WELCOME to our new look eNews. This is just a taste of the web upgrade happening at WAAMH.  We are launching our new website very soon, which will display modern user-friendly features and an improved visual layout and feel, making it much more accessible and interactive.  Some of the advantages of the new site will be the access it will give to online resources and eLearning technology, faster, simpler member services and enhanced ability for our members to feature their services through our Service Directory.

This month’s hot topic is the looming federal election. Mental health policy was on both major parties’ agendas three years ago, but coming into this election we have not seen any mention of where mental health reform sits. Through the National Peak body Community Mental Health Australia, we will be reminding the political parties of the substantial commitment still needed to lift mental health investment to reflect its social impact and to address critical gaps in outcomes for employment, housing and life span. I strongly urge you all to approach your local MP’s and get mental health issues and policy reform back on the agenda for our politicians again, before we hit the ballot box on September 7.

Big news this month is the agreement by WA to join the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with three trial sites to proceed in the locations identified for WA’s My Way trial sites and federal funding to support the trials. We are awaiting details of how mental health will be included and will keep our members posted as details emerge.

I’d like to thank everyone who recently renewed their membership with WAAMH and formally acknowledge this month’s new joiners - Fresh Start, The ORS Group, Mosaic Community Care and Perth Central and East Metro Medicare Local.

There are some great events filling up the calendar already for Mental Health Week from October 6-13 and our training division has launched a new course on Mental Health and Behavioural Intervention which you can read all about below. I hope you enjoy reading the August edition of eNews.

Rod Astbury
Executive Director
Western Australian Association for Mental Health

WITH the election date now in sight and no sign of mental health reform on both major parties’ political agendas, the Mental Health Council of Australia has called on the entire community to support a national approach to reforming the sector. MHCA chair Jennifer Westacott said there needed to be a focus on fixing the mental health system in Australia, everyone, from every sector was responsible for driving the change.
“For some time, we had momentum, thanks to engaged political interest from all three major political parties,” Westacott said. “However, the interest has dropped away considerably in the lead up to the 2013 election, and with that, momentum has been lost. Meanwhile, I suspect people still continue to experience very real and troubling issues with our current dysfunctional system.”
Westacott said people in government, the business sector, and education and health all had a role to play in reform.
Similarly, national charity group SANE Australia has warned political parties not to “drop the ball” on mental health at this year’s election. Whilst there has been important progress made in mental health reform, SANE said Australia still had a long way to go.
“We’re calling on all parties to commit to ensuring that everyone who needs help for mental illness will get treatment and support as early as possible, for as long as needed, and in the community where they live,” SANE Australia acting CEO Charmaine Smith said. “We need the federal and state governments to work together more effectively, to ensure that this help is provided as seamlessly as possible."
Smith said while billions of dollars each year were spent on the mental health system, it lacked integration and coordination.

WESTERN Australian Premier Colin Barnett is the final state leader to sign up to the federal government's DisabilityCare (NDIS) program, but is sticking to his guns with WA's own My Way program.

The West Australian reported Barnett opposed a centrally controlled system and refused to ditch My Way because it would provide more individualised care underpinned by locally made decisions.

The My Way launch sites are underway in the South West and Kwinana-Cockburn will reportedly go ahead as planned. These will be in addition to a new DisabilityCare site most likely around Midland, Hills area in 2014-15.

WA’s dual approach will be subject to independent evaluation so that comparisons can be drawn between how the two systems work and how they can be improved to provide the best care. Details are awaited on how people with mental health issues will be included in the trial sites.

More information on My Way and DisabilityCare.

EVENTS during Mental Health Week (Oct 6-13) are filling up as the week's proceedings start to take shape.

WAAMH has many resources available for you to use to promote Mental Health Week in your area or within your organisation.

This year’s theme Celebrate, Connect, Grow will embrace the success of last year, as it encourages all of us to act on the big and small things we can do to increase our own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of those around us.

