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Ivan Frkovic and Leanne Geppert of the Commission; David Janetzki MP—Member for Toowoomba South; Nunzia Confessore and Zachary Wright of Help Enterprises. |
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Hi everyone
Recently I had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by Minister for Employment and Small business Shannon Fentiman that highlighted the importance of social enterprises in Queensland.
Social enterprise is one of the solutions for helping people with mental illness and problem alcohol and drug use to find and sustain employment.
What I see as the key issue facing social enterprise right now is building critical mass and capacity. Many social entrepreneurs are looking to scale-up to create long-term viable businesses and maximise jobs. They need support to develop business models to become investment-ready and scalable. They also need start-up investment, whether through grants, loans or equity, and the opportunity for viable contracts. Just like unemployed people, they want a hand-up, not a hand-out.
The Commission has long supported social enterprise because it makes good social and economic sense—and I personally hold the same view.
It is for this reason employment, education and training is a strategic priority of the new Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Strategic Plan (which I’m pleased to say has been approved by government and will be released shortly). But the best reason to support social enterprise is this: at an individual level it restores a sense of hope, purpose, identity and achievement.
That’s a great investment, in my books.
As always, take care of each other.
Ivan Frkovic
Queensland Mental Health Commissioner |
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It was great to meet staff from state, Catholic and independent schools who were in Brisbane recently to take part in WoW-ED training. Thanks to Department of Education Mental Health Coaches Lydia Najlepszy and Michael Hardie and WoW support program leader Jan Elston for leading the training.
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How well is Queensland faring in the areas of mental illness, suicide prevention, problem drug and alcohol use, and mental health and wellbeing—and where do we need to invest our time, effort and funds to do better?
The Queensland Mental Health Commission will bring together international, national and Queensland experts and leaders to tackle these questions at the Leading Reform 2018 summit being held in Brisbane on 21 and 22 November.
We’ll be broadcasting sessions from the summit via our Facebook page over the two days allowing all those who are interested to be part of the summit.
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Head to the website to learn more >> |
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Better Futures Grants: now open!
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Our Better Futures Grants are open for applications, with funding of up to $200,000 available for projects to improve housing and employment options for people with a lived experience of mental illness, problematic alcohol and other drug use, or those impacted by suicide. #BetterFutures
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Find out more >> |
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The link between physical and mental health
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We know that people who live with mental illness or problematic alcohol and other drug use are more likely than other Queenslanders to experience poor physical health. We also know that living with poor physical health can hinder a person’s recovery, and have social, emotional and financial implications.
The Commission has contracted Aspex Consulting to identify reform opportunities to improve the physical health of people with a lived experience of mental illness and problematic alcohol and other drug use.
This significant body of work will ultimately see the Commission and partners across the private, public and non-government sectors working together to embed the elements of the nationally recognised Equally Well Consensus Statement and deliver better health outcomes for many Queenslanders.
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The Queensland Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Sector Convention, which the Commission sponsored, has released its report documenting the convention and committing to eight new sector resolutions.
The gathering of 110 service workers, policy makers and leaders considered the draft Queensland Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment and Harm Reduction Outcomes Framework and accepted it with minor amendments. The framework (published by year end) will guide AOD services to continue to be responsive to and effective for their clients. Commissioner Ivan Frkovic and other members of the Queensland delegation who visited Portugal in June, participated on a panel to share their experiences of seeing Portugal’s drug policy approach, and begin the discussion on applicability to the Queensland context.
Read the Convention report >>
Read the Queensland AOD Sector Resolutions >> |
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AOD sector Resolution # 1: The sector calls for continued reforms to a more health-focused—rather than criminal justice—response to drug use and possession, including the establishment of an expert panel to investigate evidence-informed responses.
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We recently made a submission to the Queensland Productivity Commission inquiry into imprisonment and recidivism (the tendency of a person to re-offend). Our position focused on a health-based approach across agencies to consider how and why people enter detention in the first place—and on reducing the impact of incarceration (or the threat of incarceration) for people living with a mental illness or problematic alcohol or other drug use.
We recognise the complexities of achieving the balance between making the community safer, rehabilitating offenders and providing a means for victims of crime to feel retribution. Yet, consideration should also be given to factors such as entrenched disadvantage, homelessness and unemployment as well as reducing the impact on the children of female offenders.
A health-based approach toward problematic alcohol or other drug use, (already underway in several countries) addresses the underlying bio-psycho-social issues leading to drug taking behaviour. It offers evidence-informed treatment, and is consistent with the Australian National Drug Strategy 2017-2026 commitment of harm reduction, demand reduction and supply reduction.
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Learn more >> |
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Strengthening mental health and wellbeing
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Thank you to everyone involved in QMHW 2018. It was a record year for events with 290 events registered on the QMHW website. Thanks to our partners MIFQ and CheckUp who coordinated the week on behalf of the sector and to Canefields Clubhouse as the merchandise partner. To everyone who ran events and went to events, we hope you enjoyed the week and look forward to your involvement again next year.
Stay connected by subscribing to the QMHW newsletter or follow what’s happening on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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QMHW winners are grinners! |
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Congratulations to the 11 winners (and all the nominees) of the Open Minds Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards announced on Friday 12 October. These award winners are making a positive difference to the lives of so many.
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See the winners of each category >> |
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We are delighted by our continuing partnership with the Queensland Department of Education to promote mental health and wellbeing in schools, in support of the department’s implementation of the Student Learning and Wellbeing Framework.
The department’s mental health coaches, Lydia Najlepszy and Michael Hardie have been working with Jan Elston of Relationships Australia Queensland and Commission staff to introduce the Wheel of Wellbeing framework (known as WoW) to educators and leaders in schools.
WoW can help schools promote good mental health and wellbeing for students and staff by fostering awareness, building resilience and getting in early if a mental health issue emerges. It is backed up by psychology and neuroscience, and focuses on six elements of wellbeing: body, mind, spirit, people, place, planet. With 28 new WoW recruits, this latest cohort of trainees from state, catholic and independent schools are ready to plan and deliver WoW-related programs in their school communities.
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Learn more >> |
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WoW Advanced Practitioners at a recent two-day training program. |
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Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit)
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Centre for Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) Director Professor Pat Dudgeon, and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) Chair Mr Tom Brideson gathered yesterday with Queensland Aboriginal and Islander health, mental health and suicide prevention stakeholders for a workshop on the implementation of NATSILMH’s Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration and CBPATSISP’s Indigenous Governance Framework.
Both ground-breaking documents seek to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are able to access ‘the best of both worlds’ in mental health care and suicide prevention: that is, clinical responses, and cultural healers and community programs. The workshop is timely as Australian governments are required to implement the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Sprit) Declaration through the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. And critical to implementation is ensuring Indigenous leadership and governance from within the mental health system overall, and in relation to particular services, programs and activities.
This workshop is jointly led by NATSILMH and CBPATSISP, with support from the Queensland Mental Health Commission, and is the first of eight workshops across Australia.
Learn more about Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) >>
Learn more about the Indigenous Governance Framework >> |
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Sponsorships
Looking to extend the reach of your mental health, drug or alcohol awareness event, conference or project? Sponsorships up to $10 000 are available. Current round closes 30 November. |
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Sector grants
The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) publishes a comprehensive list of sector grants.
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Events
Check out the latest major sector events, hosted by the Commission and partner organisations. |
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