QMHC eNEWS - Issue 46 October 2017

Sincere thanks to everyone who participated in, and supported Queensland Mental Health Week 2017.

Your efforts are incredible—not just for the number of community events (237 at final count), but for the spread across every corner of the state; and most of all, for your passion and commitment to putting mental health and wellbeing in the spotlight.

It’s great to see corporate sector involvement in the week. One corporate event, hosted by the Windsor Group, a long-term supporter of Queensland Mental Health Week, highlighted the example of Lend Lease. Lend Lease has invested in a staff wellbeing program that is self-funding through company shares, demonstrating innovative thinking in corporate social responsibility.

There are many individuals, groups and organisations that make Queensland’s Mental Health Week one of the largest in the country. I’d particularly like to acknowledge:

• Mental Awareness Foundation whose walk raises vital funds for mental health initiatives and organisations
• Open Minds for coordinating the Achievement Awards
• Brisbane South PHN for the Brisbane Mental Health Expo, which included support from Brisbane North PHN and Metro North and Metro South HHS’s and some sixty other organisations
• Queensland Alliance for Mental Health for administering the QMHW Community Event Grants.

Congratulations also to the nominees and winners of the Achievement Awards—your example is a beacon to all of us who are striving for a better tomorrow.

• Watch the Commissioner’s QMHW video message.

Don’t forget this week is Carers Week (15-21 October), and time to acknowledge the considerable contribution carers make, whether they are family, friends or other support people.

Not only do carers provide essential day-to-day support to people with a lived experience, they are essential to recovery, and a vital link in the mental health, alcohol and other drug system for treatment teams.

I was honoured to speak at the Carers Week 2017 Mental Health Forum, hosted by Arafmi Queensland and AfterCare this week. Now in its third year, I’ve seen many of the same people each year: the commitment, dedication and engagement of those present is an inspiration.

• Get involved with Carers Week 2017 and say thank you.
• For carer support, information and resources, visit the Australian Government’s Carer Gateway.

Finally, I’d like to thank Carmel Ybarlucea for her valuable contribution to the Commission. Carmel has taken the opportunity of a senior position in the Department of Education, and can be justifiably proud of her work in advancing the mental health agenda in Queensland.

I’d like to introduce you to, and welcome Jessica Martin, who is taking up the role of Acting Executive Director, Strategy Policy and Research. Jess comes to the Commission from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and has considerable experience working across government and mental health.

Ivan Frkovic
Queensland Mental Health Commissioner
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On World Mental Health Day (10 October) we launched the consultation report Your voice, one vision at Parliament House.

The report draws together the wealth of information and experience shared with us during consultation to renew the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan and sets the scene for future reform in Queensland.

Of the many findings, was a consistent message of ‘people first, not the system’, expressed as a desire that the system be designed from the perspective of those people using the system.

• Read more in our media release Mental health reforms need to focus on people.
• Watch Commissioner Ivan Frkovic’s video message.

Also announced during Mental Health Week were $630,000 in grants to 16 organisations for initiatives that reduce stigma and increase participation in local communities.

Funding is from the Commission’s Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grant program.

This takes the Commission’s total investment in better community mental health and wellbeing since 2015 to $2.51 million, with previous grant rounds delivering positive results in communities right across the State.

• Read Mental health grants support local action.

Outlined in our 2016-17 Annual Report are the key highlights from the Commission’s fourth year of operation in driving ongoing reform.

Key highlights of the year include:

• People in contact with the criminal justice system—supporting the development of a new model to bring together mental health clinicians and police to ensure better outcomes.
• Better early intervention for young people—facilitating improved collaboration between the mental health sector and the school system, with the development of a model to expand Ed-LinQ.
• Action plans in priority areas—the release of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing Action Plan 2016–18 and the Queensland Rural and Remote Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan 2016–18.

Read more by downloading our 2016-17 Annual Report.

The Ordinary Report, Social Housing: Systemic issues for tenants with complex needs has been one of our most effective levers for reform, making a real difference to people’s lives.

What made this so successful? How did this achieve direct change to policy and practice? What can we learn to drive effective future reform?

As recommended by the Public Service Commission, we asked KPMG to evaluate the drivers of the Ordinary Report’s success in order to share with other agencies and inform our future agenda. Findings by KPMG identify three key drivers:

1. Evidence and research
2. Collaboration with shared drive and vision
3. The independent role of the Commission

The findings set a positive foundation for our future work to influence policy and practice across a variety of issues and drive real, meaningful change that makes a difference to people.

Read the KPMG evaluation report.

Read the Commission’s Ordinary Report on social housing.

The fourth meeting of the Queensland Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council for 2017 was held in September, with its focus being the renewal of the Strategic Plan, the KPMG report on social housing, and future directions of the Commission. The next meeting is on 10 November 2017.

• Read the Council meeting communiqué.
• Learn more about the members of the Queensland Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council.

In 2016, we funded CQ University to examine the barriers and enablers to employing people with a lived experience in the mental health sector as peer workers. The research Chief Investigator was Dr Louise Byrne.

The research focused specifically on understanding the perspectives of senior service managers, including those in public and non-government mental health services.

The findings identified a number of key issues for supporting the peer workforce:

1. Organisational culture
2. Role clarity, support and supervision
3. Career pathways

• Read the research report Identifying barriers to change or its summary.
• Read The Commission’s overview Barriers and enables to live experience workforce development.

The Australian Government has launched a new campaign to reduce the uptake of illicit drugs.

Drug Help offers a range of information on drugs, finding help, knowing the risks, and evidence-based resources.

The campaign is part of the new National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 and aims to:

• raise awareness of the harms associated with drug use
• highlight available support and treatment services
• highlight resources for parents and guardians to empower them to talk about illegal drugs, such as ice, with their children.

Go to Drug Help.

A roadmap to proactively address changes in the community services industry has been launched by the Queensland Government.

Partnering for the future: advancing Queensland’s community services industry 2017–25 was co-developed by the community services industry and the Queensland Government. It sets out priorities for action across four focus areas to ensure the industry is well positioned to meet Queensland’s current and future needs and grow its contribution to the state’s communities and economy:

1. Improving outcomes for individuals, families and communities
2. Growing jobs and skills
3. Positioning the industry for success
4. Enabling system-wide transformation.

It is accompanied by an action plan which sets the way forward for delivering on strategy priorities.

Queensland Treasury’s Market-Led Proposals (MLP) team is seeking approaches from businesses and the non-government sector with ideas and the ability to deliver infrastructure projects or services that meet government priorities and/or community needs.

MLPs aren’t a grant or funding program – they’re a partnership with government. Proponents bring the idea, skills, and funding, and the government provides access, approvals, support and advice.

Find out more about MLPs on the Treasury website or get in touch with the MLP Team on (07) 3035 3133. 

• FASD hub – A new website providing information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for Australian health professionals, teachers, justice professionals, service providers, researchers or parents and carers. 

• Head to Health – Find the right Australian digital mental health resources on this new website launched by the Commonwealth Government.
• Drug injection trends – Drug injection trends among participants in the Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey, 2012-2016. 
• Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) —Designed to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, with preliminary findings just released.