Events around WA
You can expect to see a host of events including movies at Luna Theatre during our opening ceremony, an art exhibition at Perth Town Hall, a poetry competition, and a lunch time speaker series at Central Park, featuring Marlene Robins from Beyond Maturity Blues. Glenn Mitchell, our Ambassador for 2013, will be out and about talking about mental health and wellbeing again. Glenn and Heath Black ‘Let’s talk about mental health’ will be on Friday afternoon at Central Park.
There will also be a Bunbury Mental Health Extravaganza and lots happening in Esperance (watch this space!)
Fiona Kalaf presents on FIFO/DIDO at Curtin University on Tuesday October 8 from 6pm, we revisit Heathcote on Friday October 11 and take a group of children from Parkerville to Point Walter for water activities. These are just the start and we look forward to hearing what you have planned. Promote your event through our network, by completing an event registration on the MHW website and check out existing events. Even if it isn’t a public event, still let us know, we’d love to hear what’s happening during Mental Health Week in your area.

Getting started
We would like to help get you started with a selection of resources found at http://mhw.waamh.org.au/getting-started.aspx. These include a starter kit, tips, ideas, a media release template and access to Mental Health Week posters, flyers, balloons, pens, and notepads. Remember, resources are popular so place your order as soon as possible.

The West Australian and Mental Health Week
Following the wonderful success and positive feedback of the launch of our 2012 lift-out, WAAMH is again working with The West Australian and the Mental Health Commission to release a special supplement to raise awareness of Mental Health Week and mental health issues. We invite you to participate by advertising your organisation in this magazine style supplement. To take advantage of the opportunity, please contact Eithne Healy at The West Australian on 9482 3559. All editorial content for consideration can be sent to communications@waamh.org.au

THREE independent reports have been recently released examining mental health in Australia.

The Western Australian Council of Social Service has been working on a project exploring the provision of services to support infant and early childhood mental health. The first report from this project can be accessed online at Integrating services to support the mental health of infants and young children: Developing the Concepts. In the second phase of the project, WACOSS has been interviewing a range of organisations that provide services which contribute towards or support the mental health of infants and young children. WACOSS is now hosting a community consultation on Monday 19th August to provide further opportunity to discuss infant and early childhood mental health service provision and early years service integration within the City of Cockburn. Register for the event here.

The Mental Health Council of Australia, has unveiled Perspectives: Mental Health & Wellbeing in Australia, a report which includes more than 30 articles from consumers, carers, academics and people delivering services; all committed to meaningful reform and strengthening of the mental health sector.

The third report of interest, titled Obsessive Hope Disorder: Reflections on 30 years of mental health reform in Australia and visions for the future was released by ConNetica and examines the present state of the system and proposes a better way for the future.

WAAHM's training division has launched its latest course - Mental Health and Behaviour Interventions. This one day interactive course has been developed to assist workers in recognising and understanding symptoms and how to support positive behaviours.

There are many different conditions that are recognised as mental illness and some people may display behaviours of concern as a result of this. Our training session covers mental health awareness, common conditions of mental illnesses, their signs and symptoms, understanding recovery, and identifying strategies to deal with behaviours of concern.

It is suitable for support workers, coordinators and managers who work with clients with mental health conditions.

There are still spots available for the next course on September 13. For more information, head to WAAMH Training.

Minds United Survey
PERTH-based Minds United, with the support of Consumers of Mental Health WA (CoMHWA) and NIFNEX newspaper, invite you to complete this brief survey as they seek feedback from organisations that may be interested in participating in a suicide prevention and mental wellbeing workshop early next year.

The full-day workshop has registrations available for up to 300 managers (leaders) of community, business and mental health organisations to come together to address suicide prevention and improve mental wellbeing across Western Australia.

The survey also enables you to express interest and progress broader issues. Please complete this survey before Friday August 23, it should only take around 5 minutes of your time.

About Minds United
Minds United is a not-for-profit organisation determined to prevent suicide, save lives, improve mental wellbeing and progress broader social, environmental, consumer and business issues. For more information contact Stan Ghys on 0419 048 605 or at info@mindsunited.org

COPMI Research
THE team at Children Of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) are currently working on a project to develop resource materials that will encourage help-seeking by children of parents with a mental illness.

COPMI has developed a couple of surveys to gain input from people with lived experience and from people who have a professional role in which they can encourage help-seeking.

If you have experiences you would like to share about help-seeking by young people, please click the links below to access the surveys. Feel free to fill out both surveys if applicable. The first 50 people with lived experience to complete the survey will receive $15 each.

