WAAMH was delighted to recently host a welcome event for WA's new Mental Health Commissioner Tim Marney. Tim's intent to listen to consumers, families and services is very pleasing as is his focus on achieving a more integrated, effective and responsive mental health system. 

On a similar theme, we are conscious of the major system level reviews that are underway nationally. We encourage you to make a contribution to the National Mental Health Review and will be asking our members for their interest in contributing to an unsolicited submission to the review in coming months.

You will be aware of the deserved public attention on the case of Roseanne Fulton, who has been held in prison in the Goldfields due essentially to the effects of her disability.

WAAMH will be pursuing again the public and timely review of the CLMIA Act, which the government committed to in the 2013 election, and currently results in the same consequences for people with mental health issues.

This month, we invite representatives from the sector to come forward and be part of the Mental Health Week 2014 Steering Committee. We are looking for diversity and anyone is welcome to apply. All you need to have are ideas, networks and one spare hour per month.

We have a large range of workshops and forums scheduled for May targeted at the mental health sector, which you can find out more about below.

Keep your eyes out for the Health and Medicine section in The West Australian newspaper on April 23 for a special mental health feature.

Until next month, enjoy the April edition of eNews.

Rod Astbury
Executive Director
WA Association for Mental Health

We are putting the steering committee together to help organise the 2014 Mental Health Week activities and events in October.

If you are interested in being part of this steering group, please email communications@waamh.org.au and outline your previous involvement, or specify what you can bring to this group to enhance our annual event.

Requirements:

• Can commit to one meeting per month
• Creative ideas
• Communication and negotiation skills
• Passionate about mental health promotion
• Strong contacts within mental health sector and the general community, including education institutions and business.
• Be available in October to assist with events and promote through your network.
• This is a voluntary position, but the chance to help inform and change lives in the broader community.

You will be notified by April 17 whether your nomination was successful. First meeting will be Thursday, April 24.

WAAMH has informative workshops and forums lined up next month:

2 May - NDIS Organisational Readiness Toolkit Workshop

14 May -  Recovery- focused co-production and co-design at a strategic level

14 May - Exploring Individual Placement & Support Implementation

26 May - Is Your Organisation NDIS ready?

30 May - Towards Transformation: Recovery Leadership and Excellence with Lyn Mahboub

THE important role that workplaces and schools can play in contributing to mentally healthy communities has become increasingly evident to WAAMH through our mental health promotion role. In particular, we have seen the more active role that schools and workplaces have taken in the promotional activities of mental health week and throughout the year.

With this is mind, WAAMH in partnership with The West Australian, is developing a lift out next month focused on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and schools. The supplement will be distributed on Friday May 23, and electronic copies will also be made available.

We are offering you a first round invitation to secure your advertising space in this lift out and connect with nearly 2.5 million Western Australians. WAAMH members receive discounted rates.

Editorial submissions for consideration can be sent to communications@waamh.org.au to be passed onto the feature writers.

We encourage you to participate in this rare opportunity to market your organisation or program to your target audience and the broader community.

If you would like to be part of the lift-out feature, “State of Wellbeing”, then please secure your advertising spot by emailing Eithne Healy at The West Australian on 9482 3559 or eithne.healy@wanews.com.au

Booking deadline May 9 and Material deadline is May 22. Price list can be found here.

AROUND 60 people from the mental health sector attended a morning tea hosted by WAAMH last week to welcome new Mental Health Commissioner Tim Marney.

Tim kindly opened the floor to questions from guests and spoke of his passion to promote mental health more in the community.

To see photos from the event, see our Photo Gallery.

Award - Nominations are open for the Media and Service Awards. Don't miss out! Nominate a colleague or journalist now.

Program - Keynote Guest Speaker announced.

TheMHS 2014 welcomes Dr Pat Bracken, Clinical Director of the Mental Health Service in West Cork, Ireland, as a Keynote Speaker in Perth.

About Pat
Pat trained in medicine and psychiatry in Ireland and the UK. He has worked with victims of torture and violence in Uganda, East Africa, which had a profound effect on his understanding of mental health problems and the nature of healing.

Pat was Professor of Philosophy, Diversity and Mental Health at the University of Central Lancashire from 2006 to 2008, and one of the founders of the UK Critical Psychiatry Network. 

His published works include 'Rethinking the Trauma of War' with Dr Celia Petty; 'Trauma: Culture, Meaning and Philosophy' and 'Postpsychiatry: A New Direction for Mental Health' with Prof Phil Thomas.

