In rural and remote communities, the people supporting children and families often do far more than their job title suggests.
A teacher may be the first to notice a child is struggling. A GP, nurse, allied health professional or community worker may provide support that extends well beyond their formal role. When specialist services are limited, local professionals often become the first and most consistent source of help for children and families.
Their role is becoming increasingly important.
Emerging Minds’ recent report, Scoping child mental health workforce capability, found that out of four million children aged 0-12 years living in Australia, an estimated 13% experience a mental health condition. Emerging Minds modelling showed prevalence of child mental health conditions, as well as indicators of need for early intervention support, were higher in regional areas compared with major cities.
At the same time, children in many remote areas experience higher levels of developmental vulnerability, suggesting there may be significant unmet need. Put simply, some of the communities facing the greatest challenges often have the fewest specialist services available locally.
When specialist services are scarce, recognising promising practice and strengthening the capacity of the broader workforce becomes even more critical.
Teachers, GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, and social and community services workers all play an important role in recognising concerns early, responding appropriately and connecting families with support.
Findings from the 2023 Emerging Minds National Workforce Survey highlight both the challenges and strengths of rural practice. Practitioners in outer regional and remote areas reported fewer referral options and lower confidence in some child mental health capability areas. At the same time, they reported strong capability in adapting their practice to local contexts and working with the communities they serve, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
These findings reinforce the importance of investing not only in specialist services, but also in the knowledge, confidence and capability of the broader workforce that children and families already know and trust.
This is a key focus for Emerging Minds. Through evidence-informed resources, online learning, implementation support and workforce development initiatives, Emerging Minds works with Primary Health Networks, service providers and professional groups to strengthen prevention and early intervention responses for children and families across Australia. The organisation also undertakes workforce research to better understand practitioner experiences and identify where additional support is needed.
This month, Emerging Minds has launched the 2026 National Workforce Survey and is particularly keen to hear from professionals working in rural and remote communities.
The survey provides practitioners with an opportunity to share what they feel are strengths in their knowledge and practice, where challenges remain and what support and development would make the biggest difference in their day-to-day practice. General practitioners can also count their participation towards CPD through an accredited Reviewing Performance activity linked to the survey, with CPD recognition available through RACGP and ACRRM via a short follow-on reflective activity. The findings help shape future resources and workforce development activities, and policy, helping ensure support is informed by the realities of practice across Australia.
For rural and remote practitioners, participation is an opportunity to ensure local experiences, challenges and strengths are reflected in the national picture.
Practitioners interested in taking part or learning more can visit the National Workforce Survey 2026 webpage.
The experiences of rural practitioners tell an important story. By sharing those experiences, practitioners can help strengthen the support available to the workforce and ultimately improve outcomes for children, families and communities across rural and remote Australia.
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