RANZCP's International Project: CO-CAPIT

Dr Nick Kowalenko and Dr Daniel Issa explore the critical need for child and adolescent psychiatry in Cambodia, highlighting the CO-CAPIT project, which aims to provide online training for local doctors. Their discussion emphasises the importance of community engagement, international collaboration, and tailored training initiatives to address the gaps in mental health services. Challenges such as limited resources and cultural differences are acknowledged, along with the need for ongoing support and mentorship for early career psychiatrists. Dr Kowalenko and Dr Issa conclude with a call to action for greater involvement in global mental health initiatives.

Dr Nick Kowalenko is the Chair, International Projects Committee (IPC), RANZCP & was previously Chair of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations (CAPIR) Committee (2017-2025). Together with a very committed group of College members, he has shared the leadership of several workforce development, training and leadership initiatives in the Pacific and Asia.

Dr Daniel Issa is an Early Career Psychiatrist and senior CAMHS advanced trainee. He has a keen interest in the Global, Indigenous and Refugee Mental Health spaces. Daniel started Psychiatric training in Darwin with brief stints across Arnhem Land before moving to the Hunter New England Network. During training, he became the Advanced Trainee for the RANZCP Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations (CAPIR) Subcommittee, now transformed into the International Projects Committee (IPC). Daniel’s Scholarly Project evaluated the effectiveness of CAPIR’s Cambodian Online Child and Adolescent Introductory Training (CO-CAPIT).

Relevant journal articles:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations (CAPIR): building bridges for psychiatry workforce capacity with Pacific Island nations
• Building capacity for child and adolescent mental health and psychiatry in Papua New Guinea
• The Vanuatu Psychiatry Mentorship Programme: supporting the development of a fledgling mental health service in the Pacific
• Addressing the specialist workforce CAMH skill-gap: providing and evaluating iCAMH training in Fiji and Papua New Guinea
• Piloting online training in the Pacific-Ophelia project for child and adolescent mental health
• Where there is No Child Psychiatry: A reflection on child mental health capacity building from Australia (WCAP)

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