Foundations of Mood Disorders | The Centre

Session one in the Mental Health training series, Foundations of Mood Disorders is a practical, evidence-informed training that introduces workers to depressive and bipolar disorders across the lifespan, with guidance on support strategies, treatment pathways, co-occurring conditions, and considerations for risk and safety planning in Australian practice. It includes specific attention to perinatal mental health, First Nations perspectives, and youth presentations.

This training is designed for a wide range of practitioners working in community, child and family services, including case managers, support coordinators, youth and family workers, peer and lived-experience practitioners, and program or team leaders seeking a shared foundational understanding of mood disorders.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Recognise presenting features of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
• Identify likely causes, risk factors and evidence-based treatment options (medications, psychological therapies, lifestyle strategies).
• Describe and apply practical strategies to support individuals and families (e.g., routines, social supports, service navigation).
• Evaluate and connect people with appropriate community-based supports and servic