65 Years of Impact: Cairnmillar’s ‘Triple Helix’ and the Workforce Model Strengthening Victoria’s Mental Health System
By Professor Kathryn von Treuer , CEO & PROVOST, The Cairnmillar Institute
In 1961, Professor Emeritus Dr Francis Macnab founded The Cairnmillar Institute with a progressive but practical idea: that mental health services, education and research should be grounded in the community and informed by evidence. At a time when mental health care was largely institutional, this approach was quietly ahead of its time. Sixty-five years later, it is no longer simply progressive. It is essential.
Victoria’s mental health system is under sustained pressure. Demand for services continues to rise, communities need more accessible care, and workforce shortages remain one of the most significant barriers to timely support. Funding matters. Reform matters. But neither can succeed without a strong, skilled and sustainable workforce. For 65 years, Cairnmillar has been helping build that workforce.
Through its distinctive Triple Helix model, integrating research, practice and education, Cairnmillar prepares future psychologists, counsellors and mental health professionals in real clinical environments, while also delivering low-cost services to the community and translating research into practice. This is not simply an education model. It is a workforce, service and impact model.
As Victoria looks for sustainable ways to strengthen mental health care, Cairnmillar’s 65-year contribution offers a proven, practical and community-based part of the solution.
Building the workforce Victoria needs
The future of mental health care depends on the people available to deliver it. We are not only one of the largest trainers of psychologists, but we also provide high-quality training. Our programs focus on developing capable practitioners who can work confidently and ethically in complex service environments. Between 2020 and 2024, Cairnmillar reported an average student satisfaction rate of 82 per cent, above the sector average of 74 per cent. Graduates also report strong workforce outcomes, with 83 per cent using their skills fully in employment.
These outcomes reflect an education model closely aligned with real-world clinical practice and workforce need.
Community services with measurable public value
Cairnmillar’s contribution is not limited to education. Through its community clinics, student clinicians, including provisional psychologists and counsellors-in-training, deliver low-cost psychology and counselling services under a high-supervision model. This provides students with structured clinical experience while supporting individuals and families who may otherwise face barriers to care.
In 2025, student clinicians delivered more than 45,000 supervised sessions. That is roughly equivalent to the output of 20 to 25 full-time clinicians and represents an estimated Medicare-equivalent service value of $5 million to $7 million. This is public value delivered through education, supervision and community-based care. Importantly, this impact is achieved without compromising quality. Cairnmillar’s clinic services recorded an average client satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5 for 2024–25.
Strengthening capability beyond the classroom
The workforce challenge is not only about producing new clinicians. It is also about strengthening the capability of the existing workforce. Cairnmillar’s professional development and vocational training programs support practitioners, educators and community professionals to respond to increasingly complex mental health needs. These programs received an average evaluation score of 4.68 out of 5, reflecting their relevance, quality and practical application.
Programs such as Big Tent, which builds capability among preschool field officers, show how targeted training can support early intervention and reduce pressure on services later in life.
Research that informs practice
Research has always been central to Cairnmillar’s identity. In 2024, Cairnmillar produced more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, contributing to evidence-informed mental health education, practice and service delivery. But research at Cairnmillar is not separate from practice. It informs curriculum, strengthens supervision, supports service improvement and gives students the opportunity to participate in a culture of inquiry.
This is the value of the Triple Helix model. Research, education and clinical practice do not sit in separate parts of the organisation. They strengthen each other.
A partner for long-term reform
Cairnmillar’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030 sets a measured pathway toward University College status. This is not growth for its own sake. It is about strengthening long-term workforce capacity, research capability and service impact. As a not-for-profit organisation, Cairnmillar reinvests its revenue into the mental health sector. The Institute generates an estimated $44.36 million in annual social impact value for Victoria.
That matters.
At a time when governments are seeking sustainable, evidence-informed and scalable responses to mental health need, Cairnmillar offers a proven model: educate the workforce, supervise practice, deliver community care, translate research and reinvest impact back into the sector.
The next chapter
Sixty-five years ago, Cairnmillar helped pioneer a different way of thinking about mental health care in Australia. Today, the need for that model is greater than ever. The future of mental health reform will depend not only on policy settings or funding commitments, but on the capacity of the workforce available to deliver care. Cairnmillar is proud to be part of that solution. Cairnmillar does not simply teach the future of mental health. We help build it.
If you or your organisation is looking to create meaningful, lasting impact in mental health, we invite you to connect with us. Click the link below:
Partner with us: Enhancing Workplaces & Communities
About Professor Kathryn von Treuer, CEO & Provost: Professor Kathryn von Treuer (FAPS) is the 2nd and current Chief Executive Officer and Provost of the Cairnmillar Institute, at which she commenced in 2016. She is an endorsed health and organisational psychologist with postgraduate qualifications in psychology, business and education. With 20 years of industry experience, Kathryn’s reputation in leading and improving the quality of education is well established. Her research into teaching scholarship has informed the learning and evaluation of training programs spanning several domains, including aged care. Kathryn has been the Course Chair of the Master of Organisational Psychology at Deakin University.
About The Cairnmillar Institute: Founded in 1961, The Cairnmillar Institute is an independent, not-for- profit organisation dedicated to advancing the mental health and resilience of communities across Australia. We provide higher and tertiary education (from vocational to doctoral degrees) with primary focus on psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, accessible mental health services, applied research, and evidence-based capability and workforce development. With more than 65 years of experience, we have built a strong reputation for practical education, high-quality clinical care, community engagement, and strong graduate outcomes. Our approach is guided by the Triple Helix model, which connects research, education and clinical practice in a single integrated system. This model ensures that evidence informs service delivery, insights from practice shape teaching and professional training, and research stays connected to real community needs.