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Message from Rod Astbury
The state and federal budgets handed down mid-May, meant some small gains for the mental health sector, but neither addressed the fundamental and ongoing problems in the mental health system.
The Ten Year WA Mental Health Services Plan and the National Mental Health Review, due to be released later in the year, now become critical tests of governments’ commitments to mental health.
WAAMH is offering the opportunity for contributions to the National Mental Health Services Review. More details below.
Preparations for the 2014 Australasian TheMHS Conference to be held in Perth from August 26-29 are gathering momentum, with pre-conference workshop details now available.
This month we also announced the key dates and official theme for Mental Health Week 2014 and were happy to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback on our lift-out, 'State of Wellbeing', published in The West.
Last month was busy for our sector development and training team, which organised a number of events including the second NDIS readiness forum, presentations from which are available on our website, with details below. There are four mental health training courses this month with some spots still available, so register soon!
Rod Astbury
Executive Director
WA Association for Mental Health
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Make a Move Towards Better Mental Health
ONE of the biggest weeks of the year for mental health, has been crowned with its official theme, design and dates for 2014.
Mental Health Week 2014 will promote the theme Make a Move Towards Better Mental Health and run October 4-10.
Keep an eye on the website for all the key events and your opportunity to order a FREE Mental Health Week sample pack, loaded with official posters, flyers, tips and memorabilia.
This year, there will be packs specifically designed for schools and workplaces to help organise engaging activities in professional environments to help celebrate Mental Health Week, raise awareness, and equip students and staff with skills and knowledge for resilience.
mhw.waamh.org.au
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Looking forward together
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From left: Tanya Jones, Ann Elliott, Rosemary Walley, Rod Astbury, Aunty Helen Kickett, Uncle Charlie Kickett, Dr Michael Wright, Danny Ford, Katrina Bercov, Chelsea McKinney, Coralie Flatters, Brooke Johns. Photo by Marg O’Connell.
WAAMH is proud to be part of the Looking Forward Project.
Nyoongar Elders, Uncle Charlie Kickett and Aunty Helen Kickett did a Welcome to Country at Harold Boas Gardens in West Perth in May, as part of their inaugural 'working together' meeting with management staff from WAAMH.
Continued meetings will address how working together can improve the quality of, and access to, mental health services for Aboriginal people.
The partnership look forward to their next meeting in June and will keep members informed with how the project progresses.
The Looking Forward Project is funded by the Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing (Telethon Kids Institute, UWA), LotteryWest, Curtin University, and the Mental Health Commission (WA), in partnership with Ruah Community Services.
The project is located on Wadjuk Boodja and we pay our respects to the Elders past and present and thank them for their guidance.
More on the Looking Forward Project.
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Workplace bullying leads to poor mental health
ROD Astbury will be speaking on workplace bullying and mental health on Thursday, June 12 as part of the Safety in Action Conference in Perth.
Rod recently featured in Safety Snippets talking about how important it was for workplaces to maintain safe and mentally healthy environments for employees.
To hear Rod speak, register for free to attend Safety in Action.
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School Poster Competition
SCHOOLS are encouraged to enter WAAMH’s Body, Mind and Soul design a poster competition to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in schools.
Students are asked to create a poster illustrating three different activities they do to look after their body, mind and soul for better mental health.
The winning entries will be used as posters and promotional material during Mental Health Week in October.
The competition is open to all students in upper primary (grades 5-7) and secondary school with entries closing on August 15.
Competition details here. Get drawing!
WAAMH launched the School Poster Competition at the Positive Schools Conference, held in Fremantle at the end of May, which attracted more than 700 delegates over two days.
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Mental health is everybody's business
SCHOOLS and workplaces were on the agenda in WAAMH's lift-out, "State of Wellbeing" published in partnership with The West Australian on May 23.
Thank you to all our members and associates which featured in the lift-out. Without your support, this informative resource could not have reached the wider community, in an aim to improve mental health.
The next lift-out will be in support of Mental Health Week and published in early October. We'll keep you updated for opportunities to contribute.
Click here to view the digital version of "State of Wellbeing'.
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Submissions - Have your voice heard to help influence policy
THERE are two opportunities for WAAMH members to share their views with WAAMH systemic advocacy consultant Chelsea McKinney's, to help inform her submission to parliament. Sharing your voice makes our collective voice stronger.
