Upcoming course information
| Start date | 18 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates and times |
18 November 9.30 am – 4.30 pm 19 November 9.30 am – 4.30 pm |
| Cost |
Single day 18 or 19 November Regular: $375.00 Students: $200.00 Full registration Both days – 18 and 19 November Regular: $750.00 Students: $400.00 |
| Delivery | Hybrid – in person (UC Bruce Campus) or online |
| Commitment | 14 hours |
| Registrations close | 16 November 2026^ |
About the course
Mapping and Navigating Health and Human Service Systems
Mapping health, disability and social services provides critical information for better-informed service planning. But how do we build and use these maps?
Navigation tools provide critical information for informed decision making for health consumers and for policy makers and planners of health and human services. But how are navigation tools constructed and what information should be included to ensure they are useful for the intended audience?
Our expert presenters have extensive practical experience gathering, classifying, mapping and analysing health and social care services to improve understanding of service provision and use; and have been part of the development of an exciting new digital tool for system navigation.
Day one of this two day course introduces tools for mapping and classifying health, disability and social services in your region, and shows how they can support better-informed policy and planning. You will develop practical skills in classifying and interpreting patterns of service provision using the DESDE system, applied across Australia and internationally.
Day two will introduce navigation, frameworks for navigation tools and the current landscape of navigation and mental health in Australia, using service mapping tools and a health ecosystems research approach. It will demonstrate a novel locally developed mental healthcare navigation tool, MChart, for Mental Health service planners and describe how this tool was developed and how it can be used to inform policy and planning.
^Registrations close 16 November 2026, unless class capacity is reached prior to this date.
Who this course is for
- Those working in service policy and planning in public, NGO or private health and social sectors.
- Researchers in health, social services and service provision.
- Managers and leaders of NGOs, mental health peak bodies and carers organisations.
- Postgraduate students in health services research.
Course presenters
Learn from industry experts
Professor Luis Salvador-Carulla
A Professor in mental health and Deputy Director of the Health Research Institute with the University of Canberra, Luis’ primary field of interest lies in decision support tools for the analysis of complex health systems and policy in public health. He has been advisor to Spanish governments, European Commission and the World Health Organisation, and coordinated the EC project eDESDE-LTC, mapping mental health services in over 30 health areas globally.
Dr Cindy Woods
A Research Fellow with the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute, Cindy’s research focuses on an ecosystems approach to the development of navigation tools for evidence-informed health policy and planning decision making, and impact analysis of complex health interventions.
Sebastian Rosenberg
Sebastian is an Associate Professor in the Mental Health Policy Unit at the Health Research Institute. He also holds a position at the University of Sydney. Sebastian’s PhD focused on mental health and accountability. He has been researching mental health systems, including through the use of mapping and other techniques. Prior to this experience, he worked in the non-government sector and also for both state and federal government agencies. He has an appreciation of the tools required by decision-makers to implement good policy.
Dr Nasser Bagheri
An Associate Professor in spatial epidemiology and health service research dedicated to the visualisation of health care, its ecosystem and service patterns. His research in spatial epidemiology, geo-spatial analysis and modelling provides epidemiological evidence to support the implementation of better-informed policy and tailored interventions in the control of chronic diseases.
Mary Anne Furst
A Research Fellow with the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute, Mary Anne applies a whole-systems approach to her chosen field of mental health ecosystems. Her evidence in the local context is applied to the analysis of complex interventions and geographic variations in patterns of care, and her findings employed in development and implementation of better-informed policy and practice in systems of service delivery.
What you will learn
Day 1
- How to analyse and classify health, disability and social services using the DESDE service classification system.
- How to use the DESDE system in combination with other tools such as Geographic Information Systems, Integrated Atlases of Care and digital interactive mapping systems in mapping health, disability and social services to support better evidence-based decision making.
- How to use integrated atlas information and a mental health ecosystems research approach for better health policy and planning.
Day 2
- Understanding of key concepts about digital navigation.
- Navigation frameworks.
- Overview of service mapping.
- The development and demonstration of a novel mental health navigation tool for planners.
Attend one day or both
Enrol in the complete two-day course or choose either day as a stand-alone course. Both options provide a focused and valuable learning experience.
After completion
Once you’ve finished the New approaches to health services research: service mapping and navigation short course, you will earn a certificate of completion from University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health, that you can share on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
Ready to apply
Are you ready to take your skills to the next level? Register today and study your way.
Register
Acknowledgment of Country
UC acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where Bruce campus is situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.