News and resources from the community-managed mental health sector No images? Click here ![]() ACT Mental Health Sector Update28 April 2023Hi there. In this edition, we have announced a new date for Walk on Country. You'll also find information on upcoming training, surveys, submissions, grants and opportunities, news articles, events and other useful mental health resources. From the CEO![]()
MHCC ACT Statement in Support of Indigenous Voice to ParliamentThere is much at stake as the Voice referendum comes before the nation in a few months. With the pathway to the referendum gaining momentum, MHCC ACT lodged a submission last week to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into the proposed changes to the Constitution. MHCC ACT has also reaffirmed its support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and last week our Board formally endorsed the statement below, reiterating our support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. We encourage MHCC ACT members and the wider ACT community to engage in a respectful discussion around the Voice Referendum. Please feel free to use and adapt the statement below should you wish to develop your own organisational statement of support for the Voice. The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT supports the call of the Uluru Statement from the Heart for a First Nations Voice enshrined in the constitution. We recognise that, since colonisation, First Nations peoples have been frequently excluded from meaningful participation in the political decision-making process. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament would provide a platform for First Nations Peoples to have a say in the policies and laws that affect their lives. Enshrining the Voice in the Constitution provides recognition of the unique and sovereign place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people hold in Australia’s history, and gives the Voice legitimacy, stability, and permanency. We recognise that the establishment of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is just one step in a larger journey towards reconciliation, and that alongside Treaty and Truth there must be meaningful action and ongoing efforts to address the systemic issues that continue to impact First Nations peoples. We recognise there are a diversity of views among the Australian community about the Voice proposal, and urge everyone to engage in the debate and discussions with the care and respect this issue deserves. Calm, constructive, and compassionate dialogue – as the authors of the Uluru Statement of the Heart demonstrate – is critical to building a society that respects equally that which distinguishes us, and that which unites us. For not-for-profit organisations that intend to undertake public advocacy around the Voice, you may be interested in attending a webinar with ACOSS, the Australian Democracy Network and the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC). More information about this can be found below (see ‘What’s On’ section). Mental Health and the Federal BudgetWhen the Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers his second budget on May 9, MHCC ACT will be closely monitoring the federal government’s level of commitment to mental health. Health Minister Mark Butler has said he wants to make the system more equitable, but we are yet to hear much detail on the path forward. Despite sustained lobbying and advocacy from MHCC ACT and others, there has been no commitment to ongoing funding for the Commonwealth Psychosocial Support Program, and in the ACT and elsewhere this is having a detrimental effect on providers, their workforce, and the people using their services. As cost-of-living pressures further erode mental wellbeing in the community, we will also be closely monitoring government actions in relation to the social determinants of mental health, such as housing and income support. We had hoped the ‘Wellbeing Budget’ championed by the Treasury might lead to a shift in focus: from reactive to preventive measures, from short-term and piecemeal fixes to longer-term systemic change, and toward coordinated holistic approaches that ensure equitable access to services as well as action on the social determinants of health. This shift in approach is not impossible, but going beyond business-as-usual will require much more than a set of high-level wellbeing measures. As recent discussions around the Welsh wellbeing model suggest, it requires political leadership, cross-government and cross-sectoral action, monitoring and accountability mechanisms, and sufficient funding and policy reform that is enshrined in law to ensure a wellbeing focus is maintained. To have your say on what you think needs to be in place if a national wellbeing approach and statement is to make a difference, you can provide feedback to current consultations being undertaken by Federal Treasury. NDIS Independent Review and mental health in the ACTLate last year, the Federal Government launched an independent review into the NDIS, to consider how the Scheme could be improved to better support the wellbeing of Australians with disability and to ensure the Scheme’s sustainability. This review is an important opportunity to highlight both how the scheme can be strengthened to better support people with psychosocial