Survey: Help-seeking - lived experience
Survey: Help-seeking - workforce

Calling all peer workers
A NATIONAL peer work project survey has been released to help develop learning and assessment resources for the nationally recognised qualification Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work. Learning and assessment resources will be developed for both carer peer workers and consumer peer workers.

The Mental Health Coordinating Council is coordinating the Peer Work Qualification Development Project on behalf of Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA), which has been funded by the National Mental Health Commission (NMHC).

CMHA would like to hear from anyone who has an interest in the development of the Mental Health Peer Work Qualification resources and is particularly interested in feedback from consumer peer workers, carer peer workers, consumers, carers, as well as service providers from the community-managed, public and private sectors.

The survey will be available for comment until the end of August 2014. For further information contact Chris Keyes at chriskeyes@mhcc.org.au

WAAMH Individual Placement and Support state project lead Philleen Dickson was invited to present to IPS employment and mental health staff in New South Wales on behalf of The ORS Group, as her experience and knowledge is highly sought after regarding the application of the IPS model.

With three years experience as an IPS Employment Specialist and IPS Supervisor, Philleen was able to tailor her training from direct experience as a practitioner. The importance of appropriate referrals, focusing on competitive employment and the quality and quantity of employer contacts to successfully facilitate job search were all explored during her session.

Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research associate professor Dr Geoffrey Waghorn, who is the lead academic in Australia for vocational rehabilitation and highly regarded in the mental health sector, also presented at The ORS Training and Best Practice Day.

Philleen complemented Dr Waghorn’s evidence and research expertise with her lived experience, drawing on the absolute need for professionals to instill hope, choice and independence when engaging with people with mental illness.

Her message reinforced that recognising and harnessing the potential of job seekers can have a powerful and long lasting impact on their lives.

Philleen received some very positive feedback from her trip:
“Firstly I want to say just how inspiring both Geoff and Philleen were and this was the best training I have attended in nearly 10 years! ,” one satisfied participant who works for an employment service provider said.
“It was so empowering for me to talk to and learn from two such  amazing down to earth and real people, who come from the right place in their quest to be a part of giving people enduring mental illness a real opportunity for a better life. These two I see are doing this through their own strong  belief and values. I loved every minute of it and could have sat through a week of their training!”
         
An Allied Health Consultant psychologist said: "I saw you speak at the ORS IPS day and Best Practice Day. I loved your honesty and openness on both of these days. I think if we all adopted your approach that EVERYONE can be helped, the world would be a better place."

About IPS
Individual Placement and Support is a unique and internationally accredited model, which provides a means for individuals living with a mental illness to seek and obtain competitive employment. IPS focuses on client (consumer) choice, drawing on their strengths and interests, as a vehicle to promote recovery, wellness and social inclusion. It is an individualised and person-centered program which aims to challenge the stigma and discrimination faced by those with a lived experience of mental health issues.

Go to www.waamh.org.au/ips to learn more about WAAMH’s work around IPS or contact PDickson@waamh.org.au

 

WAAMH is in discussions with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse about organising a forum for its members later this year.

The Royal Commission was established by the Federal government in December 2012. It has six commissioners including two West Australians - Mr Andrew Murray and Professor Helen Milroy.

In the interim, more information can be found here.

UK recovery guru heads down under
THIS month, Richmond Fellowship WA and ARAFMI are bringing a special guest to Australia to talk about innovative approaches to mental health service delivery. Stuart Bakewell is an Area Manager for St Mungo’s in the UK and will present at a series of events from August 12-16. St Mungo's is a large homelessness charity based in London and Bakewell has played a lead role in the adoption and implementation of recovery based practice within the organisation. He strongly supports individualised approaches to service delivery within a recovery framework. To attend one of his presentations, please click here.

Don’t miss out: Youth Summit
REGISTRATIONS close soon to attend the All 4 Youth Summit on August 23 and there are only a few spots left. The Summit presents an opportunity for the Youth Sector to share and learn about the good practice work in youth and community services. The 2013 Summit theme is “Partnerships and Participation”. Guest speakers include Peter Slattery, Tim Muirhead and Ron Gibson. Please contact Arlene Hand on 6274 3796 or arlene.hand@risenetwork.com.au for enquiries or access the Summit Programme and Registration Form.

