HomeProfessionals Mr.Paul O’Halloran BA (Hons), M. Clin.Psycho.MACCPA Aust
Mr.Paul O’Halloran BA (Hons), M. Clin.Psycho.MACCPA Aust
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Overview

Paul O’Halloran has worked and studied for over 45 years in promoting evidence based and recovery oriented psychological practice for people with mental health conditions. He has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East at all levels including direct clinical care, research and postgraduate teaching, national policy and practice development and clinical service improvement roles.

Until recently, he was the Head of Department for Psychology at Western Sydney Local Health District WSLHD, Sydney Australia. In additions, he worked as a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Sydney. His specialist clinical interests now centre on supporting the recovery of people with conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, personality disorders and psychoses including family interventions and therapy. In addition to private practice, he has a long and sustained commitment to improving services within the public sector for people with more complex conditions.

In Australia he has had a variety of senior clinical roles within the NSW Health Services. Prior to taking up the post of Head of Department for Psychology WSLHD, he was Senior Clinical Psychologist with the WSLHD community mental health services. In earlier years, before heading overseas, his career spanned several portfolios including Policy Officer at the NSW Mental Health Branch Department of Health, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Wollongong, Senior Clinical Psychologist with the Illawarra Area Health Service as well as a research psychologist with Sydney University and the Royal North Shore Hospital.

While in the UK, he had several key local, national and international roles including:

  • Head, Practice Development & Service Improvement at the Hertfordshire Partnership, NHS Foundation Trust England

  • Director of Practice Development and Training at the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, King’s College London

  • Regional Director of Practice and Service Development at the National Institute for Mental Health England-East of England Region, NIMHE

Additionally and in his role as Director of MHINDS (Mental Health International Networks for Developing Services), Paul has also provided expert mental health consultancy, locally across Australia and internationally including to the World Health Organisation in several conflict and trauma zones including Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank), Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Sri Lanka and also the Caribbean.

Specialties
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Director IMHC Center
Services
  • Assessment of screening tests for psychological problems in adolescents, teenagers and adults
  • Psychotherapy for adolescents and adults with problems such as anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, stress, etc
  • Group of patients: minors, young adults, middle-aged people, elderly people
  • Provide diagnosis and devolop treatment plan and do therapy based on evidence-based approach
  • Work with psychiatrists of the Center, forming a comprehensive team to take care of the mental health of patients/clients in the most optimal way

B.A., (Hons. Psych.)


Macquarie University, Sydney, 1981


Master of Clinical Psychology Honours


Macquarie University, Sydney, 1991


From April 2023: Director of Mental Health Care Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital


Head of Department for Psychology at Western Sydney Local Health District WSLHD, Sydney Australia


Senior Clinical Psychologist with the WSLHD community mental health services


Policy Officer at the NSW Mental Health Branch Department of Health


Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Wollongong


Senior Clinical Psychologist with the Illawarra Area Health Service


Research Psychologist with Sydney University and the Royal North Shore Hospital


Head, Practice Development & Service Improvement at the Hertfordshire Partnership, NHS Foundation Trust England


Director of Practice Development and Training at the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, King’s College London


Regional Director of Practice and Service Development at the National Institute for Mental Health England-East of England Region, NIMHE


Registered Psychologist, AHPRA


Endorsed Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Board of Australia


Member of Australian Clinical Psychology Association MACPA


Publications

Published Journal Articles:

i. O’Halloran, P., O’Connor, N. (2015). Time to invest in developing community mental health services. Australasian Psychiatry, 1-4. DOI:10.1177/1039856215609758

ii. Gillies, D., Chircop, D., O’Halloran, P. (2015). Root Cause Analyses of Suicides of Mental Health Clients: Identifying Systematic Processes and Service Level Prevention Strategies. Crisis: The journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention: 36(5) 316-324.

iii. Rosen, A., O’Halloran, P. (2014). Recovery Entails Bridging the Multiple Realms of Best Practice: Towards a More Integrated Approach to Evidence-based Clinical Treatment and Psychosocial Disability Support for Mental Health Recovery. East Asian Arch Psychiatry; 24:104-9 Theme Paper -104.

iv. O’Halloran Paul & O’Connor, Nick (2013). Crisis? - What crisis?- Problems in the community - a reflection on progress in developing the model of care for community mental health services in Australia. In ConNetica 2013. Obsessive Hope Disorder: Reflections on 30 years of mental health reform in Australia and visions for the future. Perspectives Report. (Eds) Mendoza J Elson A & Gilbert Y. Caloundra, QLD.

