Mental Health Australia
Weekly Update Newsletter

CEO Update: We would like you to embrace multicultural mental health...

We would like you to embrace multicultural mental health...

These words, spoken by so many consumers and carers that have helped shape the new national multicultural mental health project – Embrace Multicultural Mental Health – are the essence of today’s launch, and the future of this project and a concerted effort to provide mental health services and information that is culturally appropriate. 

Let’s embrace this challenge and in partnership with the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA), Mental Health Australia is extremely proud to launch Embrace Multicultural Mental Health including its new website and Framework at www.embracementalhealth.org.au

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health builds on the important work of previous national multicultural mental health projects by providing a national platform for Australian mental health services and multicultural communities to access resources, services and information in a culturally accessible format.

At an organisational level, I’d particularly like to thank Kyle Wake, Ruth Das, Kaitlin Saunders, Charlene Singh and Anna Siddall for their work in re-shaping the project and breathing new life into an area of such importance.

As you’ll hear from three of our consumers and carer representatives in this video below, mental health in our culturally and linguistically diverse community cannot be a one size fits all solution. 

Since first coming together to contribute to this project nearly twelve months ago, the input from consumers and carers has helped inform new materials and resources for organisations who provide services to multicultural Australians, and helped us all to understand how important it is to embrace multicultural mental health.

This video is just a snapshot of the stories and advice to promote help seeking and improve services for multicultural mental health in Australia. These powerful stories are only just the start.

You can also follow the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using @EmbraceMultiMH

Warm regards,



Frank Quinlan
Chief Executive Officer

It's not too late to sign the Joint Letter to the Prime Minster and
'Time To Fix Mental Health - Charter 2020'

Thank you to the 40 or more organisations that have already signed our Joint Letter to the Prime Minister and 'Time To Fix Mental Health - Charter 2020', as listed below.  

Following this week’s National Press Club address and announcements by Minister for Health The Hon Greg Hunt MP, and last week’s forum by colleagues Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman, Director of ConNetica John Mendoza and Head of ANU's Mental Health Research Centre Luis Salvador-Carulla discussing How To Fix Australia's Mental Health Crisis, there is clearly momentum building for substantial mental health reform. 

At the heart of our Charter 2020 and Joint Letter is the request for a National Agreement for Mental Health, and as such we are continuing to ask for more signatories to join us in writing to the Prime Minister.

The letter is deliberately free of Mental Health Australia letterhead and branding to highlight our collaboration, and with the 'Time To Fix Mental Health – Charter 2020', it will become the basis for our advocacy campaign over the coming months, ahead of the release of the Productivity Commission Inquiry Draft Report in November.

If your organisation has an interest in mental health advocacy, reform and services, and would like to join the consensus statement or find out more about the Joint Letter or 'Time To Fix Mental Health - Charter 2020' please email Lachlan.Searle@mhaustralia.org

And again, thank you to those organisations listed below who have already signed on to the Joint Letter and Charter 2020, and as always, adding more voices to our shared consensus and collaboration is welcomed.

We hope to present the Prime Minister with the joint letter during the next sitting of the Parliament.

 

Mental Health News

Morrison Government releases Long Term National Health Plan 

Delivering the world’s best mental health system — stigma-free and focused on prevention, starting with children under 12 — is the major focus of the Australian Government’s Long Term National Health Plan, outlined this week. Australia's Long Term National Health Plan charts the way forward over the next 3 and 10 years in the key areas of mental health, primary care, hospitals, preventive health and medical research.

Read more

New centre to support students' mental health in Victoria

Students in Rosebud will soon have a dedicated space where they can gain skills to manage and build their mental health and wellbeing, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Education James Merlino announced $300,000 in funding to build a Wellness Pavilion at Rosebud Secondary College. 

Read more

Homeless Australians who are eligible for psychosocial NDIS support get a boost

Homeless Australians with a psychosocial disability, along with the organisations supporting them, will now have access to a range of new resources to help them access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as a result of a project delivered by Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA). 

Read more

Fourth Action Plan to reduce violence against women and their children 

The Morrison Government has reached an agreement from the Council of Australian Governments on the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 2022. The Fourth Action Plan sets an ambitious agenda to eradicate violence against women and their children across five national priorities. 

