CSW Weekly Update
Carer Events, Newsletters, Reports & Articles
EVENTS
Carer Assist
January - June 2014
Mental Health Carer Education Workshops Southern NSW Local
Health District January to June 2015
Assisting Families is a group of workshops designed to help families,
friends and carers of people with mental illness. Families and friends
can build on their knowledge, skills and find the most up to date
information relevant to carers. These workshops value the
experience of carers and families, are delivered in a relaxed
atmosphere and can be a great place to enjoy support from others in
similar situations. Carer Assist will providing education in
Queanbeyan, Cooma, Goulburn, Bega, Moruya and Batemans Bay
as outlined in the attached. All programs are free of charge, you do
not need to be on the carer pension to attend. For more information
please contact the relevant number or visit www.carerassist.org.au.
Recovery & Support
/Partners in Recovery
3rd February 2015
Mental Health Wellness and Expo Day - Bankstown
This will take place on Tuesday, February 3rd, 10 AM – 2 PM. The
venue will be Paul Keating Park. It will be an open event to the
public, whose purpose will be to expose community members to the
access available to them in regards services and agencies providing
mental health care.
The coalition behind this is the Recovery and Support (RAS) /
Partners in Recovery (PIR) network of agencies in the Bankstown
area. For the Expo itself, a subgroup of community agency reps is
collaborating to put the Expo together. These individuals represent
Bankstown Community Mental Health, Bankstown Multicultural
Health, Carer Assist, Partner in Recovery , Metro Assist and Carers
Program SWSLHD (please see attached flyer). It will be a festive
event, full with jumping castles, food, Zumba and stage
presentations.
SANE
2015
Suicide Postvention Training
In early 2015 SANE Australia is running five Mental Illness and
Bereavement workshops for mental health workers around
Australia. The half-day workshop explores how health professionals
can better support the family and friends of people with mental
illness who have died by suicide. For more information click here.
Mental Health Australia
29th January 2015
NDIS Mental Health Consumer & Carer Capacity Building
Workshop - Canberra
Mental Health Australia has been funded by the National Disability
Insurance Agency (NDIA) to work with the mental health sector and
build capacity for mental health consumers, families, carers and
service providers to participate in the National Disability Insurance
Scheme (NDIS).
Addiction Australia
20-22 May 2015
2015 Addictions Conference
A new opportunity to present on your expertise has now arrived.
The Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference Committee is
beginning to pursue and produce the most significant program for
2015. Presentations on the treatment and recovery of alcohol, other
drugs and behavioural addictions will be covered with the help of
your presentation.
Join us from the 20 - 22 May 2015 on the Gold Coast to address the
different types of addictions, prevention, assessment, treatment and
recovery.
The program will cover a range of topics including:
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Health, drug and addiction policy and advocacy
Behavioural addictions including: eating, gaming, shopping
and gambling
Research on drug and alcohol addiction
Causes and risk factors for addiction: mental health,
societal and family
Technology in addiction treatment
Further information can be found on the conference website.
For more information, please click here.
Long Term
Unemployment
9-10 November 2015
Australian Long-Term Unemployment Conference
The Australian Long-Term Unemployment Conference will be held
on the 9 -10 November 2015 Hilton on the Park,
Melbourne. Following on from our “Building Capability” event that
was held in August 2014 on the Gold Coast, the 2015 event will
focus on improving transitions for job seekers to help them achieve
positive outcomes. For the long term unemployed there are barriers
to employment that need close examination and dialogue. For more
information, please click here.
REPORTS & ARTICLES
MHC ARAFMI NSW
MEDIA RELEASE: Mental Health Carers ARAFMI NSW
congratulates the NSW Mental Health Commission on the release of
their report Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW
2014 – 2024, which was released on 15th December 2014.
The report outlines a reform of the current mental health system in
NSW, from one predominantly focussed on treatment via
hospitalisation to hope of recovery centred in community support,
thus giving those with a lived experience of mental illness a voice.
Jonathan Harms, CEO of Mental Health Carers Arafmi NSW Inc.,
(‘Arafmi’), welcomed the launch of this Plan by the Premier Baird,
Minsters for Health and Mental Health (Skinner and Rowell) and the
NSW Mental Health Commissioner Feneley on Monday the 15th of
December 2014. To read this media release, click here,
SANE
Lessons For Life Report - the qualitative research report conducted
by SANE Australia and the University of New England examining the
experiences of Australian's who have attempted suicide. To
view/download this report, please click here.
NSW Health
Strengthening Mental Health Care In NSW
The NSW Government has committed to a once in a generation
overhaul of mental health care service delivery, with a $115 million
boost to mental health funding over three years.
A key commitment of the Government is improving the wellbeing of
the community and ensuring better outcomes for people with mental
illness, their families and carers. Already there has been record
spending on mental health. New and expanded services have been
developed with investment in much needed infrastructure. Under the
Government commitment there will be a major focus on enhancing
services in the community. Inpatient acute mental health services will
also continue to be supported and grow in line with community
needs.
To strengthen mental health care in NSW, the Government will focus
on:
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Strengthening prevention and early intervention
A greater focus on community-based care
Developing a more responsive system
Working together to deliver person-centred care
Building a better system
To read more on this, click here.
Mental Health
Commission of NSW
Update- National Review of Mental Health Programmes and
Services delivered to the Commonwealth Government
The National Mental Health Commission is pleased to have delivered
the 2014 National Review of Mental Health Programmes and
Services to the Commonwealth Government. The Review examines
existing mental health programmes and services across all levels of
government, and the private and non government sectors. It
focusses on assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of
programmes and services in supporting individuals experiencing
mental ill-health and their families and other support people to lead a
contributing life and to engage productively in the community. To
view, click here.
Mental Health Program
Council
The Mental Health (Statutory Amendment) Bill 2014 was passed
by the NSW Upper House on Tuesday 18 November 2014. The Bill
can be found on the Parliament website .
Community
Justice Coalition
Media Release - Prisoner Questionnaire
“This Questionnaire is designed to canvas political parties’ response
to a spectrum of prison-related issues prior to the 2015 election. It
has been created with the help of experts in their fields to improve
communication between political parties and community
stakeholders in the area of criminal justice” said Mr John Dowd AO
QC, President of the CJC.
Mental Health
Coordinating Council
NSW Government delivers visionary strategic plan
for community mental health; $115m in new funding
The NSW peak body for mental health non-government
organisations (NGOs), the Mental Health Coordinating Council
(MHCC), applauds today’s announcement by the NSW Government
that it refocus the state’s mental health system toward modern,
evidence-based community responses to mental illness. to view this
media release,click here.
ARAFMI NSW - David
Peters
Christmas in Recovery - A message of Hope
I have been an alcoholic and drug addict for the best part of 20
years. I jokingly say that I missed the last decade of last century, and
the first decade of this one, although this is for the most part actually
the sad truth.
This Christmas will be my fourth Christmas that I will be sober. To
read David's message, please click here.
NEWSLETTERS & UPDATES
National Respite
Association
National Respite Association Update - for December Bulletin
4, click here
Youth Action
Youth Action Update & Training Opportunities for 2015 - click
here
Health Consumers NSW
Therapeutic Goods Administration Review of Medicines and
Medical Devices Regulation
On 24 October 2014, the Federal Minister for Health announced an
independent review of medicines and medical devices
regulation. The government has now released the discussion
paper and invites public comment. The public consultation period
closes on 5 January 2015. For more information, click here.