Book Chapters:

v. Alan Rosen, Paul O’Halloran, Roberto Mezzina and Kenneth S. Thompson (2014). International Trends in Community-Oriented Mental Health Services. In Community-Oriented Health Services: Practices Across Disciplines. By Elias Mpofu (Editor). Springer Publishing Company.

vi. Alan Rosen, Paul O’Halloran & Roberto Mezzina (2012). Chapter 32: International Trends in Community Mental Health Services, in Handbook on Community Psychiatry in the USA , Eds. Hunter Mc Quiston, Jacqueline Feldman, Springer New York.

Reports:

vii. O’Halloran, Paul, EMCC et al (2017): Review of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza Palestine.

viii. O’Halloran, Paul and Jamei, Yasser (2012). Survey of local needs for further postgraduate mental health education and training in the Gaza Strip Palestine. Gaza Community Mental Health Programme - GCMHP. Gaza City.

ix. O’Halloran, P. (2015). Psychosocial Disability and the NDIS: An Introduction to the Concept of Holistic Psychosocial Disability Support. National Disability Insurance Agency, NDIA.

FULL PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATION LIST

1. O’Halloran,P.,inassociationwithEMCCGaza(2017).Administrativeand Technical Review, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme. Gaza City, Palestine (2017).

2. O’Halloran, P. (2015). Psychosocial Disability and the NDIS: An Introduction to the Concept of Holistic Psychosocial Disability Support. National Disability Insurance Agency, NDIA. http://www.ndis.gov.au/release-mental-health-papers

3. Rosen, A., O’Halloran, P. (2014). Recovery Entails Bridging the Multiple Realms of Best Practice: Towards a More Integrated Approach to Evidence-based Clinical Treatment and Psychosocial Disability Support for Mental Health Recovery. East Asian Arch Psychiatry; 24:104-9 Theme Paper 104.

4. Alan Rosen, Paul O’Halloran, Roberto Mezzina and Kenneth S. Thompson (2014). International Trends in Community-Oriented Mental Health Services. In Community-Oriented Health Services: Practices Across Disciplines. By Elias Mpofu (Editor). Springer Publishing Company.

5. O’Halloran Paul & O’Connor, Nick (2013). Crisis? – What crisis?- Problems in the community – a reflection on progress in developing the model of care for community mental health services in Australia. In ConNetica 2013. Obsessive Hope Disorder: Reflections on 30 years of mental health reform in Australia and visions for the future. Perspectives Report. (Eds) Mendoza J Elson A & Gilbert Y. Caloundra, QLD.

6. Alan Rosen, Paul O’Halloran & Roberto Mezzina (2012). Chapter 32: International Trends in Community Mental Health Services, in Handbook on Community Psychiatry in the USA , Eds. Hunter Mc Quiston, Jacqueline Feldman, Springer New York.

7. O’Halloran, Paul., Jamei, Yasser (2012). Survey of local needs for further postgraduate mental health education and training in the Gaza Strip Palestine. Gaza community Mental Health Programme. Gaza City.

8. O’Halloran, P., Jenkins, John. (2007). Training and education strategy for workforce and team development, to support mental health service reforms in the Palestinian Territories, West Bank & The Gaza Strip. World Health Organisation, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, East Jerusalem.

9. Brooker, C., Gournay, K., O’Halloran, P., Bailey, D. (2002). Mapping Training to Support the Implementation of the National Service Framework for Mental Health. Journal of Mental Health, 11, 1, 103-116.

10. Lindley, P., O’Halloran, P., Juriansz, D., Ryan, P. (2002). Educating the Capable Practitioner: Towards a New Mental Health Educational Framework, pgs 36-45, in European Network for Training, Evaluation and Research in Mental Health: Conference Monograph: Paris 2001.

11. Lindley, P., O’Halloran, P., Juriansz, J. (2001). The Capable Practitioner Framework: A Report for the Department of Health, UK, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, Kings College London.

12. Bruseker, R., & O'Halloran, P. (1999). Preliminary results from an Australian psychosocial rehabilitation program for people with serious mental illness. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 8, 58-64.

13. Hemming, M., Morgan, S., & O'Halloran, P. (1999). Assertive Outreach: Implications for the Development of the Model in the United Kingdom. Journal of Mental Health, Volume 8, Issue 2, 141 – 147.

