In this Sector Update, find:

• Director of Engagement and Partnerships blog, from Vicky Choice
• Sector News
• Upcoming events
• Grants, community resources, and other opportunities

Our next Sector Update will be in 26 July. Let us know if you have anything you'd like us to include by replying to this email.

Dear friends,  

I hope this Sector Update finds you well and warm.  
 
For those who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Kylie Burnett and I have been engaged by the MHCC ACT Board to cover the duties of a Chief Operating Officer, reporting through to the board until Melanie returns from parental leave in August. I am job sharing the role with Brendan Egan, and I am being supported by my colleague Emma Davis. I’d like to thank those who I have met so far. Everyone is wonderfully supportive and welcoming. Brendan and I look forward to meeting more of you throughout July.  
 
Two weeks ago, in partnership with Disabled Peoples and Representative Organisations, we launched our shared election platform for the October election. Our shared priorities, developed with ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, Women with Disabilities ACT, and Advocacy for Inclusion would ensure that Government and members can work towards an inclusive and welcoming Canberra which delivers the promise of a Human Rights Jurisdiction for the 1 in 5 Canberrans with disability.  
 
Please note that this election platform is separate from the MHCC ACT’s election platform, which will be released next week. Keep an eye on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X) and your inboxes for the Election Platform launch. 
 
Last week, Vicky and Rahni attended the launch of "The Network Effect - Consumer Digital Stories". It was a wonderful morning, with many friends from the sector in attendance. We sincerely thank those who shared their stories. We know these narratives will serve as inspiration for the next generation of Consumer Representatives. 

Rahni and Vicky at the launch of "The Network Effect - Consumer Digital Stories" with MHCN Board Member Chris.

We also said goodbye to Vicky Choice, our Director of Engagement and Partnerships. Vicky joined MHCC ACT in January on a six-month contract. I know many of you will join me in commending Vicky on the energy she brought to the sector, and we thank her enormously for her extensive work in engaging with our wonderful members and stakeholders. Vicky is now enjoying a well-earned break and has promised us that she’ll be staying close to the sector (and she’s also the Chair of the wonderful Capital Region Community Services Board). We look forward to seeing what Vicky gets up to next.  

Coming up, we are very excited to be partnering with the Mental Health Services Learning Network Conference 2024, which will be held in Canberra from the 27th to the 30th of August. 
 
The MHS Conference 2024 is accepting applications for student volunteers. This is a great opportunity for students to fulfill course requirements and create valuable connections. Applications close 28 July.  

That’s all for now. I look forward to working with you all. If you would like to get in touch, my email is kylie.burnett@mhccact.org.au.  
 
Until next time,

- Kylie Burnett, Title MHCC ACT

In the news

ACT Budget: Community health services | Canberra Weekly
ACT Government told for the second time to 'urgently' fund on-scene trauma service | Riotact
ACT Greens' free ambulances pledge a 'dramatic change', says Chief Minister | Riotact
ACT Greens promise Safe Haven expansion | Canberra Times 
Australia's longest-serving women's refuge is still supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence, as demand keeps growing | ABC News 
Canberra Liberals introduce new bill to criminalise non-physical forms of domestic violence | Riotact
Canberra meeting to highlight 'missing middle' in mental health care | ABC Listen 
Davidson: Decriminalising possession of prescription drugs 'the next logical step' for expansion of law | Riotact
National Mental Health Consumer Alliance to represent people with lived experience of mental health issues | Media Release 
This Canberra cultural group adopted an innovative way to tackle domestic and family violence | Riotact
‘Those in care will no longer fear their 18th birthday’: Foster-care support extended to age 21 in ACT | Riotact
Vaping laws are about to change, and then change again | Riotact
Working with the community sector crucial for mental health reform | Riotact
Young people sadder, lonelier since social media | CBR City News 
Youth mental health used to be relatively stable. About a decade ago, things changed | SBS News 

Seeking participants

ACT Health invites you to participate in one of their free Easy English Training sessions

The Disability Health Strategy and it’s First Action Plan made a commitment to improving accessible health information for people with disability in the ACT. Easy English is a format that makes information more accessible to people with low English literacy, including people with intellectual disability and people from CALD backgrounds. It employs simple language, clear information, and helpful images to alleviate stress and uncertainty associated with understanding documents and information.

The training sessions are online and facilitated by an expert trainer from Scope. The training provides an overview of accessible information and in-depth understanding of creating Easy English Documents from start to finish. 