Read more

NDIS review to cut red tape and wait times

David Tune AO PSM has been appointed to conduct a review of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) legislation and rules, which in turn will inform the development of the Morrison Government’s promised NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, said the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 will focus on streamlining NDIS processes.

 Read more

Boosting health services: NT mental health strategic plan launched

Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles, says the Territory Labor Government today released the NT Mental Health Strategic plan 2019-2025, delivering on a significant election promise to review existing strategies. The new plan provides clearer direction and understanding of the social and emotional health and wellbeing of Territorians with mental health issues. It also outlines the Territory Government’s priority areas and the principles to which all mental health services should adhere. 

Read more

NDIS participant service guarantee review 

PWDA welcomed this week's announcement of the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) legislation and rules which will lead to the development of the NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. They welcomed the focus on improving plans and waiting times for people with disability. PWDA members, people with disability, have told PWDA over and over that they are waiting too long for access to supports and essential equipment, and to get their plans finalised.

Read more
 

NEXT WEEK

On Tuesday I will be in Melbourne for some meetings with the Department of Health.

 

On Wednesday I’m meeting with Allan Hansell from the Financial Services Council.

 

And on Thursday I’ll be taking part in a National Disability Strategy Reform Steering Group Teleconference.
 

 

Member Profiles

 


batyr is a for purpose organisation that focuses on preventative education in the area of youth mental health. batyr provides programs that train young people to speak about their personal experience with mental ill health and start a conversation in their community. batyr takes these speakers into schools, universities and corporate arenas to continue this conversation around mental health. The programs engage, educate and empower the audience to learn from the experiences of others and to reach out to the great services around them.
Website www.batyr.com.au Facebook www.facebook.com/batyraus Twitter twitter.com/batyraus Instagram www.instagram.com/batyraus

 


cohealth is a not-for-profit community health organisation that provides vital local health and support services including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, and many specialist health services across Melbourne’s CBD, northern and western suburbs. The people who use cohealth services often face significant health disadvantages, have ongoing and complex health and support needs, and are frequently at risk of falling through gaps in health services and funding systems. cohealth responds to people’s needs by delivering a wide range of low cost, high-quality, accessible health care and support services. cohealth promotes health and wellbeing, works to prevent ill-health and better manage health conditions, and is a keen advocate for improved access to health care for all.
Website - www.cohealth.org.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/cohealth Twitter - www.twitter.com/cohealth_au
 

Reminders 

AASW Conference 2019 - Early bird extended for members and Speakers announcement

The early bird rate has been extended for members until 16 August for AASW Conference 2019, the social and community services, allied health and advocacy professional development event of the year. 

After receiving a record number of abstracts, AASW is delighted to confirm a sensational line up of keynote speakers who will set the tone for a varied and enriching program: The Keynote Speakers will be Natasha Stott Despoja AO, Professor Tom Calma AO and Priska Fleischlin. The Dinner Speaker is Debbie Kilroy.

Be inspired, make a difference, discover the latest products and services and network with like-minded professionals who are all working towards Challenging Inequality.

Read more  

Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium in 2020

The 7th Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium, 'Shaping the future', is being held in Alice Springs 25-26 May 2020 and the call for abstracts is now open. The Symposium will focus on rural and remote health research that informs strategic health policy, and health service challenges in rural and remote Australia into the future. For abstract guidelines and details about the various presentation types visit the Symposium website at the link below.

Read more  

Blue Knot Foundation - early bird pricing for trauma training ends August 17

A reminder that the early bird pricing for Foundation for Trauma-Informed Care and Practice (Level 1) on September 17 2019 ends this Saturday 17 August.

This one-day interactive professional development training alerts attendees to the possibility that their clients and/or co-workers may have experiences of childhood and/or other past or current trauma(s), which are affecting their health, wellbeing, daily interactions and functioning.

This training uses current research to provide a basic understanding of trauma, trauma dynamics and the core principles of trauma-informed practice, a strengths-based approach vital for every person working in health, human and legal services.

Read more  
 

 
 
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