February 2020 Hi , Welcome to the first Coordinator Connect for 2020! In this issue:
MHPN’s thoughts are with everyone directly and indirectly affected by the devastating bushfires around Australia. We appreciate that mental health practitioners play a critical role in our communities, particularly during challenging times. Thank you especially for the expertise you bring to your professional community. We understand not everyone will be able to organise a network meeting at the moment. When you’re ready, please feel free to contact your project officer to discuss ways MHPN can facilitate clinician discussions about an interdisciplinary approach to bushfire recovery. In the meantime, we have created ‘Bushfire resources for interdisciplinary practitioners’ which is a package of useful resources for various health professionals. Yours sincerely, Chris Gibbs Do you have experience in working with trauma and recovery? Our local practitioner networks are requesting specialists in this area to speak at their network meetings. Please join our guest speaker register if you are interested. Four steps to get organised 1. Set the date/sPlan ahead and set meeting dates for the year. Use the 2020 calendar, to assist with date selection. Public holidays, school holidays and some awareness days are included. Get in touch if you would like to send a 'save the dates' email to network members. 2. Decide the focusBrainstorm the focus for the meeting/s, our articles top topics 2019 and 10 ideas for network meetings may provide some inspiration. Get the network members involved and set aside some time at your first meeting, or get in touch if you would like to survey the network on what topics they would like to hear about. 3. Contact speaker/s, source contentAre there experts within the network that may present or share resources? Do you have contacts within your professional network? Get in touch and I'll check the guest speaker register to see if any speakers may suit. Funding may be available for speakers. 4. Final detailsTo help make everything run smoothly on the day: book the venue, arrange catering (if required) and get in touch to arrange the meeting invitation or ask any questions. Aim to send the meeting invitation three to four weeks before the meeting.Get in touch if at any point you have questions or get stuck, your project team are here to help!
Travelling Social WorkerWe caught up with Robyn McKinnon coordinator of the newly established Launceston Perinatal MHPN. Read our interview and find out what a typical week is like for the #travellingsocialworker. Photo Credit: Robyn McKinnon view from Mt Strzelecki on Flinders Island. MHPN Sustainability Study: a survey of MHPN network coordinatorsKey outcomes of the 2018 MHPN Sustainability survey will be distributed next week. The survey aimed to investigate the role of MHPN in supporting and sustaining MHPN networks moving forward and to establish what coordinators perceive to be the key benefits and challenges of the MHPN network program. 202 network coordinators participated in the survey, representing 179 of MHPN Networks across Australia. Coordinator PositionsDo you have a colleague or know someone in your network that would be a great network coordinator? Feel free to forward on this email and invite them to get in touch. There are network coordinator positions available across the country, view the full list of networks seeking a coordinator. Kind regards, Essential resources:
MHPN's webinar library has 100+ great resources for network meetings. Register for upcoming webinars: Mental illness, terrorism and grievance-fuelled violence: understanding the nexus. In partnership with Department of Home Affairs: Tuesday 18th February. Responding to the needs of a person presenting with suicidality. Monday 23rd March. |