CURTIN University Centre for Health Promotion Research, in partnership with Beyond Blue, is looking for trans-people aged 18 years or older to participate in an anonymous online study into transsexual and transgender mental health.

This is Australia's first National Trans Mental Health Study, and it aims to obtain a snapshot of the mental health of trans-people living in Australia, to ideally find out how to improve services for trans-people.

Curtin would like to hear from people who use (or used) words like transsexual, transgender, sistergirl, androgynous, or genderqueer to describe themselves.

You can take part in the questionnaire between August 1 and December 31 2013, and find out more information at www.transoz.org. If you have any questions about the study, please contact principal investigator Dr Zoë Hyde at zoe.hyde@curtin.edu.au

HOME-grown Mentally Healthy WA has won the top prize for its Act-Belong-Commit campaign at the AMA (WA) & Healthway Healthier WA Awards.

The award recognises exceptional achievement in primary prevention within the Western Australian community. Nominations for the award are open to WA based organisations from the business, not-for-profit, local government and community service sectors, which can demonstrate significant primary prevention achievements in a segment of the WA community.

Mentally Healthy WA, which received $10,000 to reinvest in further developing its Act-Belong-Commit campaign, hoped the award recognition would also help raise the profile of recovery intervention.

Other nominees in this year’s competition included Fair Game Sport Equipment, HBF – Outdoor Fitness program, and the Kimberley Dental Team. The selection panel gave a special commendation to not-for-profit, volunteer-led health promotion and community development charity, Fair Game Sports Equipment. Fair Game recycles sports equipment and uses them to run fitness and health programs.

Executive Director
Fremantle Multicultural Centre has a vacancy for a highly experienced executive director.

FMC's vision is to support social inclusion for the Western Australian multicultural community by the provision of the highest quality support, capacity building and related programs and services.

FMC is seeking an ED to maintain this vision through facilitating the continued provision of relevant and effective services whilst maintaining the respectful and respected culture of the Centre.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons for the position.  A competitive remuneration package will be negotiated and will include 9.25% superannuation and salary packaging arrangements.

For an information package contact 08 9336 8282 or email cvlasta.mitchell@fmcwa.com.au or downloaded from www.fmcwa.com.au

Applicants must address the selection criteria, and send their application, marked Private and Confidential, with a copy of their CV and the names of two referees to:
Ms Ann White, President
Fremantle Multicultural Centre
PO BOX 592, FREMANTLE WA 6959
Note: Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.
Closing date: 4:00pm on Monday 12 August 2013.

Site Coordinator
St Bartholomew’s House is seeking a full time site coordinator for its Mental Health Support Services.

The ideal candidate will coordinate one of St Bartholomew’s House Licensed Psychiatric Hostels, located in Middle Swan. The post will manage staff, oversee resident support and liaise with local Mental Health Services. Working closely within a small team the post will be responsible for day-to-day decisions for the site and a nearby Accommodation Unit.

Job Criteria:
• Diploma in community services, mental health, health services or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated staff management experience
• Demonstrated experience working with people with mental illness. Understanding of social disadvantage and issues related to homelessness. Additional qualifications in mental health or drug/alcohol issues would be beneficial.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities legislation
• Computer literate with ability to undertake administration tasks.
• Experience working with agencies such as Mental Health Services, NGOs, community agencies
• Applied First Aid certificate (formally known as Senior First Aid) (with at least four months validity)
• Current police clearance certificate (no more than three months old)
• Valid WA Drivers Licence (Class C)
Candidates will display the following attributes:
• A passion for making a difference
• Willingness and capacity to embrace the mission, values, policies and procedures of the organisation.
• A strong interest in the not for profit community
• Good communication skills and ability to work as part of a team

Rewards:
• Level 7 - $68,350 p/a
• Excellent working conditions
• Four weeks annual leave
• Competitive salary packaging

St Bartholomew’s House helps people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness achieve positive life outcomes.
• Make a Difference to People’s Lives
• Community Managed Organisation
• Strong Culture with core values of Justice, Dignity, Privacy and Excellence

When completing your application form please ensure that you submit a covering letter plus no more than two pages addressing the job criteria.

All applicants must apply for an application pack from the HR Admin Officer Sandy Lopez at hradmin.officer@stbarts.org.au or on 9323 5121.