The New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry (NSWIOP) is a major provider of continuing professional education in mental health in Australia. The Institute was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964 and through its Board is directly responsible to the New South Wales Minister for Health. It is a statutory body independent of any individual university or teaching institution. The Institute provides training for health care professionals, psychiatrists-in-training, consumers and staff of non-government organisations, general practitioners and the public. Many of our students work with children, adolescents and their families, people affected by mental illness, aged persons, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and those with problematic substance use. In addition to fostering and developing mental health education, the Institute plays an active role in initiating and encouraging research into all aspects of mental health.