Benjamin Norris's PhD study is looking at the design and delivery of best practice mental health services in response to climate change impacts on metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities in Australia.
Researcher biography
Benjamin has worked in the Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug sector in Queensland Health for 36 years before commencing his PhD studies full time in 2023. Most recently he was the Manager of the Mental Health Drought and Disaster Team since 2014, responding to the mental health consequences of drought, natural disasters and human factor emergency incidents. Prior to that he managed the de-institutionalization of patients transitioning out of the Baillie Henderson and Wolston Park Mental Health Facilities into Community Care Units. Benjamin was previously the manager of the Alcohol and Drug Diversion Program, a therapeutic jurisprudence program aimed at diverting people out of the criminal justice system into treatment. Benjamin has also done numerous consultancies for the United Nations Office in Vietnam, East Africa and Uzbekistan on drug reduction and HIV/AIDS prevention.