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Mental Health Services ACT
(Crisis and assessment team)
1800 629 354
(24 hours)
or 6205 1065

 

Lifeline
13 11 14

 

Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800

 

Mensline Australia
1300 78 99 78

 

Mental Health Foundation

Information and Referral Line  

6282 6658

Welcome to the website of the Mental Health Community Coalition of the ACT

MHCC ACT is the peak body representing the not for profit community mental health sector in the Australian Capital Territory. Founded in 2004, MHCC ACT promotes a diverse range of community agencies and local consumer and carer groups.

If you would like to learn more about our work please contact us by following the link at top of this page or subscribe to our regular e-bulletin by emailing admin@mhccact.org.au

 

 

National Mental Health Commissioners on ACT Comorbidity Bus Tour

The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT, the peak body for community managed mental health services, today will join some National Mental Health Commissioners on a Comorbidity Bus Tour of local mental health, alcohol, tobacco and other drug, and youth services. 
 
The Co-morbidity Bus Tour is a unique training experience only available in the ACT and consistently receives positive responses from the community sector. The aim of the tour is to increase the capacity of frontline workers to support people experiencing co-occurring alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and mental health issues.
 
Commissioners Janet Meagher, Jackie Crowe, Pat Dudgeon and Ian Webster will join local peak body representatives on this bus tour to get a first-hand experience of ACT services and an opportunity to speak to frontline workers. 
 
“We have some very good and innovative services in the ACT”, said MHCC Executive Officer Ian Rentsch. “The sector is going through a period of change and closer integration of mental health, alcohol, tobacco and other drug, and youth services is a high priority”, he continued, “the Co-morbidity Bus Tour is integral to strengthening connections between these sectors”.
 
“The ACT community sector is excited to have this opportunity to showcase the high quality of work and staff we have here in the nation’s capital”. 
 
The Commissioners will also host a breakfast and lunch with the specific aim of meeting and listening to people with a lived experience of mental health issues, their families and carers, service providers and government representatives. Mr Rentsch said the Commissioners want to hear first-hand from the local community about their perspectives on mental health and suicide prevention.
 
For live updates on the tour visit our twitter feed @MHCCACT 
 
Click here to see our press release  

MHCC Sector Development Workshops - Report

In February and March 2013 MHCC hosted three sector development workshops to engage the ACT community MH sector and key stakeholders in collaboratively setting a direction for the future of the sector.

In Workshop One we took a snapshot of the current context, which included current opportunities, challenges, inefficiencies and duplications in service delivery, and the necessity to change business models to accommodate the new world of NDIS.

In Workshop Two we considered a future direction for the ACT community managed mental health service organisations and developed a Principles Document for the sector.

Finally, Workshop Three we focused on strategy development.  How do we give life to our vision for the community managed MH sector?

We identified four themes:
1. Collaboration
2. Culture
3. Choice and co-Design
4. Sustainability.

We have begun to build action plans around these themes and will establish a Steering/Leadership Group to oversee implementation of actions.

To view the full report of the workshops click here. 

For more information contact MHCC on 6249 7756 or admin@mhccact.org.au

Forum - Review of the Mental Health Act

Review of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994
Consultation on the Second Exposure Draft: Forum for Community Agencies

Where: MHCC Meeting Room, 1st Floor, Griffin Centre, Genge St, Canberra City
When: Tuesday 30 April, 3:50pm - 5.00pm

For information contact Simon Viereck on 02 6249 7756

To RSVP email admin@mhccact.org.au

Consultation on the Second Exposure Draft: Wednesday 17 April – Tuesday 28 May 2013 

The ACT Government’s Review of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994 is well advanced, with a final Amendment Bill expected to go before the Assembly later this year.
The Review, undertaken by the ACT Health Directorate and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate aims to ensure Canberra’s Mental Health Act will meet the needs of our community and bring Canberra’s legislation into line with important mental health reforms happening here and in other Australian states and globally.  A wide range of community organisations, stakeholders and interest groups including mental health consumers and carers has provided valuable input.

Community feedback on the first exposure draft released late 2012 has been considered by the Review Advisory Committee and incorporated as appropriate in a second exposure draft. 
The second exposure draft is now available for further public comment and submissions will be accepted until 28 May 2013.

All public comment received by 28 May 2013 will be considered by the Review Advisory Committee for the final Amendment Bill.
  
To download copies of the Review Documents and for details of how to provide feedback please visit the ACT Government’s community engagement website ‘Time to Talk’ website at by clicking here.

The available documents are: 
  • A list of changes for the second exposure draft
  • A summary of the changes from the first exposure draft
    (these two documents together give a summary of all the changes proposed to the Act)
  • The draft Amendment Bill
  • A new ‘Mock-up’ of how the Act will look with the proposed amendments
There is also a list of stakeholder and public meetings for the consultation at the bottom of the page.