disability, and the need to expand and improve psychosocial support services outside of the NDIS. In the coming months, MHCC ACT will be undertaking consultations with the sector and finalising a submission to identify the key issues and priorities in the ACT. If you would like further information about these consultations, please contact me at ceo@mhccact.org.au. - Corinne Dobson, Acting CEO MHCC ACT In our sector![]() NDIS newsMedia release from the Minister - Pilot program to trial support for infants showing early behavioural signs of autism. National Mental Health Sector March 2023 Communique included a significant focus on psychosocial disability, highlighting concerns that the NDIA’s significant expenditure in psychosocial disability is not delivering value for money and meaningful outcomes for people with psychosocial disability, and that there is a lack of connected mental health services outside the NDIS that all Australians can use. Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE) to open employment research. Shorten says NDIS has lost its way, flags major reforms as part of a ‘reboot’, The Riotact Check out Team DSC's upcoming training. In the mediaAlcohol and other drugs
Body image
Cost of living
Mental health
Mental health and climate change
Suicide awareness
Youth
Other
Planning and consultationsNational Autism StrategyIn 2022 the Australian Government announced the development of a National Autism Strategy. Autism CRC is doing a survey to hear from the autistic and autism community with early advice to inform the National Autism Strategy. Views and experiences shared in the survey will help identify key themes and issues that should be considered in the development of the Strategy. The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete and closes at midnight (AEST) on 30 April. Federal Treasury consultation into ‘Measuring What Matters’ Statement (National Wellbeing Statement)The Federal Government has committed to release a new standalone Measuring What Matters Statement this year. The Statement will be Australia’s first national framework on wellbeing and will evolve over time. The Statement will seek to assess progress on a broad range of social, health and environmental indicators, alongside traditional economic measures. The Government are inviting input by encouraging communities and organisations to host feedback sessions. For further information, go the consultation website. Universal Co-design | Development of National Best Practice Guidelines for aftercare, postvention and distress brief support servicesThe federal Department of Health have engaged Roses in the Ocean and Folk to facilitate a national co-design process to develop National Best Practice Guidelines for the enhancement and establishment of postvention, aftercare and distress brief support services. This co-design supports the significant investment in suicide prevention activities, co-funded by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, as outlined in the each of the bi-lateral agreements. The process will run across the country from March 2023 through to 30 June 2023. Co-design sessions are being held face to face and online nationally. The co-design will build on the good work currently underway in some regions and recent evaluation and co-design that have occurred in the aftercare and postvention spaces. The co-design is centered around the voice of lived experience to directly inform the guidelines. Community-led organisations supporting priority populations will also be contributing, and existing service providers and commissioning bodies will draw on their first-hand experience to explore areas of opportunity to enhance and strengthen current models. ACT WORKSHOP: The ACT face-to-face Workshop (for Aftercare) will take place on Tuesday 9 May 2023 from 9am-3pm. The venue will soon be confirmed and communicated to those who express their interest. If you would like to utilise your lived experience of suicide to inform the National Best Practice Guidelines for the enhancement and establishment of aftercare, postvention and distress brief support services. If you are unable to attend the face-to-face workshop, you are welcome to join the national online sessions or complete the surveys. REMUNERATION: Paid participation for people with a lived experience of suicide is $430 for full day face-to-face sessions (6hrs), and $258 for online sessions (3hrs). Materials to support participation will be shared prior to the sessions. Roses in the Ocean is looking for 15 people in each session, with an opportunity for broader (unpaid) participation through a survey. For further information, please reach out to Crystal Paniccia, Head of Priority Populations and Partnerships, via email at crystal@rosesintheocean.com.au
NDIS General Issues InquiryThe Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS is seeking information about the implementation, performance, governance, administration and expenditure of the NDIS. In particular, the committee invites input from participants, their carers and family members, service providers, and representative organisations. Seeking participantsResolving Differences in Consumer Collaboration in the Mental Health Sector
