Housing stability a crucial factor
This week is Homelessness Week and a timely reminder of the centrality of stable housing to wellbeing and recovery. On 8 August our fellow peak body Shelter WA hosted a Mental Health Housing and Homelessness Forum attended by lived experience, sector, Government and academic representatives which highlighted the unacceptable numbers of people with mental health issues who are homeless, the immense personal social and economic cost of homelessness and the impact on the health system of not addressing housing needs.

The event reinforced WAAMH’s view that the new State Government should complete a comprehensive, whole-of-Government housing plan with a specific mental health stream within the first year of its term.

NDIS decisions imminent
There is also a number of important decisions concerning the NDIS imminent, including how the scheme will be governed in WA, proposed changes to the NDIS Act, a Productivity Commission review of costs and internal reviews by the NDIA of prices and access pathways.

A great source of information about national developments with the NDIS, including CMHA’s position statement for the eight state and territory peak bodies on psychosocial disability and the NDIS, is the updated Community Mental Health Australia website.

Another great opportunity to become more informed and connected to mental health and the NDIS is the inaugural National NDIS Mental Health Conference which WAAMH is working with the Mental Health Coordination Council of NSW to organise for CMHA. Earlybird registrations are available till 31 August and sponsorship opportunities are also now available; see the website for more detail. 

Not a member yet? It's not too late
You can still join WAAMH as a member for the 2017/18 membership year and receive all the special member benefits, including a minimum 10-20 per cent discount on all training - see further in this eNews for our newly-released Semester 2 training Calendar. To enable individuals and organisations to join we offer four different membership categories each with fantastic benefits - find more information here.   

Rod Astbury
Chief Executive Officer
Western Australian Association for Mental Health

Thanks to everyone who entered the Embrace Nature Photography competition, on display at the recent WA Mental Health Conference! We received more than 130 stunning photographs celebrating the convergence between nature, creativity and personal wellbeing.

The People’s Choice Award winner was Chris Magnay for the photograph ‘The Lost Art of Contemplation’, pictured above. All category winners will be announced and can be viewed on our website from Monday 14 August and 12 outstanding entries will be made into a 2018 Wellbeing Calendar available soon.

Special thanks to Richmond Wellbeing and Southern Cross Care (WA) for sponsoring the exhibition, to the many organisations who donated prizes, and to all those people who took the time to vote for their favourite entry.

Connect Groups has released a book of stories about how Aboriginal community groups have improved the mental health supports they offer through the Dream It Forward project.

3DN, at the University of NSW has released Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework: A Practical Toolkit for Mental Health Professionals provides practical information as to how mental health professionals can modify their clinical practice when working with people with an intellectual disability and co-occurring mental ill health.

Sponsorship opportunities now available
Opportunities are now open to partner with the inaugural NDIS Mental Health Conference. With up to 500 attendees expected over the two days, the conference is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to promote to a diverse group of mental health professionals, consumers and carers. A range of sponsorship packages are available and offer branding, networking and profile benefits for your organisation, along with the opportunity to support this essential national conversation. Click here for the Sponsorship Prospectus or more information contact Catherine Harper CHarper@waamh.org.au or ph: (08) 6246 3020.

Earlybird registrations close soon
Registrations are open now but places are filling fast and early bird registrations close on 31st August. Register now.

Reimagine is a new free online resource designed to help people living with mental health issues to gain confidence navigating the NDIS and understand how it can support mental health recovery.

The online tool is designed to be a one-stop-shop that not only provides information about the NDIS, but can be used as a side-by-side conversation and planning tool. Use the reimagine tools and workbook to engage with services to help access the NDIS and get the funded supports you need to reimagine your life today.

Australian Rotary Health presents the Lift the Lid lecture, ‘Mental Health and Our Kids’, to be held on Wednesday 13 September at 6 pm at the UWA Club, followed by cocktails and networking.

The keynote speaker will be Professor Michael Sawyer OAM, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, who will be joined by some of WA’s top researchers in the field for a panel discussion on the state’s “forgotten children” – that is, the one-in-seven who will experience mental illness by the time they are 14.