Abstracts 
It is not too late to send abstracts in for TheMHS conference to TheMHS-2014@waamh.org.au

Content is now being developed for three forums covering Consumer, Carer and Indigenous - indicate which forum you would be interested in having input to by emailing TheMHS-2014@waamh.org.au

MENTAL health sector employees are urged to attend the Western Australian Drug and Alcohol 2014 Symposium mid-year, titled: The Road Ahead: Challenges, Change and Consolidation.

Date: 23-25 June 2014
Venue: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges
Early bird registrations close 24 April, 2014.
Details: Program, brochure and further information available here
More info: www.aod2014.com.au/
Register here.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr Scott Miller
• Professor Tim Stockwell
• Professor Geoff Gallop AC
• Dr Marion Kickett
• Dr Karl O’Callaghan
• Magistrate Vicki Stewart
• Professor Dan Lubman
• Professor Simon Lenton

SUBMISSIONS are nearly closed for the National Mental Health Commission's review of national mental health services.

This is an important opportunity to put forward your opinion on programs and initiatives that work, based on your experience.

What is the review?

• The review will examine mental health services and programs across government, private and non-government sectors.
• It will assess program efficiency and effectiveness with a particular interest in hearing about specific programs or initiatives that will support people to live a contributing life.
• The NMHC said: “We know a lot about 'big picture' principles for improvement  - for example, that we need to get better at ensuring services talk to each other, are oriented around peoples' needs, and focus on outcomes. We need to ensure that we all get better value for money and better results for people, their families and supporters."

However, the NMHC stated it knows a lot less about how to achieve this. Now is the time to get practical and specific about what needs to change on the ground and in the system, and it needs your help.

What can you do?
We encourage YOU to help the Commission identify exactly what needs to be done differently, by completing the questionnaire about:

• Specific examples of good practice from your own experience
• Specific examples from your own experience of what is not working
• Practical, specific changes that you believe need to happen for practice, behaviour, and outcomes to improve.

Access the online survey here.

Submissions close on Monday, 14 April 2014.

WORKPLACE mental health is on the agenda when the Human Resources Summit returns to Perth in May.

According to Human Capital online, a panel featuring some of the biggest employers in WA from Rio Tinto to WA Police will come together to share initiatives and ideas to create mentally healthy, resilient and supportive workplaces.

Panellists include Rio Tinto general manager HR Kiersten Gregg; WA Police director human resources Darian Ferguson; Coogee Chemicals national HR manager Steven Kempin; and ORS Group national HR consulting and EAP services manager Joseph Carrello. 

Find out more about the HR Summit Perth and register at www.hrsummit.com.au.

GRANTS of up to $3000 for consumers to spend on arts-related activities open this month, so keep an eye on our Grants page for further details and updates.

A PUBLIC hearing will be held by the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse in Perth on April 28.

The open hearing will be held at the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, 111 St Georges Terrace, Perth to investigate the responses of the Christian Brothers and relevant WA State authorities to allegations of child sexual abuse at the Christian Brothers’ residences in WA.

More information here.

3 April - Conflict Management Training
9 April  - safeTALK Suicide Alertness
15 April - An Introduction to the Recovery Approach & Recovery in a World Context
23 April - Making Real Connection & Who Am I To Help You?
30 April - The Hearing Voices Approach & Helping People Who Hear Voices

More details can be found on our Training page.

MENTAL Illness Fellowship of Western Australia (MIFWA) has designed a Well Ways program to provide a broad and sensitive perspective to the many issues families face, as they manage the impact of mental illness on their lives.

Participants will:

• Gain increased knowledge and confidence
• Increase new ideas and coping skills
• Share experiences and learn
• Develop ongoing support

Topics include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, communication, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and dual diagnosis disorders.

Book through MIFWA at caroline.wood@mifwa.org.au

THE Well Ways program coincides with just some of the activities planned for MIFWA's Schizophrenia Awareness Week, starting May 11.

Other events and activities, which have drawn inspiration from WAAMH's most recent Mental Health Week, are planned for the week and can be found at www.mifwa.org.au

OVER the past two years, people have consistently raised seclusion and restraint as an issue they want addressed to the National Mental Health Commission.

As a result, the NMHC has partnered with University of Melbourne to deliver a national Seclusion and Restraint Project. The project is looking at best practice in reducing and eliminating the seclusion and restraint of people with mental health issues.

They need your feedback to ensure the research findings can help shape policy and practice.

Complete the Seclusion and Restraint Survey here.

Find out more on the project here.