Carrying the weight of Mental Health

For GPs, Nurses, Allied Health professionals and Mental Health Clinicians.

This workshop will address the prevalence of weight-related issues amongst individuals living with mental health conditions- highlighting the significant impact it can have on overall wellbeing and explore evidence-based approaches to managing weight in this population, offering practical tools and techniques tailored to the unique challenges faced.

Presenters and panel members:

Dr. Teresa Girolamo - General Practitioner who has extensive experience in the field of obesity management. Teresa started working in the area of obesity management in 2008 as part of the multi-disciplinary AMOS collective. In 2018 she co-founded Re:You Health, a unique GP lead weight management service in South Australia which has expanded rapidly since it’s inception. The foundation of the practice is to provide wholistic, patient centred care to those living in a larger body. She is a Committee Member of the National Association of Clinical Obesity Service (NACOS), board member of the Australian & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS), a leadership committee member of the Obesity Collective and member of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO).

Dr. Zanna Murfitt – General Practitioner highly experienced in the area of obesity management. She is passionate about improving the health and quality of life for these patients through evidence based treatments for obesity. Zanna has 
co-founded Re:You Health. 

Kaaren Haywood –Registered Nurse with a background in Intensive Care and Renal Nursing. Kaaren is currently the Nurse Consultant of Flinders Medical Centre, Weight Management Service. She is currently engaged in a Management Support Education program, focusing on reviewing the current service to reduce waitlist times and provide a holistic approach from end to end, which includes patients receiving appropriate intervention in a timely & efficient manner to facilitate a successful outcome that meets the goals of the patient.

Dr Cate Houen - Psychiatrist

Rosemary Allin - Clinical pharmacist, recognised by the Australian and New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy in 2023. She has worked for the Drug and Therapeutics Information Service (DATIS) for over 15 years, supporting clinical practice of general practitioners and other healthcare professionals by providing evidence-based, balanced information on drug therapy. Rosemary has worked in a wide range of pharmacy practice settings and professional capacities including community pharmacy, education, research and service delivery in hospital, primary care, and residential aged care settings. Her interests are in the management of chronic conditions such as obesity, mental health and chronic pain and is always keen to implement strategies promoting quality use of medicines in any setting. She has been actively involved in medicines management in the area of obesity and metabolic bariatric surgery since 2018.

Sidney Vanderzalm - Accredited Exercise Physiologist who graduated in 2017 and has worked in private practice for the last six years. Sidney has worked in the obesity management space for the last four years along side the Re:You and AMOS teams to provide Exercise Physiology services to their patients. Sidney has been involved in workshops with multiple medical practices that are working as part of wholistic health teams to achieve the best patient outcomes for a range of diseases and conditions. Having completed her mental health first aid and other courses in the space, and participating and completing events raising money for mental health charities herself, implementing exercise as a tool for more than physical health is a passion.

Michelle Quirk - Community Rehab Worker, Lived Experience

Dietitian: TBC

This will be a hybrid workshop.

Attendance options:

• In person - the workshop will be held at ANMF (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation) located at 191 Torrens Rd, Ridleyton SA. Registrations and dinner start at 6:00pm, presentations will commence promptly at 6:30pm.
• Online - the workshop will be streamed live via Zoom those wanting to attend online. The Zoom session will commence at 6:30pm ACST.

This workshop is FREE to attend and a light dinner will be provided for those attending in person.

CPD information:

All participants will receive a Statement of Attendance following the session.

This workshop is pending accreditation with RACGP and ACRRM. RACGP and ACRRM members will have their CPD hours allocated following the session.

Funded by: