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Closing the Gap for Indigenous mental health - 19 March 2015
Commissioner's Update
Missing. Inaction.
Where is the National Review of Mental Health Programs and Services?
Seventy CEOs of mental health services have written an open letter to the Prime Minister imploring the Australian Government to take urgent action to ensure continuity of services and programs for Australians who live with mental illness, and those who care for them.
The National Mental Health Commission completed the review in late 2014, and while it is understood the Government is considering its response, service providers say continued uncertainty is now resulting in staff attrition and service wind down and the issue has now reached crisis point.
To find out more, read the letter from to the Prime Minister.
Rural and Remote
I am sure all of those in the South East and along the coast have enjoyed the rain in the last month. Spare a thought for the central and north west that is still in drought. If you'd like to help our farming community, I hear that tax deductible donations through Farmers Card make a real difference.
Integrating services
Thank you to those people in the country who have taken the time to talk to CheckUp and to Central Queensland Rural Health to provide us with information to contribute to projects that help us better understand barriers to integration of services.
I am looking forward to reading their reports. Unfortunately with a small staff we are not able to consult directly across the length and breadth of Queensland.
Survey closes this week
All mental health providers delivering services in the North West, Central West and South West Hospital and Health Service regions are invited to complete CheckUp's online survey before 26 March 2015. This survey is to be completed by service providers/health professionals and middle to upper management. Be heard. Click here for the survey.
Consumers, families and carers
I had an interesting discussion with a consumer following our last e-news. He had spent some years in Lowson House and is advocating for external oversight in mental health in-patient facilities.
The Commission made this point in its submission in 2014 to the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act 2000 and will continue to do so.
The Commission has recently awarded a contract to Urbis to map consumer and carer engagement across Queensland and our focus groups to get your perspectives on tele-mental health will get underway in April.
I am looking forward to participating in the consumer focused Out of the Box forum in Maryborough next week with a quick trip home through Bundaberg.
Out and about
Public events this month have been relatively few but we are gearing up for some busy times ahead.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Partners in Recovery forum in Logan (see my speech) and visited Gallang Place on National Close the Gap Day with Queensland Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council Member Professor Gracelyn Smallwood (Read the speech).
This was a great opportunity to meet with Aboriginal leaders and announce $88,000 in small grants to enhance Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing.
This adds to the $325,000 investment we have in the National Empowerment Project currently progressing in Cherbourg and Kuranda. We are also working with Gallang Place to establish a suicide prevention program.
I’ve also attended the Board meeting of the Gold Coast HHS to discuss the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan and mental health initiatives in their service. Their interest in progressing and improving service delivery in mental health was welcome.
Get ready for Gregor Henderson
Gregor Henderson Week - 13-17 April 2015
Registrations are now open for our major community events in April 2015 featuring international mental health and wellbeing expert Gregor Henderson.
Gregor Henderson will lead discussion about international developments to improve mental health and wellbeing.
If Queenslanders are to set priorities for early intervention, prevention and intervention, we need to know what is possible, what works, and what will work here.
Please come along and join the conversation with our list of FREE community events.
Your thoughts will help us develop an Awareness, Prevention and Early Intervention Action Plan for Queensland. Be heard.
Live Well Forum - Brisbane
FREE
Tuesday 14 April 2015
9.30am-12.30pm
Edwin Tooth Auditorium
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
Butterfield Street, Herston
Join Gregor Henderson and be part of the conversation.
How can we create families, schools, workplaces and communities that flourish, where wellbeing and resilience are the norm? What policies, programs and skills are needed for living a happier, more meaningful and engaged life and help prevent mental health issues becoming problems?
REGISTER HERE, password QMHC
Consumer and Carer Reception
FREE
Wednesday 15 April 2015
5.00pm-6.00pm
Foyer to Ithaca Auditorium
Brisbane City Hall
Hosted jointly with Richmond Fellowship Queensland, this special event is for people with lived experience and carers to be informed and inspired by Gregor Henderson.
Places are limited. Be quick.
RSVP
by 10 April 2015
Cindy Johnsoon at RFQ
07 3363 2555
The Wellness Code
FREE
Wednesday 15 April 2015
6.30pm-8.00pm
Ithaca Auditorium
Brisbane City Hall
Let's start a public conversation about mental health and wellbeing. Mental health is not the absence of illness. Nor is resilience and wellbeing an accident of fortune.
Come to this public conversation to discuss the question - what strategies can we put in place to better maintain individual and community mental health and wellbeing?
Why do we need to go beyond GDP and focus on wellness?
REGISTER HERE
Live Well Forum - Townsville
FREE
Friday 17 April 2015
9.30am-12.30pm
Robert Douglas Auditorium
The Townsville Hospital
100 Angus Smith Drive, Douglas
Join Gregor Henderson and be part of the conversation.
How can we create families, schools, workplaces and communities that flourish, where wellbeing and resilience are the norm? What policies, programs and skills are needed for living a happier, more meaningful and engaged life and help prevent mental health issues becoming problems?
REGISTER HERE password QMHC
The NDIS and Mental Health
The National Disability Insurance Scheme is the new way of providing individualised support for eligible people with permanent and significant disability, their families and carers.
The NDIA Mental Health Sector Reference Group was established last year to inform discussion about the scheme and access for people with psychosocial issues.
Queensland’s Mental Health Commissioner, Lesley van Schoubroeck, and staff of the commission will be watching developments with keen interest.
There are no Queenslanders on the NDIA Mental Health Sector Reference Group, however the Commissioner was pleased to see involvement of a carer representative and a consumer representative from Queensland in a recent consultation workshop.
The Commissioner said it would be important to see how the NDIS might impact on people with mental health issues in Queensland.
“I’m particularly concerned about access for vulnerable and disadvantaged people trying to recover from mental health issues. It’s important that the right services are on offer. They must support recovery and include real choice.”
Visit NDIA Mental Health Sector Reference Group and the Access project for more information.
The hidden harm: Alcohol's impact
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) recently funded the centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) to produce the study The hidden harm: Alcohol's impact on children and families.
In response to the findings of the report, FARE has developed a Policy Options Paper to propose policies and programs to Australian governments for the prevention of alcohol-related family and domestic violence.
Read the full report and Policy Options Paper and give your feedback via an online survey.
QNADA is preparing further input to FARE before the final policy paper is presented in June 2015. Please email Brendan with your thoughts or feedback before the end of March.
Sector news
Resources
- Foundations of Mental Health Peer Work training materials are now available. The National Mental Health Commission is pleased to release the first batch of Mental Health Peer Work training and assessment materials, for registered training organisations (RTOs) across Australia to use. These allow RTOs to deliver the Mental Health Peer Work qualification for the consumer and carer peer workforce. The first three modules for The Foundations of Mental Health Peer Work can be downloaded from the National Mental Health Commission.
- Beating the Rush is Griffith University’s online amphetamine resource offering psychoeducation and information about harm minimisation.
Events
- 2015 — QCOSS is hosting the Outcomes Working Group workshops for 2015. The Outcomes Working Group brings together a diverse mix of government and non-government organisation to draft and test a suite of program level outcomes and measures. The first workshop is in Brisbane on 27 March.
- 27 March 2015 — Black Dog Professional Education Workshop in Maroochydore addressing Non-melancholic depression in the anxious worrier and the perfectionist. Cost $360.
- 1 April 2015 – Grey Matters, an AOD Conference focused on Older Australians.
- 7-9 April 2015 — Create’s leadership and advocacy training program Speak Up training is open to young people aged 14 to 25 with a care experience.
- 17 May 2015 — International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Join Brisbane LGBTIQ Action Group (BLAG) from 11.00am to 1.30pm at Queens Park, Brisbane. Followed by night time viewing of the iconic Story Bridge lit in rainbow lights. Supported by the Queensland Aids Council (QuAC).
- 20-22 May 2015 — Addiction 2015 Conference, Surfers Paradise.
- 23 May 2015 — Australian Doctor Education’s Mental Health 2015 Seminar.
- 12-14 August 2015 — 15th International Mental Health Conference, Gold Coast.
Give your feedback
The Commission wants your views on the activities and work it produces – take five to tell us your thoughts.
