NEWS

Our CCIP has started the year off with a bang, recruiting more community members and growing its reputation. The CCIP is now up to 10 members – reaching the target number for our pilot program- and are still recruiting participants! New consumers will shortly commence orientation and training, bringing them up to scratch on our work at OPUS and how they will be able to get involved. Following this, consumers will be matched up with researchers and formally begin the program in a capacity specific to the tier of involvement.

Likewise, as the program forges ahead, the team is now actively looking to recruit more researchers to partner up with our consumers. Researchers will be provided with the opportunity to engage consumers in their research by having a working partnership with a community member. A critical step for any research that desires to develop and deliver effective, personalised care.

One partnership that has already begun to work together is that of our PhD candidate Daniel Gould and our very first consumer advocate, Marion Glanville Hearst. The pair are research buddies and recently along with Consumer and Community Officer, Dr Tilini Gunatillake, were invited to speak at the Spotlight on Engagement webinar series hosted by the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

They did both OPUS and the CCIP proud, discussing the origins of the CCIP, the intricacies of the program and the experiences of both Daniel and Marion as research buddies. The talk garnered a great deal of interest and received great feedback from all in attendance.

Well done team!

Watch Tilini, Dan and Marion’s webinar below.