You can also find out more about the research grants and scholarships available through Australian Rotary Health, the nation’s largest private funder of mental health research in the country. For more information or to book your ticket visit www.trybooking.com/291252.

The National Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) conference draws on a strong history of successful national events around Australia, and 18 October 2017 marks the inaugural Western Australian event. Click here to register now!

The National BPD Conference plays a major role in correcting damaging myths and replacing stigma with replaced by a more positive evidence-driven outlook.

Thanks to our sponsors
The Australian BPD Foundation and WAAMH conference team is delighted to welcome the latest conference sponsors: National Mental Health Commission, Black Swan Health, HelpingMinds, Spectrum, Neami and the Mental Illness Fellowship WA.

You can help by supporting this unique event - there is a variety of sponsorship options still available!

Have you or someone you care for experienced mental health issues or alcohol and other drug problems? Would you like to see improved support for people in our community?

Share you experiences about what has worked well, services you need that are not available and any barriers you have encountered.

NEAMI would like to understand what you need to support you in your personal recovery and wellbeing. Your experiences will inform development of more integrated and innovative services and help us make the system work better.

Discussions will be informal, confidential, and well managed to make sure everyone gets to share their point of view. 

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 from 10.30am - 2pm at The Rise, 28 Eighth Avenue, Maylands (light lunch provided). A participation payment is provided for consumers who attend the workshop. Please RSVP by 11 August to georgina.mcnair@neaminational.org.au.

The Health Promotion Journal of Australia's most recent issue published an open access article supporting Recovery Colleges as an increasingly recognised, innovative approach to recovery orientated mental health care. 

For more details and to register for training courses, visit the WAAMH website.

18 August – 13 October, 2017
Influential Public Speaking for Change-Makers (3 places left)
Game changing communication skills for advocates, campaigners and anyone seeking to persuade. This unique course develops public speaking and persuasive communication skills for advocates and others, who are trying to make a point.

29 Aug 2017
Co-existing Disorders, Addiction & Mental Health
This one-day workshop examines the complex relationship between substance use or addiction and mental health problems. Learn about the relationship between substance use and mental health issues and how one causes the other and why they so often will occur together.

5 Sep 2017
Starting the Conversation
For someone experiencing a mental health problem, one of the most powerful things which can help, is someone they know who is able to talk and willing to listen. This practical skill-building course explores how ordinary people can start the conversations which make a difference and sometimes save lives.

6 Sep 2017
Trauma Informed Care
Working with people who have experience trauma or abuse. Becoming “trauma-informed” is all about understanding, recognising, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma and creating the types of psychologically safe environments, necessary to rebuild lives.

7 Sep 2017
Re-thinking Thoughts
Our thoughts create our experiences. To a large extent it is our internal “self talk” and the nature of our “mental life”, which determines our moods, emotions, subjective experiences and ultimately our quality of life.

12 Sep 2017
Safe Professional Boundaries 
For community sector and healthcare workers. Professional boundaries are all about protecting both clients and workers, and creating positive, effective relationships, within appropriate legal and ethical parameters.

7-14 Oct 2017
Mental Health Week 2017
In 2017, Mental Health Week is celebrating 50 years! This year will have a strong focus on regional WA and connecting with nature, community and self for mental wellbeing. The Opening Ceremony will be held in Kalgoorlie.

Mission Australia has called for urgent action to address youth homelessness and youth mental illness following its annual survey that revealed the impact of family breakdown on young people.

The Youth Mental Health and Homelessness Report found that mental illness and homelessness in young people are strongly linked.

June Oscar, a proud Bunuba woman from Fitzroy Crossing and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner spoke at the National Suicide Prevention Conference held in July. June spoke about the power of culturally developed solutions, as well as responses that address racism, disadvantage and the quality of life of Aboriginal peoples.

WAAMH, MHM2, ALS, CoMHWA, Mental Health Law Centre and Developmental Disability WA were pleased to hear many of the sector’s priority reforms will be included in the Attorney General's Cabinet paper that will set out his intended reforms to the Criminal Law (Mentally Impaired Accused) Act.