To express interest, or if you have any Parents' issues surveyDo you care for a teenager or young person? ReachOut is surveying parents and carers so that they can learn about the concerns and challenges you face around the mental health and wellbeing of young people in your care. This research will help services learn more about what matters to you. It will also help ReachOut and other services to provide better help and support to young people and their parents/carers. If you take part in this survey, you will also have the chance to win one of 25 $100 gift vouchers. Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner annual satisfaction surveyThe Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner is committed to pursuing a supportive and caring community where the rights and interests of people experiencing vulnerability are protected. The Commissioner invites you to participate in their annual survey to improve their services. Consciousness and the phenomenology of psychosis surveyANU is seeking participants for a study exploring how changes in consciousness affect first-person experience of psychosis. Investment in parents with disabilitiesThe ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service (ADACAS) and Advocacy for Inclusion are seeking the views of parents with disabilities about their experiences and what could be done to address any problems or barriers they face. Other opportunitiesRecruitment for a new Chair of the Official Visitors Board for the ACT Visitor SchemeThe Scheme provides independent oversight of services for people in government institutions and community facilities who are dependent on service providers. The objective of the Scheme is to identify and address systemic service issues in those facilities. The Chair of the Board ensures the effective exercise of the Board’s functions. In addition to the Board’s statutory functions, the Chair’s role includes:
The successful appointee will have the experience or expertise necessary to exercise the functions of the role, including:
The ACT Government is committed to a Board that is reflective of the broader community that it serves. Expressions of interest are sought from all areas of the community including the public sector, private sector, and community sector. Women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ+, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please direct any general inquiries to Gabrielle at Gabrielle.McKinnon@act.gov.au What's on![]() Upcoming MHCC ACT eventsAlcohol Prevention Package ACT (APPA) training for the mental health sectorThis half day Alcohol Prevention Training is being conducted free of charge by the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) in partnership with the Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT, to address harmful alcohol use in the ACT. For further information about the training please email: training@atoda.org.au Final opportunities: Walk on Country training for our membersMHCC ACT is supporting our members to have a greater understanding and cultural awareness of the local traditional owners of our land, by providing free three-hour Walk on Country training sessions. Note: This training is only available to staff employed by MHCC member organisations. To allow for smaller organisations to send staff, we are limiting registrations to five employees per organisation for each training session. Other upcoming eventsTraining and workshops
Conferences and forums
Other
Member spotlight![]() Fearless WomenFearless Women provides girls and young women in the ACT with dedicated outreach and support services which:
Allowing girls and young women to live life fearlessly. Get involvedHelp girls and young women find their voice and live life fearlessly through: ![]() Opportunities![]() GrantsCommunity Support ProgramIcon Water's Community Support Program gives community organisations the opportunity to apply for funding for specific projects to support the ACT and surrounding regions.
Further information available here. Capital of Equality Grants ProgramThe Capital of Equality Grants Program has been redesigned to better respond to community needs. The program aims to support and strengthen Canberra’s LGBTIQ+ communities. $700,000 has been allocated to the 2023 and 2024 grant rounds. Funding is available across three streams:
Further information available here. Other opportunitiesExhibition space: Volunteering Expo Canberra Region 2023This year's Volunteering Expo will occur on 20 May, and planning is well underway. Your organisation can book an exhibition space, costing $110 for Volunteering ACT members and $220 for non-members. Book your space. Recent findings![]() Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing (AIHW) releases
Other releases
Upcoming AIHW data releases
Job opportunities![]() Our members are recruiting. You can also see a weekly summary of member job opportunities each Friday on our LinkedIn channel.
Ending on a positive![]() In this section, we want to include fun, uplifting or light-hearted stories linked to mental health. If you have an idea for an article to include, please email it to communications@mhccact.org.au. Emad struggled at work because he's Deaf. This is how his colleagues respondedEmad could not understand English or Auslan when he arrived in Australia as a Deaf person. Now he's a promising chef who is inspiring his colleagues. Editorial policy Acknowledgement of Country |