14. Kavanagh, D., O’Halloran, P., Manicavasagar, V., Clark, D., Piatkowska, O., Tennant, C., Rosen, A. (1997). The family Attitude Scale: Reliability & Validity of a new scale for measuring the emotional climate of families. Psychiatry Research, Vol. 70 (3), May 1997, pp 185-195.

15. Kavanagh, D.J., Tennant, C.C., Rosen, A., Piatkowska, O., Manicavasagar, V., Clarke, D., O’Halloran, P., 1997. Outcomes of a community-based family intervention in schizophrenia. Unpublished manuscript, University of Queensland.

16. Harris, R., O'Halloran, P. & Whiting, D. (1996) Psycho educational approaches for working with chronic illness and disability. Sydney University, Sydney.

17. O'Halloran, P., Gournay, K. & Whiting, D. (1995). Clinical Case Management: Training, Practice & Implementation Issues: An Australian Example. In J.Dekker, C.Goris & H. Sanders (Des), Case Management and Rehabilitation in Psychiatry (Zorgcoordinatie en Revalidatie in de Psychiatrie), Ondersoek & Ontwikkeling & Opleiding, Van Gorcum, Amsterdam, NL.

18. Kavanagh, D., Piatkowska, O., Clarke, D. & O'Halloran, P. et al (1993). Application of cognitive-behavioural family intervention for schizophrenia in multidisciplinary team: what can the matter be? Australian Psychologist, 28(3).

19. O'Halloran, P., O'Neill, B. & Harris, R. (1993). Using multimedia technology to deliver distance postgraduate education to rural & remote mental health practitioners. Proceedings of the second National Rural Health Conference, Armidale, Feb.

20. Piatkowska, O., Kavanagh, D., Manicavasagar, V., O’Halloran, P. (1989). Prevention of Relapse in Schizophrenia: A Family Intervention Manual. University of Sydney, Australia.

Multimedia Publications - Broadcast TV production for distance education

1. O'Halloran, P. (1995) Psychosocial Rehabilitation: Vocational Rehabilitation, Part1 (Episode 12) - Setting up Community Care Structures and The User Run Work Co- operatives of Northern Italy. The University of Wollongong and SBS Television, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. (Thirty-minute broadcast television program for postgraduate, distance education, part of a series of forty-two half hour television programs for which I was also executive producer/director.

2. O'Halloran, P. (1995). Psychosocial Rehabilitation: Vocational Rehabilitation Part 2 (Episode 13) - The Operation of Consumer Run Work Co-operatives of Northern Italy.The University of Wollongong and SBS Television, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. (Thirty-minute broadcast television program for postgraduate, distance education, part of a series of forty-two half-hour television programs for which I was also executive producer/director.

3. O'Halloran, P., O'Neill, B. & Harris, G. & Lambert, G. (1995). Comprehensive Systems of Mental Health Care: Mental Health on the Agenda (Episode 1). The University of Wollongong and SBS Television, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. (Thirty-minute broadcast television program for postgraduate, distance education, part of a series of forty-two half-hour television programs for which I was also executive producer/director.

National & International Conference Presentations (some selected examples):

1995: Clinical Case Management: Training, Practice & Implementation Issues - An Australian Example. Invited Paper presented at the Zorgcoordinatie en Revalidatie de Psychiatrie Conference, Amsterdam The Netherlands.

1995: Psychological Interventions for the Community Management of Schizophrenia. Two-day workshop conducted for the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Institute, Bohinice Psychiatric Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.

1995: Developing CMHTs for delivering community based care. 1 –day workshop for mental health services in Co. Antrim, Nth Ireland

1996: Crisis Intervention & Assertive Outreach for Severe Mental Illness. Two-day workshop conducted for Denni Psychotherapeuticke Sanatorium, Prague, Czech Republic.

1996: The Training of Mental Health Professionals. Invited Paper presented to The Royal College of Psychiatrists Annual Residential Conference, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

1999: Assertive Outreach for people with severe mental illness: Theory and Practice. Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health conference on assertive outreach, London.

2000: Case management and psychosocial interventions for the severely mentally ill. Three day workshop for clinicians- Bodo, Norway.

2000: The Capable Practitioner: Developing the workforce for contemporary community based practice. Conference on re-skilling the mental health workforce. Regents Park, London.

2001: Contemporary developments in clinical practice and the organisation of services for delivering community based care to people with severe mental illness. Keynote presentation: Health and social care approaches to delivering mental health services conference. Reykjavik, Iceland, October 2001.

