Chris Healey

Chris Healey is a Research Fellow at Deakin University's School of Medicine within the Faculty of Health, bringing 33 years of clinical nursing experience in mental health including leadership roles as clinical nurse consultant and manager of Mental Health Inpatient Services. Commencing at Deakin Rural Health in 2013, he specializes in mental health education and community engagement.

His educational background includes:

• Graduate Certificate of Nursing, Deakin University

Research interests center on rural mental health systems, with emphasis on simulation-based medical education, suicide intervention (ASIST training), aggression de-escalation protocols, and coordination of emergency mental health responses. His work addresses critical gaps in rural healthcare access and workforce preparedness.

Publications reveal consistent focus on frontline mental health challenges: the 2018 rural nurse study highlights systemic resource limitations, while the 2016 multimorbidity research examines complex care in primary settings. These works collectively underscore the need for enhanced training frameworks and integrated service models in underserved regions.

He actively contributes to research funding initiatives including the $210,000 Brophy-Deakin Research and Evaluation partnership (2022-2025), focusing on mental health service delivery evaluation.

Professional activities demonstrate ongoing engagement through conference presentations at national forums like the Rural Health Conference and Mental Health Symposium, alongside significant contributions to multimorbidity management frameworks and mental health curriculum development projects.