As always, the Members Policy Forum will be held the day after the Grace Groom Memorial Oration at Old Parliament House. The Forum – focused on workforce – will commence at 9.00am and finish at 2.00pm (AEDT). Registrations will open at 8.30am with tea and coffee upon arrival. 

 Note: This event is for Mental Health Australia members only. 

Mental Health Australia has developed a position statement on employment and mental health, in consultation with members and representatives with lived experience. The position statement outlines key actions to improve employment participation and opportunities for people with experience of mental health challenges, and follows Mental Health Australia members highlighting employment as a key social determinant priority. Mental Health Australia will use this statement to inform future advocacy, particularly in relation to the White Paper on Employment.

Join us to hear more about a research piece on Mental Health & Stigma in CALD Communities conducted by Western Sydney University in collaboration with the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project.

The research piece 'Understanding Mental Health and Stigma in Congolese, Arabic-speaking and Mandarin-speaking Communities' will be presented by Associate Professor Shameran Slewa-Younan, University of Western Sydney.

The research was funded by by Mental Health Australia Ltd as part of the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project.

Please register by COB Friday 11 November.

If you have any questions, please contact Hannah: hannah.carrigy@mhaustralia.org or 02 6285 3100.

Time - Nov 14, 2022 01:00 PM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) want to hear from people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds on ways to improve the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

People interested should sign up to Participant First. Participant First share opportunities to participate in focus groups, survey and interviews.

Some feedback opportunities are also paid.

A unique opportunity exists for an experienced Client Services Executive to join our growing team.

The role encompasses all functions of front of house within an allied health practice setting. We are a small team and the person that we are looking for must present a warm, welcoming, and calm demeanor in all situations, be extremely flexible to changing situations and requirements, and have a can-do attitude.

You must be able to work independently and as part of a team.

A unique opportunity exists for an experienced Client Services Executive to join our growing team.

The role encompasses all functions of front of house within an allied health practice setting. We are a small team and the person that we are looking for must present a warm, welcoming, and calm demeanor in all situations, be extremely flexible to changing situations and requirements, and have a can-do attitude.

You must be able to work independently and as part of a team.

The Gidget Foundation Australia People and Culture Manager will be responsible for leading a team that strives to create a productive, safe, and happy workplace for both employees and the Foundation.

The role is responsible for recruitment, employment policies and procedures, assisting with performance and review requirements, overseeing payroll and recognition programs as well as managing workplace safety initiatives.

The People and Culture Manager will be approachable with the ability to listen carefully and speak with sensitivity and clarity.

The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) is calling for expressions of interest to join the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Working Groups (the Working Groups).

Members of the Working Groups will assist the NSPO in the development of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (the Strategy) by providing subject matter expertise and advice.

Two Working Groups will be established – the Governance and Social Determinants Working Group as well as the Service Systems Working group.

A ground-breaking partnership between Monash University, Australian Catholic University (ACU) and the not-for-profit organisation Satellite Foundation will streamline the delivery and effectiveness of vital support services to young people living with a family member who experiences challenges to their mental health. Currently, one in 4 children and young people across Australia live in a family where at least one person experiences challenges to their mental health. Without support, these young people are significantly more vulnerable to developing their own mental health issues. In a pilot program, a team from Monash and ACU will partner with Satellite Foundation, which was established in 2009 to work with children, young people and their families where a family member has a mental health challenge, to evaluate Satellite's programs and activities in real-time, enabling the program to best meet the needs of participants.

GROW Australia is delighted to announce that the Hon John Della Bosca AM has been appointed as its new Board Chair.

John served as Minister in a range of portfolios in the NSW Government, including Minister for Health, Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Ageing and Disability, Minister for Commerce and Special Minister of State. He is a Director and Consultant with Discourse Consulting which has worked extensively in the NDIS.

John is a Director of Coast and Country Primary Care which pioneered a service known as Health off the Streets (HOTS), a model of providing Primary Care to Homeless people on the Central Coast of NSW. He also is a director of Independent Community Living Australia and the Chair of Family Drug Support.

The Greens will move for stronger measures in the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill to protect complainants from costs risks, strengthen reporting and enforcement, and create safe workplaces for everyone. Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters, says: "we are pleased to see outstanding Respect@Work report recommendations being implemented, but urge the government to listen to experts and support amendments that will strengthen the Bill and create safe workplaces for all. A positive duty on employers to maintain a safe workplace was at the centre of the Respect@Work report. The adversarial 'victim complaint' approach has failed so many people, so putting the onus on employers is a critical step in changing that.

