QMHC eNews - Issue 23

Commissioner's Update

Preventing suicide

It’s great to see the groundswell of awareness and support for suicide prevention highlighted by World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day on 10 September.

This was the day the Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan was launched by Health Minister, The Hon. Cameron Dick MP at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP) suicide prevention forum.

That event brought together those impacted by suicide, researchers, non-government service providers and State Government agencies.

Another highpoint was the Roses in the Ocean event in the Queen Street Mall and a similar event in Hervey Bay, which by giving roses underlined the importance of reaching out and saving lives. Many people shared their personal experiences.

I also enjoyed a worksite visit in South Brisbane with the Minister to meet Mates in Construction and some of their connectors who work to reduce suicide in the building industry.

Thank you to all who contributed to the Action Plan and to making #WSPD15 and #RUOKDay a success. We are collecting ideas for 2016 if you want to send in photos from your community or workplace.

Tackling domestic violence

The government’s renewed commitment to tackle domestic violence has the potential to reduce mental health problems in families and children now and in the next generation. This is welcome news.

Action on suicide

Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan

Much can be done across many fronts to help prevent and reduce the impact of suicide and the tragic ripple effect it has with families, workplaces and communities across Queensland.

The Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan involves many government agencies and the whole community.

It is a step towards achieving a 50 per cent reduction in suicide in Queensland within a decade.

Our goal will be achieved by building on actions already underway, identifying initiatives most likely to make a difference and promoting promising and innovative practice.

The Plan includes 42 actions in four priority areas with a focus on prevention, intervention and support, and services for those bereaved and impacted by suicide. The four priority areas are:

1. Stronger community awareness and capacity
2. Improved service system responses and capacity
3. Focused support for vulnerable groups
4. A strong, more accessible evidence base.

Read the Suicide Prevention Action Plan and Summary.

National Research Action Plan for Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention Australia released the National Research Action Plan for Suicide Prevention to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day.

Read the research action plan and a call for government to kick start the research fund.

Watch the World Suicide Prevention Day video message from International Association for Suicide Prevention President, Professor Ella Arensman.

What is your relationship with alcohol?

Alcohol and other drug discussion paper

Don’t forget the Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Impacts in Queensland discussion paper has been released for public consultation.

The discussion paper looks at demand, supply and harm reduction, the impacts on vulnerable population groups and evidence about what works to tackle the impacts of alcohol and other drugs on the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders.

The discussion paper is a step in the process towards a whole-of-government action plan. Download the discussion paper ; read the media release

Be heard

Help shape the Alcohol and Other Drug Action Plan by giving your feedback to aodactionplan@qmhc.qld.gov.au by 30 September 2015.

Watch the ad

The Queensland Government has released an ad to raise awareness about alcohol consumption, asking ‘What is your relationship with alcohol?’ Watch the advertisement

Housing moves

The Minister for Housing and Public Works, The Hon. Leanne Enoch MP confirmed during Estimates that all 12 recommendations in the Social Housing: Systemic issues for tenants with complex needs Ordinary Report have been accepted by Government.

This is a major step towards changing Queensland’s social housing policy to take into account the needs of those with mental illness, mental health difficulties and substance use problems.

Tracking our progress

Our annual report is soon to be published, but in the meantime we have prepared ‘the caterpillar’ — a one page snapshot of what we do, how we do it and your assessment of our progress to date.

Read Tracking our Progress.

For the bookworms among you, we’ve also published our 2015-16 Strategic Framework and Operational Plan.

Voices of lived experience

Consumer perceptions of care

Results of Queensland Health’s 2014 Consumer Perceptions of Care survey were released in August. The survey measures how consumers rate Queensland’s public mental health service. Findings show:

• About half of inpatient consumers and about three-quarters of community-based consumers rated the different aspects of their care positively.
• Most felt comfortable asking questions about their treatment, but few felt they had a real say in their treatment and recovery plans, particularly in inpatient settings.
• Only a third of people in inpatient settings felt involved in planning their treatment, or that they had a choice of treatment options, or felt safe to refuse medications.
• While 80 per cent of community-based consumers felt staff believed they could grow and recover, less than two-thirds said they were the ones setting their own community-based recovery goals.
• In terms of recovery, one-to-two-thirds of consumers reported improvement in their social lives, symptoms and/or daily problems as a result of their care, with work and study proving the most difficult area to achieve improvement.

From 2015, this survey will be replaced by the nationally developed Your Experience of Service (YES) survey. It will not be mandatory for Hospital and Health Services to implement the YES survey.

Read Queensland Health’s Consumer Perceptions of Care

Health Consumers Committee

Health Consumers Queensland is working with Queensland Health to better support meaningful consumer engagement with public health services.

