If you are a full-time or part-time GP or GP Reg, working in a remote (MM6&7) Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisation (ACCHO), or in a remote clinic, & working regularly with First Nations’ patients, you are invited to submit an expression of interest to attend nine monthly Balint sessions.

Places are strictly limited so we are unable to offer places to GPs who are:

• casually employed
• locums
• FIFO GPs
• GPs working in Darwin.

When submitting your EOI, please consider if you can commit to attending the majority of the nine monthly sessions. There will be an information session on the 16th of February for all GPs who submit an EOI. This session will be an opportunity to explore if participation in a Balint Group is a good fit for you. If GPs find value in these initial nine sessions, it is hoped that we can identify further funding to continue the group.

What are Balint Groups?

Balint groups have been available for clinicians for over 70 years, in Australia and overseas. The NT Balint group offers the opportunity for doctors working in primary care in Aboriginal health settings to join with colleagues to confidentially reflect on their clinical experiences in a small online group setting. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of their relationships with their patients, gain greater insight into the experiences of their patients and gain insights of into their thoughts, feelings and motivations in their clinical settings. This is in the context of awareness of cultural aspects of their work and relationships with their patients. The NT Balint group provides excellent peer support for doctors working in challenging environments.

The NT Balint group comprises participants who are GPs working in ACCHOs and remote health clinics. The group meets online in the early evening for one hour, monthly. At each meeting group members have the opportunity to discuss a de-identified case from memory, particularly when the interaction with the patient is difficult, puzzling, or stressful. Under the guidance of the NT Balint group leaders the group explores the complexities of the doctor-patient relationship, experiences of doctor and patient at conscious and unconscious levels. The Balint group is a safe learning environment with the emphasis on confidentiality, safety, collegiality and being non-judgemental.

Our Experienced Balint Group Leaders

The NT Balint group is led by psychologist, Ruth Dunn, and long time GP, Dr Frank Meumann. Ruth & Frank both have a passion for supporting clinicians working with Australian First Nations’ peoples.

Frank Meumann

• Frank has led Balint groups in Australia and overseas for 20 years. This includes Balint groups for doctors working in NT remote and urban communities. He is an accredited Balint Group Leader Trainer with the Balint Society of Australia and New Zealand. He was a GP for 35 years, RACGP Senior Medical Educator, CEO and Senior Medical Educator for General Practice Training Tasmania. He worked with Australian First Nations people in East Arnhem and Central Australian regions of the NT. He currently works as a doctor at the Persistent Pain Service at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Ruth Dunn

• Ruth is a psychologist who has extensive experience in working with trauma, PTSD, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and relationship therapy.
  For the past ten years she has worked with First Nation’s teenagers in an educational setting.
  She is an accredited Balint Group Leader Trainer and has led Balint groups for 15+ years in Australia and overseas.
  She currently facilitates 5 Balint groups on-line. Two of these groups are for GPs working exclusively with First Nation’s patients.
  She also provides supervision for psychologists, GPs and psychiatrists in a variety of settings.

Information about Balint groups can be found at: https://balintanz.org/

Balint Session Schedule

The first session on the 16th of February is an information session designed to help GPs decide if attending a Balint Group is a good fit for them.  If you submit an EOI the Balint Facilitators will send you a join link to the information session.

• Sessions will be online for one hour in length.
• Time: 6-7pm on the 3rd Monday of each month
• Dates: 16 Feb, 16 Mar, 20 Apr, 18 May, 15 Jun, 20 Jul, 17 Aug, 21 Sep, 19 Oct, 16 Nov.

Questions?

Please contact events@ntphn.org.au