2023 EACH | Environment | Activity | Connection | Health | Conference
Asia Pacific’s First Green and Blue Social Prescribing Conference
Non-medical Opportunities to Improve Health and Wellbeing using Nature, the Environment, and Communities
The broader space of social prescribing recognises that much of wellbeing and quality of life sits beyond basic medical treatment. From loneliness to food security to housing and quality of life, many of the interventions that make a difference to someone’s social, emotional and physical wellbeing can happen outside of the consultation room or hospital setting. With increasing pressures on the health system, and a growing recognition of the impacts of the social determinants of health, there is a rising need to link people to the resources within their communities, to facilitate access to opportunities for better health and wellbeing, whilst ensuring a positive net impact on the systems and environments that support them.
The Opportunity to Work Across Disciplines and Borders
The EACH Conference is a trans-disciplinary conference bringing together experts on the interconnections and opportunities between people, their communities, their environments and their wellbeing. The conference brings together leaders in nature based interventions, health, sport, education and environment with a common goal of improving human health and wellness, through connection to nature and environment. The conference seeks to build an epistemic community that makes linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. We are motivated to come to together to share, and to build strategies for action, framed by our shared interests to impact policy and practice.
Call for Abstracts:
This conference calls for research addressing the following themes and special focus, with a focus on practical applications of evidence to policy and practice:
- Theme 1 - Making Connections: Linking People, Health Care Providers, Services, and Community Resources: This theme invites papers showcasing effective examples of linking people to resources, or creating community capacity and capability, through direct or novel means.
- Theme 2 - Evidence in Practice / Case Studies of Improved Wellbeing through Environmental Intervention: A number of approaches such as physical activity scripts, adventure therapy, nature-based education, lifestyle medicine, modifying built environments and more have been utilised to improve aspects of wellbeing. Contemporary examples of practice in Australia can serve as a point of discussion for future intervention and research. Papers can also explore the qualitative, quantitative or economic impacts on health, social and emotional wellbeing, or quality of life.
- Theme 3 - Environmental Challenges & Resilience: This theme invites presentations that address intentional responses to extreme environmental events, environmental challenges, purposeful rebuilding or environmental curation.
- Theme 4 - Exploratory Papers on Collaborative Ways Forward: This theme invites presentations on contemporary frames that could be used to support better alignment between researchers, funders, services, and the people who benefit from interventions.
To submit an abstract, please go to Abstract Submission. You can also view the full Abstract Submission Guidelines.
Submission Deadline
All abstracts must be received by Friday, 9 June 2023, for consideration for inclusion in the 2023 agenda.
Footprints Community works alongside people with respect and dignity, to enhance their resilience & well-being and build on community capability.
Yvette Hickman is the Senior Data Insight and Visualisation Analyst Our Natural City Strategy at City of Gold Coast.
Desirée McLean is the Coordinator Strategic Programs for Our Natural City Strategy at City of Gold Coast.
Jess Franks works full-time at Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) as the Co-Design and Engagement Consultant. Jess Leads the Social Prescribing/Connections projects.
Career Highlights: - Director of Adult Community Health Services (Gold Coast Health) - Acting Executive Director Community, Aged Care & Rehabilitation (Gold Coast Health) - Acting Allied Health Advisor (Queensland Health)
Malcolm McCann is the Executive Director for MHAODs for GCHHS and has occupied this role for 2.5 years. Prior to arriving on the Gold Coast Malcolm worked in the UK`s National Health service for more than 30 years.
Matthew Leach is internationally renowned for his expertise in implementation science and health services research.
Simone leads the Population Health approach for chronic conditions at COORDINARE the SENSW Primary Health Network.
I’m a final-year PhD candidate at Southern Cross University studying social prescription of forest therapy for mental illness.
Rosemary leads the development of health policy and research and supports a national collaboration of more than 60 chronic disease and public health experts, the AHPC - providing evidence based policy leadership and influence.
A health professional with a strong interest in the translation of research and evidence to policy and services.
Leanne is a Director at 89 Degrees East, Specialist Adviser and former Chief Executive Officer of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, the nation's preeminent peak body for health care consumers.
Michelle McLean is a biologist by degree and has worked in medical education for more than 35 years. She has been responsible for integrating planetary health (with an Indigenous lens) into the Bond University medical curriculum.