Improving the long-term employment outcomes for young workers with psychosocial disability is the focus of a new three-year research project being led by QUT, the Australian Retail Association (ARA) and Disability Employment Australia. One-hundred and twenty young adults will participate in the project with trials in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, to establish their "retail readiness". The 2022-2025 project received a $867,420 grant from the Australian Federal Government, administered by the Department of Social Services. The research team will gather evidence on preparing and supporting workers, designing, and delivering their training with tailored coaching to maximise sustainable employment opportunities.

Knowing the clients who inject drugs in Sydney's only injecting centre gives staff a better chance to deliver more suitable overdose treatment. A personalised approach to managing overdoses at Sydney's only Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) has ensured better outcomes to its clients' long-term health, a study by UNSW Sydney and Western Sydney University criminologists has found. And at the heart of the approach is treating people who use the MSIC facilities to inject drugs with respect and dignity, which ensures potential overdoses are managed more sensitively. Dr George 'Kev' Dertadian is a social researcher with UNSW Law & Justice who has studied drug use among the marginalised as well as people from affluent backgrounds.

A new service to help South Australian businesses has been launched today, designed to create a workplace that boosts employees' mental and physical wellbeing. Healthy Workplaces Service provides employers, large or small, with free and practical information to show how they can support their workers in a healthy and thriving environment through: Addressing specific health and wellbeing issues, including stress reduction. Developing health and wellbeing programs to promote physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction. Linking into resources and support to improve mental health, decrease staff turnover and highlight workplace safety. The prevention-focused service - developed after consultation with more than 250 workplaces - will help businesses take proactive steps to build a positive and safe work culture before challenges arise.

A new James Cook University study will use techniques such as mindfulness meditation to try to improve the mental health of Townsville's military veterans. To begin in February 2023, the pilot study into the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) will take 50 veterans through an eight-week course at veteran facility The Oasis Townsville. The treatment will apply to veterans experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety and everyday stressful emotions, such as anger or frustration. Lead researcher and JCU Associate Professor of Psychology Wendy Li said little was known about the effectiveness of using MBSR on Australian veterans, a therapy which has been shown to increase attention to and feelings of well-being and reduce stress and worry.

Acting Minister for Mental Health Colin Brooks says the Andrews Labor Government has today announced the consortium selected to run the new Mental Health Statewide Trauma Service (STS) - a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System. Traumatic events and experiences can lead to a wide range of mental health and wellbeing difficulties, and the new Mental Health STS will help embed trauma-informed practice in the new mental health and wellbeing system. The new service will bring together the very best mental health practitioners, trauma experts, peer workers, consumers and carers with lived experience to deliver better outcomes for Victorians living with trauma.

The Albanese Government is investing $13 million to help mental health professionals and researchers improve treatment outcomes for Australians living with eating disorders. The InsideOut Institute will receive $13 million to fund the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre, which was officially launched by the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride at the University of Sydney yesterday. Eating disorders have some of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness and many Australians often go undiagnosed. The new centre will focus on research to prevent and treat eating disorders, translating these developments into frontline services and co-designing treatments with people with lived experience, their family, and carers.

Perinatal Mental Health Week 2022 (6-12 November) is a national collaboration of 46 perinatal mental health and early parenting organisations, uniting to share the one message We’re here, We get it!

With a shared message the organisations are working together to create understanding, reduce stigma and provide education and support for expectant and new parents and those that care for them across Australia.

The national launch event will be held this Monday 7 November at Parliament House Canberra, hosted by The Hon. Emma McBride, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

The Standards are a significant step in providing safety and quality assurance for consumers, their families and carers who use mental health services, and best practice guidance for community managed service providers. 

The Commission is releasing the Standards following extensive consultation with consumers, families and carers, community managed organisations, peak bodies, healthcare providers, professional bodies, Primary Health Networks and funders.

Join the launch to hear from guest speakers during a 30-minute webcast on how the new Standards will benefit consumers, why mental health community organisations should implement them and next steps for accreditation. 

When:  Wednesday 23 November, 12:00pm–12:30pm AEDT

Expert presenters

David McGrath – Executive Lead, Mental Health Standards, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care 

Carmel Tebbutt – Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Coordinating Council, NSW

The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) was established in January 2022.

