Milena Heinsch

Professor Milena Heinsch is the Head of Social Work at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and holds concurrent roles as Honorary Professor at the University of Newcastle and Implementation Fellow at the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Prevention of Mental Illness and Substance Use (PREMISE), University of Sydney. Her research focuses on implementation science, promoting evidence-based interventions in healthcare, particularly in mental health, substance use disorders, and refugee mental health. She leads projects translating knowledge into practice to improve patient access to care.

Her funded projects include a $790k national initiative to enhance mental health workforce training and a $90k pilot program integrating social work into emergency services. She supervises doctoral students in topics such as youth mental health, disaster resilience, and social work in public health. Her teaching emphasizes linking research, practice, and education, fostering life-ready graduates through collaborative learning.

Recent work explores telehealth adoption across professions, AI in social work education, and refugee mental health. She collaborates with institutions like the Central Coast Local Health District to design evidence-based mental health services. Her research bridges qualitative and quantitative methods, aiming to address gaps in healthcare delivery and policy.