Our joint advocacy continues to secure some reforms not yet promised, in particular a Special Hearing which would ensure access to justice for people that are deemed unfit to stand trial.

The national Mental Health Commission has announced its new responsibility to monitor and report on the implementation of the ‘Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan’, given to them recently by the COAG Health Council. The commission has stated that it supports the plan’s eight key priority areas and is keen to see progress in the implementation of actions under each area delivering results as soon as possible.

Its role will encompass supporting cross-sectoral collaboration, the provision of independent and forthright advice to Health Ministers on their performance, ensuring consumers and carers play a pivotal role in the co-design of policy and service provision, and participating in the development of a mental health research strategy in collaboration with key stakeholders. As the Fifth Plan outlines, ‘a strategic approach to research is necessary to ensure better treatment options are available in the future and the best outcomes are achieved from care’.

A new report released by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) found that mental health is the second most important issue impacting remote and rural communities.

The findings are the result of a recent survey of people living in rural and remote communities across Australia conducted by the RFDS and the National Farmers Federation, in which respondents nominated access to medical services and mental health as the top two areas where money should be spent to improve health outcomes for people living in their communities.

A large number of inquiries into and reviews of the National Disability Insurance Scheme continue, with many highlighting just how important – and difficult – it is to get the scheme right for people with psychosocial issues. WAAMH has worked closely with our national peak body, Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) to provide a WA perspective to CMHA's submissions to these national inquiries.

As well as the need to ensure supports are available for people who are not eligible for the scheme, the submission calls for planning processes that understand and are responsive to psychosocial disability, the need to achieve good outcomes for people and the importance of governments not withdrawing services until the interface between the disability and other systems such as health are ironed out. Challenges with market and provider readiness are identified, as is the need of consumers and carers for help to enable them to make the most of the NDIS.

CMHA’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into competition & contestability in human services highlights concerns the mental health sector has around Australia about the impact that competition is having on community managed mental health services, and therefore people’s access to quality mental health support. WAAMH and CMHA presented on these issues to the WA Mental Health Conference in June.

MIND Australia is seeking recruits for a research project on choice and control for participants in the NDIS who already have a plan. Conducted with the University of Melbourne and Deakin University, the project is seeking participants from the Perth trial sites, with a $35 voucher for those who take part. If you live in the Perth area, have an NDIS package because of a mental health condition and are interested taking part in this project (or want to know more about it), contact Sarah Pollock on either 1300 286 463 or Sarah.Pollock@mindaustralia.org.au.

Due to a groundswell of response to the National Mental Health Commission’s overview of mental health consumer and carer engagement and participation in Australia, they have extended the consultation period. So far, they’ve had:
• 513 online Stakeholder Surveys completed
• 134 Lived Experience Ideas and Community Conversations
• 83 Web stakeholder consults and contributions
• 10 submissions and letters by mail or email

If you haven’t had a chance to provide your ideas and views, there is still time to do so - the closing date for contributions is now 31 August. There are many ways you can be involved:
• Tell us your lived experience ideas
• Hold a community conversation
• Participate in some yarn ups
• Complete the online stakeholder survey
• Participate in a web-consult
• You can also email or mail your contribution.
Click here for more information or to go to the survey.

Submissions are sought from all members of the community, including people and organisations within the WA health system, who would like to share their experiences and perspectives on how we can harness new ideas, technology and innovation to ensure we can continue to deliver high-quality healthcare into the future.

Following the recent announcement of Robyn Kruk AM as Chair of the Sustainable Health Review Panel, the remaining members of the panel have been appointed. They include:
• Consumer nominee: Pip Brennan, Chair of the Consumer and Carer Reference Group
• Clinical nominee: Dr Hannah Seymour, Chair of the Clinical Reference Group
• Minister's nominee: Adjunct Professor Warren Harding
• Employee nominee: Meredith Hammat

For more information about how to make a public submission and further information about panel members, visit http://www.health.wa.gov.au/sustainablehealthreview. Public submissions close on October 2, 2017

Drug and alcohol use affects the entire community. In consultation with key stakeholders, the Mental Health Commission (MHC) has developed a draft Western Australian Alcohol and Drug Interagency Strategy 2017-2021.

