian Rotary Health Cluster Dinner Meeting for Whitehorse & Manningham at Casavini Ristorante. The night was hosted by our Club and Judith Eadon and Ian Armstrong must be congratulated for the way that the night ran so smoothly.

The guest speaker was Associate Professor Eóin Killackey from Orygen Youth Health (OYH) Research Centre. OYH is Australia’s largest youth-focused mental health organisation. In 2005 Eóin was given the opportunity to pursue his interest in functional recovery of people with first-episode psychosis. Australian Rotary Health (AFH) provided the initial funding of $180,000 for this study. This has led to him leading the first published randomised controlled trial of a defined model of supported employment in first episode psychosis in the world. A/Prof Killackey has been successful in attracting funding for a second trial which will significantly expand research into functional recovery at Orygen Youth Health.

Eóin’s research is focused on helping young people between the ages of 15 and 25 to overcome mental illness to getting into work or study. He acknowledged the fact that, without ARH funding, he would not have had the initial data to support his successful application for State and Federal funding.

District ARH Chairman, Robert Leitch encouraged all Rotarians to support the fund because it has been unable to fund as many projects as in the past. After listening to Eóin we all realised that the money is well spent.