2007: Keynote presentation: The Emerging workforce of the future: New roles and new ways of working..an English experience. Invited keynote presentation at the 16th annual summer forum – The Mental Health Services Conference, Sydney Australia. Feb 2007

2007: Keynote presentation: The emerging mental health workforce of the future: ... an English experience. Australian General Practice Network Forum, Hobart 15th-18th November 2007

2007: Case Management and Developing Community Mental Health Services: Series of 4 x 1-day Workshops for new CMHCs. Oct.–December 2007 - Kotor in Montenegro.

2007: Motivational Interviewing - tactics for change with people with psychosis. Dec. 2007 - Klatovy, Czech Republic.

2008: Case Management and Developing Community Mental Health Services: Series of 4 x 1-day Workshops for new CMHCs. Oct. – November 2007 & February 2008 – Jahorina & Vlasic in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

2008: Developing Recovery based Community Mental Health Services. Keynote presentation Recovery Conference, An Najah University, Nablus, West Bank Palestine.

2009: Psychosocial Interventions in Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment- Conference on Development in Crisis & Intervention & Home Treatment, London, UK.

2009: Developing Recovery based case management in the Community. Workshop with Islamic University of Gaza & The Ministry of Health, Gaza.

2009: Beyond Bricks & mortar- Developing Multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Teams-the building blocks of contemporary mental health care. International Mental Health Collaborating Network Annual Conference, Copenhagen Denmark.

2010: The English Experience -The national transformation of mental health services1999 – 2010 & beyond. Invited paper, Towards a global network of community health. International conference - Trieste Italy, February.

2010: The English Experience -The national transformation of mental health services 1999 – 2010 & beyond ..... Invited paper -TheMHS International Conference, Sydney, September 2010.

2010: Developing Community Mental Health Teams, Global Mental Health Conference, Invited Paper, Belgrade, Serbia, May 20-22, 2010.

2011: Keynote presentation: Community Acute Access Assessment & Treatment Services, CAAATS - Results of an evidence-based benchmarking exercise in SWAHS, at Acute Care Recovery.

Presentation: Crisis intervention services -community based acute care alternatives to hospitalization: where to from here. TheMHS International Conference, Adelaide, September 7th-9th 2011.

2012: Presentation: Community based acute care alternatives to hospitalization: TheMHS International Conference, Cairns, 21-24 August 2012 - Cairns – QLD.

2013: Presentation: Time to boost Community or Hospital Mental Health? Where should the balance be set? Paul O’Halloran and Nick O’Connor. Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, RANZP Congress. Sydney.

2013: Presentation: Alternatives to hospitalization for acute mental illness- What can the matter be? 23rd Annual TheMHS Conference 20 - 23 August, Melbourne Vic., Australia.

2017: Key Note Presentation: Bridging the multiple realms of best practice in the support of mental health recovery. WA MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE: Perth 13th July 2017.

2017: Workshop 1-day: The benefits of Family Centred Practice to people with mental health issues. Helping Minds-MHS and Carer support. Perth, July 2017.

2019: Presentation The MHS Conference, Sydney (February): The challenges of developing specialist public mental health system to support clinical recovery. Sydney Australia.

2021: Webinair Hanoi: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - East meets West in an integrated approach to effective psychological therapy - an introduction. 25th July 2021. Online Webinair for clinical staff at Counseling, Research and Life Psychology, Hanoi, Vietnam.

2022: Workshop: Using Motivational Techniques to create readiness for change and enhance therapeutic alliance. Alumni of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology - University of Education, Vietnam National University. 4th May 2022, Hanoi, Vietnam.

CONSULTANCY

AUSTRALIAN PROJECTS:

  1. Mental Health Justice Health Alcohol & Drugs Services- Canberra ACT (MHJHADS).

Provide evaluative Review of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of the Australian Capital Territory A.C.T., in Canberra. Provide expert consultancy to develop a new model of care for adult community mental health services in the A.C.T.

Develop a plan of implementation of contemporary and evidence based treatment and care. Provide practitioner training and executive coaching to support effective implementation.