It aims to build upon the Suicide Prevention Adviser's Final Advice, capitalising on the remit it provides for reform to ensure that all levels and parts of government commit to, and invest in, actions required to achieve a more holistic approach to suicide prevention.

A key priority that emerged from the Final Advice is for the NSPO to develop a national suicide prevention strategy to form the basis for coordinated action across all governments, portfolios, and communities in order to achieve an Australia in which no person feels driven to take their own life.

Scoping Paper

The scoping paper has been prepared as a starting point for consultation and collaboration on the framing and structure of the Strategy with the aim of inviting broad input as early as possible.

The Strategy content will be developed in collaboration with working and advisory groups, as well as this public consultation process.

Emerging Minds has recently launched Emerging Minds Families – a brand new range of resources for parents and families looking for information and support about infant and child mental health. 

The resources – including videos, factsheets, animations and podcasts – are free and have been developed in collaboration with families, practitioners and researchers. They are designed for practitioners to share and use with the parents and families they work with, or for parents and families to access directly. 

Topics include

- Supporting parents and families living with mental illness 
- Responding to and managing the impact of natural disasters including floods, bushfire and drought  
- Understanding and managing anxiety in children and young people, and 
- Infant mental health and wellbeing. 

Visit the Emerging Minds website to access the resources and subscribe to the Emerging Minds Families newsletter for the latest updates and releases.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) is seeking feedback on the Accreditation scheme for the National Safety and Quality Mental Health (NSQMH) Standards for Community Managed Organisations (CMOs).

The Commission has released a discussion paper to provide information to support stakeholders to participate in this consultation, please find the document attached. This discussion paper provides information on the operation of the Australian Health Services Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme and seeks stakeholders’ views on the accreditation methodology that best suits the CMO sector, within the bounds of that scheme.

The NSQMH Standards for CMOs will be released in November 2022. The NSQMH Standards for CMOs describe a nationally consistent safety and quality framework that all community managed organisations providing mental health services can apply when delivering mental health care. Where implemented, consumers and carers should be able to be confident they are accessing a mental health service that is safe and of high-quality.

CMOs implementing the NSQMH Standards for CMOs will develop their own practice governance frameworks. How this looks will depend on the mental health service’s size, as well as risks and complexities associated with the services it delivers. Implementation requires a whole-of-service approach.

We invite you to provide your feedback via a written submission or participation in a focus group. Please visit the website - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/australian-commission-on-safety-and-quality-in-health-care-32829455729 to register to attend an information webinar of focus group. 

The consultation period is open now until 11.59pm (AEDT) Friday 9 December 2022.

If you have any questions about the accreditation scheme discussion paper or the consultation process, please contact the mental health team at: mentalhealth@safetyandquality.gov.au

Held exclusively online from 14-18 November 2022, PACFA’s Safety Through Diversity Conference will be a ‘collaborative festival of ideas,’ discussing the most important counselling, psychotherapy and Indigenous Healing Practices themes of our time.

On each of the 5 days, a stellar line-up of speakers/ ‘key collaborators’ will spark conversations with attendees around themes of the day:

Day 1, 14 November – Indigenous Healing Practices

Day 2, 15 November – Diversity in Gender, Body, Kinship and Sexuality

Day 3, 16 November – Psychotherapy, Counselling and the Politics of Mental Health

Day 4, 17 November – Research and the future of the profession

Day 5, 18 November – Wrap up – Bringing it all together towards the future

Practising counsellors, psychotherapists and Indigenous Healing Practitioners can accrue up to 6.5 Category A CPD hours per day.

Registration opens 19 October. Visit bit.ly/PACFACONF22 for more information and to sign up for updates.

The Black Dog Institute will hold its Summit on Self Harm at Doltone House in Sydney on 10 November. This full day event will bring together leading international researchers, clinicians, and lived experience experts to share insights on self-harm. Click the link below to register your interest and be alerted as soon as the program becomes available.

When Friday 25 November 2022, registration from 8:15am

Where Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney

Occupational Therapy Australia is pleased to invite you to participate in the 2022 OT Mental Health Forum 2022.

The forum is an invaluable event for occupational therapists and support workers who work across every area of mental health practice in Australia.

The forum provides the opportunity to come together and exchange ideas, to share practices and challenges, to network and meet new colleagues and to learn from an exciting array of current OT mental health practitioners and researchers.