I am an academic in the School of Human Science and Social Work at Griffith University; my interest and research area is in therapeutic horticulture and permaculture.
Hannah graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours from the Australian Catholic University (Brisbane) in 2017.
Evonne Miller is Professor of Design Psychology at Queensland University of Technology and Director of the QUT Design Lab, where we reimagine and redesign the future.
Dr Leah Sharman is a Research Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland. Her research interests are broadly in the fields of music, social and emotional health.
Tracey is the CEO of Inala Primary Care, an innovative general practice in Brisbane's western suburbs. Tracey is a health economist, a health services researcher and Deputy Chair of the AIHW Primary Care Advisory Committee.
Janice is the Manager for Healthy Ageing and Palliative Care at Wentworth Healthcare and holds a Master of Health Science – Clinical Data Management and Bachelors Degree in Health Science – Personal Development, Health and Physical Education.
An experienced innovator, builder of communities, and social entrepreneur, Anita has been instrumental in the development of Bush Adventure Therapy in Australia, the International Adventure Therapy network across 40 nations and Outdoor Health Australia.
With over 20 years of strategic planning, operations and project management experience, Waminda is accustomed to and enjoys building multidisciplinary programs that translate innovative concepts into executable plans.
Miles is cofounder and director of NatureFix. His background is in anthropology, research and nature connection facilitation. Miles has been facilitating groups outdoors for over 25 years.
Dr Robyn Molsher has worked in ecological roles for the last 30 years primarily in wildlife management. More recently she has worked in the community engagement area of the Green Adelaide Landscape Board.
Dr Nicole Peel is a Lecturer in Recreation Therapy at Western Sydney University and considers herself an outdoor enthusiast.
Professor Sarah Bekessy leads the ICON Science research group at RMIT University which uses interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex biodiversity conservation problems.
Tarek is an international fitness and health educator with over 20 years experience teaching fitness and health professionals the art and science of movement training.
Yvonne leads the Health System Sustainability Stream at the Centre for Health Resilience and Implementation Science (CHRIS) at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University.
A social worker and public servant, Lexi is working on reform projects that recognise communities as best placed to support mental health and wellbeing.
On a mission to personalise the care that is delivered in general practice. Passionate about the betterment of general practice, social prescribing and dedicated to the transformation of mental health management in primary care.
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a career across social change/investment/policy, including work with social enterprises and charities in startups and organisational development with stakeholders across government and business sectors.
Dr. Kate Mulligan is an Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She is a globally recognized expert in community approaches to health and wellbeing
Dr. Rosanne Freak-Poli is a life-course epidemiologist. Her work is strongly driven by social justice, being the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.
Dr Eric Brymer is internationally recognised for his research on the health and wellbeing outcomes from nature-based activities. He is a registered psychologist and holds a PhD in Psychology.
Dr. Christina Aggar is Associate Professor Nursing at Southern Cross University and Conjoint Research Academic at Northern NSW Local Health District. She conducts interdisciplinary research to improve health service delivery and workforce development.
Genevieve Dingle is a Professor in Clinical Psychology. Her research areas include mental health, music, loneliness, and social connection. She has developed programs to enhance mental health and well-being for diverse populations.
Nicola has played a key role in supporting the development of social prescribing in England. She leads the national programme at NHS England.
Thomas Astell-Burt is the Professor of Population Health and Environmental Data Science and the Founding Co-Director of the Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab) at the University of Wollongong (UOW).
Since 2020, Jim has been on secondment from Natural England to the National Academy for Social Prescribing as Executive Director - Programmes and Science, and more recently as interim CEO.
JR has guided PCCS to become a leader in social prescribing, complex care coordination and linking services. He combines expertise in mental, physical and social health with proven experience leading organisations to achieve cutting-edge service delivery.
Mizan is a PhD student at the Australian Catholic University under the NHMRC GrandSchools Intergenerational Living and Learning initiative.
Rusty Moran the founder of Veteran Surf Project, a non profit using blue space to provide healing for veterans with PTSD.
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For attendees local to South-East Queensland and seeking parking, there is low-cost parking available just down the road at the Bruce Bishop Carpark.
A 3-day pass is $33 with unlimited access 24 hours, and daily parking is available at a rate of $16 per day.
For more information visit: Bruce Bishop Carpark