Catherine Roberts is Victoria’s first ever Eating Disorders Service Navigator. As such she plays a critical role in linking together GPs, mental health professionals and dietitians with people with eating disorders, their families and supports.
Catherine, who has worked for many years in nursing and the mental health sector, specialising in supporting people with eating disorders, takes on her navigator role as part of the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network pilot program called Right Care, Right Place: Eating disorder care in my community.
The pilot focuses on early intervention and creates opportunities for people to receive low or no cost multidisciplinary treatment. It was developed in partnership with the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) and funded by the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
“In this position I help consumers and their families navigate the sometimes overwhelming and daunting health system to ensure they get the best quality treatment,” she explains.
“I also help GPs to feel supported and valued in their work, so they can do their jobs safely and effectively. In turn, this will hopefully help them feel more confident and capable in supporting people with eating disorders, which will in turn improve health outcomes.”
Catherine’s background in nursing, and in working for years at headspace and the Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders, has given her deep insights into the challenges involved in supporting consumers and health care workers in the field.
“I have seen firsthand the struggles of navigating the system of care for people struggling with body image issues and eating disorders, and I know the importance of early intervention, diagnosis and treatment,” she says.
“I also genuinely believe in the importance of engagement and people centred care and this role embodies all these things.”
As the state’s first Eating Disorders Service Navigator, Catherine provides crucial back-up for GPs supporting patients with acknowledged eating disorders, or who want to know how to help other patients who perhaps aren’t fully ready to seek help.
She is the friendly voice on the other end of an NWMPHN phone, or the person writing the calm and deeply informed answer to an email.
“This is the key part of my role,” she says.
“I will go through the options with the GP, and work with them on planning the best pathway forward.
“This might include chatting with them about how to have safe and supportive conversations with their patient, or what kind of blood tests, investigations and screening tools they may want to consider.
“Once consent has been confirmed, I will contact the patient to get a sense of their needs, their availability and any other factors that will go into linking them to a mental health professional and a dietitian.
“Finally, I will ensure each member of the treatment team are informed and communication between them is established so they can work effectively together.”
Catherine knows that sometimes people find eating disorders to be a difficult subject to address, and that sometimes too GPs can be unsure about the best ways in which to start conversations or provide care.
A key part of her job is to make sure that no one has to go through the process alone. The optimal way to support people in this field, she says, is through teamwork, linking GPs and their patients with mental health service providers and dietitians.
“My goal is to help alleviate the stigma, fear and ambivalence that exists in eating disorder treatment by being a point of contact that GPs can reach out to, ask questions, access resources and gain confidence in their work,” she explains.
“I also hope to make them feel less isolated by linking them in with other professionals and colleagues through the multidisciplinary team approach and communities of practice.”
As part of the Right Care, Right Place project, NWMPHN is offering training and support packages for practices, with applications through an expression of interest process.
But while the number of packages is limited, Catherine’s services are not. Any GP operating within NWMPHN’s 3,200 square-kilometre catchment can take advantage of her skills, insight and knowledge, free of charge.
Health professionals can contact Catherine via NWMPHN’s Referral and Access Team on (03) 9088 4277.