For your chance to contribute, and learn more about our advocacy work, click the headings below:
Call Chelsea on 9420 7259 or email cmckinney@waamh.org.au if you would like to be involved or have any queries.
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TheMHS preconference workshops with Fiona Stanley
REGISTRATIONS are now open for the full TheMHS Conference at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, where special guest Professor Fiona Stanley will present the 2014 national Achievement Awards.
Other keynote speakers include Pat Bracken, Melody Riefer and Kenneth Thompson.
Registrations are also now open for TheMHS preconference workshops taking place on August 26.
The two workshops scheduled for the pre-conference day are a great way to network and get involved in the discussion on mental health.
The two workshops include:
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Substance use and mental health concerns in young people: Sharing online and interactive resources.
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Transcultural mental health: Surviving and thriving.
TheMHS Conference is the largest and longest running multidisciplinary mental health conference in Australasia.
For more information and to register, go to www.themhs.org
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Younger Female Carer Group
CARERS WA would like to extend an invitation to all young, female carers to join their new social group.
The group is aimed at providing social functions for women in similar caring roles and allowing them to connect and take a break to relax.
Female carers aged 25-55 are invited to either a dinner on a Friday night or a movie and lunch on a Saturday each quarter.
Contact Carers WA for more information.
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Richmond Fellowship WA ‘Recovery Champions’
MENTAL health organisations are encouraged to attend a number of training and education programs and workshops in June and July presented by the Richmond Fellowship WA.
safeTALK Suicide Alertness on June 11 is a training program that prepares helpers to identify people with thoughts of suicide.
Working With Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse one-day workshop will be presented by Ron Coleman on June 11 and 12. The workshop aims to promote techniques for helping male survivors of sexual abuse recover with Ron drawing on his own experience of recovery from mental distress.
A two-part workshop on June 25, The Hearing Voices Approach and Movement seeks to educate about the beliefs of hearing voices and developing the skills for assisting those who hear voices.
‘Recovery Champions’- Creating Change Agents is a five day practical training course aimed at building capacity within organisations to implement recovery based services into the future and will run from July 7-11.
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DVA puts young veterans at ease
AN online portal has been established to help young veterans' access mental health information online on their smart phones.
A mobile-friendly version of the At Ease website was developed by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in response to evidence showing younger veterans were increasingly accessing their information online via mobile devices.
“The At Ease website helps veterans and their families to recognise the signs of poor mental health, access self-help advice and tools, learn when and where to find professional support and learn from the stories of other veterans,” DVA Senator Michael Ronaldson said.
At Ease aims to help contemporary veterans manage mental health concerns, and encourages them to seek help and treatment early, to support recovery.
At Ease can be found at http://at-ease.dva.gov.au/
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Employment Vacancy
APS is advertising for a Plan Support Coordinator in WA and is holding an information session in relation to this role.
Next information session is Wednesday, 11 June.
View the Job Description here.
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E-therapy survey
ARE you experienced in e-therapy? The Queensland University of Technology is looking for you to take part in their survey on the use of e-therapies to provide mental health services.
If you have provided therapy or crisis support to a client via technology, including phone, video or the internet in the past five years, you are invited to take part in this study.
E-therapy is where a client receives therapy or support via phone or internet and is becoming more prominent with the increase of crisis help lines, online recovery programs and the use of texting, Skype and email to reach clients.
Participants in the survey will have the option to enter a draw for one of 3 x $50 Coles Myer gift vouchers.
The survey can be accessed here: http://survey.qut.edu.au/f/177597/8b12/
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Perth-based woman scoops $20K grant
SANE Australia's inaugural Hocking Fellowship was awarded to WA-based mental health peer support worker Sonia Neale, who intended to use the grant to promote improved understanding of, and services for, people affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Strapped with $20,000 in funding, Neale planned to travel to Europe and the US to study world-leading treatments for the condition, including dialectical behaviour therapy, mindfulness, and peer support programs.
"My work will focus on establishing new services to support people, de-stigmatising BPD, as well as debunking age-old myths and stereotypes of what people living with BPD look and behave like," Mrs Neale said.
"Australia has some great general and illness-specific mental health services that help many people achieve recovery, but there appears to be a scarcity of support and resources dedicated to people suffering from BPD who make up around 2-6% of the population."
Additionally, Neale and SANE Australia intended to develop information resources and services in this area.
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