  1. University of the Sunshine Coast and Centacare NGO Queensland: Conduct review of training needs and Develop Postgraduate Education Programme in evidence based practice in Community Mental Health for NGOs in the State Of Queensland Australia.
  2. beyond blue New Access Demonstration Evaluation: Consultant to International Consultancy firm Ernst and Young E&Y in collaboration with La Trobe University Melbourne Australia, to review and evaluate the New Access Australian national demonstration pilot for improving access to psychological therapies.
  3. Review of the Mental Health Services of the State of South Australia. Expert Co-Reviewer with Ernst and Young of the efficiency and effectiveness of the State’s Mental Health Stepped Care Model of services.
  4. Mental Health Commission for the State of NSW in Australia: Review literature and develop a new Model of Community Mental Health services including frameworks of the essential components of community mental health care.
  5. Australian National Disability Insurance Agency: Provide review of contemporary approaches to mental health recovery. Develop concept document focused on need for an holistic concept of mental health disability which defines & differentiates clinical and functional needs, allowing for and supporting an integrated approach to clinical and psychosocial care.
  6. MentalHealthServicesofCentralCoastLocalHealthDistrictAustralia:  Benchmarking community mental health teams providing case management, Assertive Outreach and Acute Home Treatment to improve fidelity to best international practice.
  7. Mental Health Services of Sydney Local Health District: Leadership coaching for redesign of community mental health services.
  8. The Australian National Mental Health Commission: With the Black Dog Institute for depression, conduct a review of the literature on issues relating to improving quality & access to mental health care.
  9. Institute of Psychiatry, NSW and Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Office: Development, evaluation & roll out of evidence based training for crisis intervention and acute care in the community in the State of New South Wales Australia.
  10. Western Australian Mental Health Commission: Conduct a brief review of the 12 February 2023 evidence and experience of NGOs to provide frontline clinical care.
  11. Sydney & South West Sydney Local Health Districts: Practitioner training in crisis intervention to avoid hospitalization along with team leadership training to improve local systems of care delivery.
  12. Mental Health Services of North Shore and Ryde Mental Health services: Benchmarking local acute community teams against best practice standards to provide diagnostic on current team functioning and to guide strategy development.
  13. Mental Health Services of Western Sydney & Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health Districts, NSW. Benchmarking local community services and developing quality improvement plan.
  14. Mental Health Services of Greater West Area Health Service, NSW: Provision of executive leadership development and supporting organizational effectiveness to provide evidence-based & recovery-oriented practice, in a large rural locality.
  15. Mental Health Services of Sydney & South West Sydney Local Health Districts, NSW: Provision of strategic level whole service review, including needs for workforce development, of both Health Districts, of the effectiveness of community mental health services provision in terms of alignment with the evidence base of best practice and national standards.

INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

1. Palestine 2017: Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, GCMHP.

O’Halloran, P., in association with EMCC Gaza (2017). Administrative and Technical Review, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme. Gaza City, Palestine (2017).

2. Palestine 2012: Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, GCMHP 2011/12. GCMHP-Strategic workforce and training needs analysis of the local clinical mental health workforce.

3. Regional Consultant (part-time), World Heath Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, EMRO, In The Occupied Palestinian Territories, West Bank & Gaza (Between 2005 - 2010):

Based in WHO Office in Jerusalem, Abu Obaida Ibn El Jarrah Street, Jerusalem.

Lead international expert on -

  • Writing of national Palestinian workforce development strategy to underpin mental health reforms;
  • Construction & implementation of training & education strategy in recovery oriented & evidence based practice;
  • Development of psychological practice through developing Masters programme in evidence based Psychological Therapies in collaboration with the Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza & the Palestinian Ministry of Health, to develop professional capacity & capability of psychologists in the Gaza strip.
  • Development of evidence based Masters degrees in Mental Health Nursing at An Najah University in the West Bank & the Islamic University of Gaza in the Gaza Strip.
  • Provision of training to senior clinicians and academics in contemporary mental health and psychological practice;
  • Training of postgraduate students at an Najah University and Ibn Sina College of Nursing in Ramallah in the West Bank & the Islamic University of Gaza in the Gaza Strip.

ADDITIONAL CONSULTANCY WORK WITH THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, from 2004 - 2010 include:

JORDAN: As Psychological consultant to WHO Office in Amman, Jordan, (August, November & December 2009, April & May 2010)

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, & MONTENEGRO: As Psychological consultant to WHO Europe as part of the South East European Project - (Nov-Dec 2007; Feb-March 2008).

SRI LANKA: As Psychological consultant to WHO, in Sri Lanka, South East Asian Region Office, SERO (Feb. 2005).

THE CARIBBEAN REGION: Psychological consultant to Pan American Health Organization, PAHO & WHO, St. Lucia & Barbados (May 2004).