1.1 Trauma-informed care - cornerstone of primary healthcare
Tracks
Crown Ballroom 1 & 2
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
| 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM |
| Crown Ballroom 1 & 2 |
Details
Format: Panel discussion (60-minute)
Speaker
Dr Jane MacLeod
GP
Queensland Health, True Relationships and Reproductive Health
Trauma-informed care- cornerstone of primary healthcare
10:30 AM - 11:35 AMAbstract Overview
Trauma-informed care is one of the cornerstones of effective primary health care, alongside holistic person-centred care, inclusive care, and culturally responsive care.
Trauma-informed care is also fundamental to reducing vicarious trauma and burnout in GPs and other primary health care providers.
Trauma-informed care is controversial in some non-general practice specialties. This may be because of lack of clarity around what trauma is, or because it is important for healthcare providers to try to minimise, where possible, traumatising or re-traumatising patients.
General Practitioners, with their expertise in providing complex mental health care over time to a range of individual patients and to diverse communities, incorporate trauma-informed care into their holistic primary healthcare skills.
This session will utilise a panel of experts in trauma-informed care, as well as the expertise in the audience, to clearly define trauma, and the principles of trauma-informed care, and share knowledge, skills, so that all participants can increase their confidence working with patients who have experienced trauma and who are experiencing distress, and setting boundaries to reduce the risk of vicarious trauma and burnout.
Case-based discussions will scaffold the discussion about trauma-informed care, boundary-setting and burnout prevention.
Trauma-informed care is also fundamental to reducing vicarious trauma and burnout in GPs and other primary health care providers.
Trauma-informed care is controversial in some non-general practice specialties. This may be because of lack of clarity around what trauma is, or because it is important for healthcare providers to try to minimise, where possible, traumatising or re-traumatising patients.
General Practitioners, with their expertise in providing complex mental health care over time to a range of individual patients and to diverse communities, incorporate trauma-informed care into their holistic primary healthcare skills.
This session will utilise a panel of experts in trauma-informed care, as well as the expertise in the audience, to clearly define trauma, and the principles of trauma-informed care, and share knowledge, skills, so that all participants can increase their confidence working with patients who have experienced trauma and who are experiencing distress, and setting boundaries to reduce the risk of vicarious trauma and burnout.
Case-based discussions will scaffold the discussion about trauma-informed care, boundary-setting and burnout prevention.
Biography
Dr Jane MacLeod (they/them) is a member of LGBTQIA+ community who has a special interest in trauma-informed care.
Jane is a GP who has worked in remote Aboriginal communities. Jane has also worked with young people living in out-of-home care, people with complex trauma, people experiencing severe mental health issues and distress, as well as with people with neurodivergence, people with diverse sexualities and people with diverse genders, who tend to experience higher levels trauma.
Jane currently works as a GP in Prison Health providing comprehensive health care to people who are incarcerated. This group of patients is a marginalised population who tend to have significant trauma backgrounds.
Jane has is gender diverse and neurodivergent. Jane has a trauma background, including exposure to domestic and family violence and vicarious trauma through work as a General Practitioner.
Dr Matt Ruhl
Clinical Educator
Pathology Queensland / ACRRM
Co-presenter
Biography
Matt is a rural generalist FACRRM, with an advanced skill in mental health and special interests in addiction and sexual health, and all facets of LGBTIQAPSB+ health. He has worked for the past decade in hospitals and health facilities across south-east Queensland, and is currently on sabbatical from clinical work, completing further training in Chemical Pathology as an exploration of other practice avenues for his future work-
life balance.
Matt is an active clinical educator for ACRRM. He continues to study actively, is a novice researcher and supports medical student and doctor education. In his spare time, he enjoys his artistic pursuits as an amateur stained-glass
maker, cooking, gaming, and sleep (especially sleep!).
Prof Louise Stone
Australian National University
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr India Bryce
University of Southern Queensland, Unique Minds
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr Benjamin Hanson
Medical Coordinator
Ochre Health
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr Ben Hanson has over 30 years direct clinical experience in high quality clinical care of patients, and an experienced educator and mentor of students and junior clinicians and colleagues. He also has 20 years of experience as a Managing Director and healthcare facility owner in Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine UK and a Fellow of the RACGP.
Dr Ben is the Medical Coordinator and Primary GP Supervisor at Ochre Health Lithgow, and an Adjunct Senior Clinical Lecturer with the University of Notre Dame Australia. He has a Masters Degree in General Practice Psychiatry and highly experienced in complex mental health care delivery in rural settings.
He is accredited by RACGP and ACRRM, and has experience with registrars from AGPT, FSP, MDRAP, and PFP programs. He is also a Member of the GP Clinical Council for Blue Mountains Nepean Primary Health Network.