They are setting up a health consumers committee made up of consumers, health staff and other key stakeholders.

HCQ is hosting a stakeholder forum to work on the principles of the committee, selection criteria for committee membership and actions for the committee to progress.

Attendance is via an Expression of Interest form, submitted by close of business on Friday 25 September. To get an EOI form contact HCQ via email at info@hcq.org.au.

MiNetworks support volunteers

Thanks to MIFQ who responded to our question last edition about support for volunteers providing support for those with a mental illness or problematic substance use, as well as respite for carers.

MiNetworks is an initiative of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) and can assist with:

• Mental health information and referral, from mental health specialists
• Questions about mental illness
• Support and connections to a broad range of local services
• Support for carers.

Look up MiNetworks for more information.

Heads up for youth mental health

On Friday 18 September, 612 ABC is hosting a forum to discuss youth mental health at ABC Brisbane HQ. The forum will be broadcast live on ABC TV from 7.30pm and ABC News 24 from 8.00pm, as well as live on 612 ABC Brisbane Digital Radio.

You’re invited to be part of the studio audience or join in the conversation #abcheadsup. Registration is a must, be quick.

PTSD Forum

Congratulations to Tony Dell from Stand Tall for PTS for raising awareness about PTSD and its effects on our armed forces and emergency services personnel. Read about the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health initiative to improve the lives of veterans with PTSD.

Listen to 612 ABC Evening’s David Curnow interview Tony Dell, Stewart Cameron (RSL Queensland President) and Miriam Dwyner (Mates 4 Mates) discuss plans to develop a national blueprint to address the impact of PTSD.

Pulling levers for PIMH

Perinatal-Infant Mental Health is high on the Commission’s agenda. Read up on the current facts, what other states are doing, what the Commission has done and ‘the missing lever’. More here

Gayaa Dhuwi Declaration

Proud spirit lifts vision

The Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration, produced by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) focuses on achieving the highest attainable standard of mental health and suicide prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience significantly higher rates of mental health problems and suicide than other Australians. Impacts are felt in all areas of life: physical health, employment, education, family life, community life, and cultural life.

The Queensland Mental Health Commission is a proud supporter of this initiative. Read Gayaa Dhuwi

Call for new Aboriginal mental health targets

The Commissioner attended the 3rd National Aboriginal Health Summit in Darwin at the end of July along with Council member Gracelyn Smallwood. The Summit recommended new national targets relating to Indigenous youth suicide be added to Closing the Gap targets; as well as the establishment of emotional and social wellbeing teams in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services.

Read the summit communique here.

Willing to work

Employment discrimination inquiry

A recent Australian Bureau of Statistics report found “in 2014, people aged 15-64 years with a mental health condition were less attached to the labour force than those without, with fewer people employed (59% compared with 78%) and more unemployed (7.4% compared with 4.5%)".

One of the outcomes sought in the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-2019 is that people living with mental health difficulties or issues related to substance use have lives with purpose.

Paid employment brings purpose and is important for wellbeing and recovery. It provides not only income, but also opportunity for social engagement.

QMHC submission

The Australian Human Rights Commission is undertaking an Inquiry into employment discrimination against older Australians and Australians with a disability. The Queensland Mental Health Commission and Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland will be making a joint submission.

The Inquiry asks people to share their stories and poses seven discussion questions.

The Issues Paper: Employment discrimination against Australians with Disability is open for comment until 4 December 2015.  Read more about the Inquiry and make your own submission.

Be heard

Tell us your ideas, experiences or suggestions for change on the Commission’s Facebook page.

Increasing employment opportunities

The Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-2019 commits to investigate the inclusion of social outcomes in procurement policies to increase opportunities for community organisations to support those with mental health or substance use issues.

Congratulations to the Department of Housing and Public Works for their contribution through their Social Procurement Forum and Market Day in August.

To spark discussion and increase understanding of the potential for social enterprises to create jobs for those with mental health or substance use issues, the Commission engaged Social Outcomes to prepare a report on the employment benefits and opportunities provided by social enterprises.

“In order for employment to promote positive mental health for workers, jobs need to be regular and flexible, promote feelings of competence; and create a supportive social environment”

Read Social Enterprises for Employment Outcomes.

Three weeks to #QMHW15

Snapshot of MHW events

45km journey to conquer life’s corrugations

Cape York communities are planning to walk 45km from the Archer River Roadhouse to Coen Wellbeing Centre over two days to raise awareness about mental health. Participants have the option to Conquer the Corrugations, travel by foot or horseback through wonderful country, and camp under the stars. Supported by RFDS, with many options to participate. Book via Eventbrite

Many, many more events

Check the Queensland Mental Health Week event listings for more events in Brisbane and across the regions, including events in: Atherton, Cairns, Gympie, Inala, Ingham, Ipswich, Redcliffe, Strathpine, Sunshine Coast, Roma and Wacol.