For more information, including to register your interest please email acthdisabilityandcommunity@act.gov.au 

2024 ANU-ALIVE National Lived-Experience Priorities Study

A focus on 16-25 years

The 2024 ALIVE Lived Experience research priority-setting study is focused on the views of young people who have lived experience of mental ill-health, and/or as a carer, family or kinship group member supporting someone with mental ill-health. This year, they have decided to offer more than their usual survey and co-design, and you get to choose how you would like to take part. There are four different participation methods to help generate and prioritise mental health research topics. Read about each briefly below and click the links to read the information sheet and consent to participate.

Online survey

Alive's brief online survey asks you some questions about your age, gender, location and type of lived experience. If you have carer, family or kinship group experience, they also ask you some questions about how you see your role. Alive then ask you to list three priorities for mental health research from your own perspective. And that’s it. Click here to read the full information sheet and complete the survey.

Photo interview

If you would prefer to have a chat with someone about your ideas, Alive are doing online interviews. You can bring along some photos to help frame the discussion. Like the survey, you will be asked to list three priorities for mental health research from your own perspective, but you can talk about them a bit more. Click here to read the information sheet and sign up for an interview, and Alive will be touch.

Crowdsourcing

Feeling creative? Alive's community crowdsourcing platform lets you upload images and videos to go along with your text descriptions of your research priorities. This might be photos, artwork or brief videos that describe your priorities. As part of Alive's prioritisation process, the crowdsourcing platform also lets people vote on your ideas, and you can vote on theirs. Click here to read the information sheet and sign up to the platform.

Emotion mapping

Want to work with ideas put forward by other young people? This is your space! In emotion mapping you will have a private online Mural board workspace where you can use virtual post-it notes to reflect on the importance of topics and think about how they should be organised. Click here to read the information sheet and sign up for the emotion mapping, and Alive will be in touch.

The ethical aspects of this project have been approved by the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee (protocol H/2024/0495)

Find out more

Upcoming events

Training and workshops 

• ACTCOSS Youth Mental Health First Aid 24 and 25 July, Youth Coalition

• ACTCOSS Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Education Workshop 15 August, Weston Community Hub Meeting Room

• Stepping Stone: CALD Adults Learning Elementary Computer and English Skills Multiple dates, Gunghalin Library 

• Lifeline Canberra - Accidental Counsellor Multiple dates, Canberra

• Lifeline Canberra - ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Multiple dates, Canberra

• Take Control – Live Well 3 week group program Multiple dates, multiple locations

Conferences and forums  

• RISE UP! 2024 She Leads Conference 2 August, Canberra

• 34th Annual Mental Health Services Conference 27 - 30 August, Canberra

• LGBTIQA+ Leadership Summit 2024 17 - 20 September, Sydney

• 17th National Rural Health Conference 16-18 September, Perth

• Women in Leadership Summit 22 - 25 October, Sydney

• 4th Indigenous Wellbeing Conference October, Auckland 

• APSAD Canberra 2024 30 October - 2 November, Canberra

• Rural Mental Health Conference 6 - 8 November, Cairns 

• STOP Domestic Violence Conference 25 - 27 November, Adelaide 

Other 

• Canberra Community NAIDOC Week Event 6 July, Woden Town Square

• Confidence in Conversations: Training for all Venue & Club Staff Various dates, Canberra

Meet the Mental Health Minister 

The Network are hosting the Minister for Mental Health, Emma Davidson MLA..

Join them to hear from the Minister about current issues and policy matters impacting mental health consumers, followed by a question-and-answer segment.

10am on Thursday 18 July 2024
ACTMHCN Members Area
Level 2, Room 11 The Griffin Centre
20 Genge Street
Canberra City, ACT 2601

This event can only be attended in person

This is a highly sought after event so please register so that you don’t miss out on a place.  

If you are unable to attend but have questions you would like answered, please email actmhcn@actmhcn.org.au. The Network will ask your questions on your behalf and provide a response after the event.

Healthcare Sector women’s leadership scholarship

Partial scholarships of $1,000-$5,000 are available to help women in select industries participate in world-class leadership courses.

Find out more.

Editorial policy
Opinions expressed in articles included in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the policy position of MHCC ACT. Information included in this newsletter is for general information purposes only and should not be seen as an endorsement of any particular service.

Our mailing address
Lvl 1, 20 Genge St, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Acknowledgement of Country
MHCC ACT acknowledges all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians and Country and recognises their continuing connection to land, sea, culture and community. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.