Interested individuals and organisations are invited to have their say about its key policy and strategic directions ‘to prevent and reduce the adverse impacts of alcohol and other drugs in the Western Australian community’.

Providing feedback
To view the draft strategy and provide your comments, please visit the MHC website, www.mhc.wa.gov.au. Submissions must be received by 5pm Thursday, 31 August, 2017.

Applications are now open for grants towards your Mental Health Week community event! You can download your Grant Application Form here. Every year, WAAMH provides grants to community organisations to host their own events and activities to ensure mental health messages are spread far and wide.

Are we eligible?
• Organisations must have an ABN, and be undertaking the project / event in WA
• The planned activity must clearly tie in with the theme for Mental Health Week 2017 and promote positive mental health in the community
• Applications featuring diversified income streams (in-kind support will be considered favourably)

Apply now for funding to support your event or activity during Mental Health Week 2017 - applications close 4 September!

Every year, some very special people help spread the word about Mental Health Week and help promote the many events and this year is no exception! We’d like to introduce our 2017 ambassadors below…

Vice-Captain of the Perth Wildcats, Greg Hire, is joining us again as a 2017 Mental Health Week Ambassador, after the success of his involvement in 2016. Welcome back Greg! Hire will be promoting physical activity and belonging to a team as positive measures to protect our mental health and will feature at events throughout the state-wide awareness week.

Aunty Rosalie Kickett is joining us for the first time in role of Ambassador, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge about health and cultural awareness. She has an extensive background in grassroots mental health support and a large knowledge base on mental health issues, works as an Aboriginal Health and Cultural Worker at St John of God Subiaco, and will join us at many events during Mental Health Week this year. Welcome Rosalie!

A very special thank you to recruitment and human resources specialist firm Chandler Macleod and All of Me, who have signed up as Gold Sponsors for this year’s Mental Health Week. They join Silver Sponsor WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation & Safety, Bronze Sponsor Rise and Youth Sponsor MercyCare in supporting the biggest week on the mental health calendar across Australia! See all sponsors at the Mental Health Week website. 

To celebrate Mental Health Week 2017, Act-Belong-Commit is asking students to illustrate the activities they to do Act-Belong-Commit towards better mental health in an A4 poster.
The competition is open to all WA primary and secondary school students and five finalists will be selected, with the public invited to vote for a winner during 7-14 October. More information here.

Did you know there's a range of printed resources available to support the promotion of your 2017 Mental Health Week event? And other resources to promote mental wellbeing in your workplace or service in general?

These can be purchased at any time throughout the year, so take some time to browse what's available and check in often, it's changing all the time. 

New resources this month:

• Mental Health Week 2017 posters
• Mental Health Week 2017 posters - Aboriginal theme
• Mental Health Week 2017 postcards
• Mental Health Week 2017 event promotion poster

Here's just a sample of the events happening around WA during Mental Health Week from 7-14 October. Let us know what's happening at your place by registering at the online form and see the full list on the Mental Health Week website. 

• 6 Oct Mad Hatter Tea Party - Albany
• 7 Oct OPENING CEREMONY - Kalgoorlie
• 9 Oct Arts and Mental Health Network Art Exhibition
• 10 Oct World Mental Health Day Celebration Stall - sponsored by Rise
• 10 Oct World Mental Health Day 2017
• 10 Oct Resilient Youth Forum - sponsored by Anglicare WA
• 11 Oct Resilience: in yourselves, your family, your business & your community
• 11 Oct Workplace Wellbeing Seminar - sponsored by Black Swan Health
• 12 Oct Australian Red Cross Presents - Wellbeing Day, Broome
• 13 Oct Arts and Mental Health Network Arts Exhibition Celebration Night
• 14 Oct parkrun Fun - sponsored by Avivo
• 14 Oct Stand Up! for Comedy – Mental Health Week CLOSING CEREMONY