Not registered yet?

Get your skates on, plan your event and get involved in #QMHW15.

Snapped @WSPD15

Thank you

To Roses in the Ocean, Mates in Construction, Standby Response, Open Minds, headspace, GLWA, QuaC, Bahloo Womens Youth Centre, Gallang Place, AISRAP and Talk suicide for participating in WSPD and R U OK? Day events and presenting the human face of suicide prevention on World Suicide Prevention Day.

Council spotlight

Kingsley Bedwell

Kingsley Bedwell is the Chief Executive of Richmond Fellowship Queensland, Chair of Richmond Fellowship Australia, President of Richmond Fellowship Asia Pacific Forum and an inaugural member of the Queensland Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council.

Kingsley’s passion for what has become a life’s work began in his youth while working at a long stay psychiatric hospital during university vacations.

During the course of the last four decades, he has developed an in depth understanding of the service delivery needs of people in recovery and their families through public and community roles and lived experience as a family member. He believes that if services are to benefit people they should be informed by lived experience, the practical experience of staff and scientific discourse.

Kingsley was awarded a Centenary Medal for distinguished service to health.

Sector News

Save the date – 2016

Queensland is hosting the 12th Biennial Richmond Fellowship Asia Pacific International Mental Health Conference from 24-26 October 2016.

Grants

Celebrating Multicultural Queensland Grants Program – Grants available for initiatives that celebrate and promote Queensland’s multicultural identity, increase community awareness of benefits of multiculturalism, foster community cohesion, and support equal access to opportunities by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Applications close 14 September. More information on the website

Resources

• Consumer Perceptions of Care Statewide Report 2014 released. The Consumer Perceptions of Care is an annual survey collection designed to measure whether clients value the services they receive from Queensland’s public mental health services. Read the report
• The Mental Health Peer Workforce Development Plan for the Gold Coast 2015-2020 has been released by the Gold Coast Partners in Recovery Peer Workforce Reference Group. The plan provides clear direction for agencies and NGOs who provide mental health and alcohol and drug services about management and career progression for peer support workers. Download the plan
• Good practice guide ‘Many Shades of Blue: Enhancing service delivery to address the mental health needs of LGBTI populations’. The guide, published by the Queensland AIDS Council, provides an overview of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people who access mental health services and strategies for services to improve the attractiveness to LGBTI people and to support disclosure by LGBTI people.  The guide also has a comprehensive list of resources to support service delivery. Read the guide
• Suicide and suicidal behaviour in women - Issues and Prevention Discussion Paper released by Suicide Prevention Australia. Download the paper

Events

• 17 September 2015 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour Breakfast of Champions – This year MIFQ is the exclusive host in Brisbane for the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour. Drop by, enjoy the food and festivities and get your photo taken with the Trophy. More information on Facebook
• 23-25 September 2015 The Australasian Schizophrenia Conference - Melbourne. Register here
• 26 September 2015 Creating Wellness Art Forum – Brisbane City Hall. The Forum will explore the links between creative practice and enhanced personal wellbeing. Hear from speakers with inspiring professional, personal, artistic and community experience of using art for positive change and share your experiences in this open forum. Program details and tickets available here
• 28-30 September 2015 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Network Conference – Darwin. Find out more
• 2 October 2015 Odd Socks Day – Pull out your odd socks and help ‘stomp out stigma’. Get involved and hold an event
• 4-11 October 2015 Queensland Mental Health Week – Get involved and host your own event or attend another event. Find out more
• 7-9 October 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses' Conference - Brisbane Convention Centre. Theme is Mental health nurses: shifting culture, leading change. More information here
• 13-14 October 2015 QCOSS State Conference ‘Individuals building thriving communities’ – Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. More information here
• 29 October 2015 ASCA Recognising and Responding to Vicarious Trauma training workshop
• September-November 2015 QCOSS Human Services Quality Framework: Quality Pathways Training Program Workshops – multiple locations across Queensland. Find a workshop near you on the QCOSS website

Give your feedback

Take five minutes to give us your feedback! Evaluate the:

• Ordinary Report Social Housing: Systemic issues for tenants with complex needs
• Submission on Queensland’s Mental Health Bill 2015
• Suicide Prevention Discussion Paper
• Awareness, Prevention and Early Intervention Discussion Paper
• Reducing alcohol and other drug impacts in Queensland Discussion Paper