Quarterly Community Forum - The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) & MHCC Consumer and Carer participation

In late March MHCC ACT, the ACT MHCN, Carers ACT, and Mental Health, JH&ADS invited the sector to a quarterly community forum to discuss The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and MHCC ACT Consumer and Carer participation.     

Wendy Kipling  from the ACT NDIS Taskforce gave an update on the progress preparing for implementation of the enhanced service offer. Wendy also started the difficult conversation about how the NDIS is going to influence the local ACT community and took questions from the floor.

Ian Rentsch, David Lovegrove and Doris Kordes spoke about Consumer and Carer engagement and participation at MHCC ACT. The floor was again opened for discussion and some really interesting points were raised, most importantly how to engage consumers and carers in a meaningful way. MHCC ACT will be moving forward from these discussions by developing Terms of Reference and project planning. Also four second year masters in social work students, who are currently doing a community development unit, are offering their help for a limited time period.

To access the notes from the forum CLICK HERE

For further information please contact Simon Viereck via email on simon.viereck@mhccact.org.au and for the latest information concerning all these topics keep an eye out for our e-bulletin and sector updates. 

MHCC ACT submission to the ACT Budget released

Each year MHCC ACT prepares a budget submission outlining the priorities of the community mental health sector for the following year’s state budget initiatives. This year the community MH sector faces a changing environment and MHCC ACT has consciously outlined priorities and directions not only for the next year, but for the next 2-3 years and beyond.

MHCC ACT’s submission should reflect the priorities of the community mental health sector, including those of service providers, consumers and carers. Our consultations this year raised a range of priority issues for the next few years including:
  • Preparing the sector, including consumers, carers and organisations for the NDIS.
  • Accommodation, including advocating for a “HOME in Queanbeyan”-style project in the ACT and intensive supported options for the most complex clients.
  • MH promotion, including education on eating disorders and increasing use of e-interventions.
  • Education and resourcing for implementation of new MH legislation 

The 2012 ACT Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement includes a commitment to provide $35 million in new funding into mental health related services over the term of the assembly. MHCC expects that a component of that will be continuing to provide $1 million per year in growth funding to the MH sector. This means we can expect to continue to see new initiatives in mental health. It is important to advocate for those new initiatives to reflect the changing environment brought about by the NDIS and other key drivers for change.

To download the MHCC Budget Submission 2013-14 click here.

MHCC ACT Strategic Plan 2012-2016

MHCC ACT has published its Strategic Plan 2012-2016 outlining MHCC ACT’s Vision, which is for an ACT Community where good quality mental health and wellbeing is available to all, and how MHCC ACT works to achieve this vision.

The Strategic Plan outlines five areas of focus for MHCC ACT for the next four years:
1. Empowerment of the ACT Community Mental Health Sector
2. Quality person-centred care services for people with lived experience
3. An integrated, sustainable mental health sector
4. Awareness and understanding
5. Organisational sustainability
Under each focus area the Plan outlines a range of strategies for pursuing the overall goal of the area, and success indicators, which will tell us whether we are achieving those goals. The goals and strategies of the Strategic

Plan inform MHCC ACT staff workplans and MHCC ACT will be continuingly reporting on progress against those goals to the MHCC ACT Board.

To view the MHCC ACT Strategic Plan 2012-2016 click here.

MHCC ACT Position Statement – A smoke-free policy in ACT MH facilities

ACT Health Directorate has decided to introduce a smoke-free policy across mental health facilities in the ACT. Mental Health Community Coalition ACT recognises that there are valid arguments both in favour of and against introducing smoke-free policies in mental health facilities. These include an important responsibility to protect staff and patients from the adverse effects of smoking and the likelihood that a smoking ban will decrease the number of people with mental illness seeking voluntary admission to an inpatient MH facility.

MHCC ACT recommends delaying the introduction of the smoke-free policy in ACT MH facilities to allow adequate time for preparation for the introduction of the policy and to ensure that the welfare and wellbeing of affected consumers is at the centre of all considerations of the implementation of the smoke-free policy.

To read the full MHCC ACT Position Statement on a Smoke-free Policy in Inpatient MH Facilities click here

 

Information on the proposed smoke-free policy across mental health facilities in the ACT was presented at a forum co-sponsored by MHCC ACt and ACT Health Directorate. This forum heard both ACT Health Directorate and consumer advocate perspectives. There was also a presentation by Senior Lecturer, Flinders University, Sharon Lawn of some of the research evidence on implementation of smoke-free policies in inpatient mental health facilities.

To see the forum flyer click HERE .
To see Sharon Lawn’s presentation click HERE
To see the ACT Health Directorate presentation click HERE
To see MHCC ACT notes from the forum click HERE
To see alternative notes from the forum click HERE

Membership 2012- 2013

We would like to invite you to renew your membership for the 2012-13 financial year.  

 

2012-13 Membership form available by clicking HERE!!


Please complete and return the form to Rachel via fax on 6249 7801, email admin@mhccact.org.au or by dropping in to our office.

 

April - May 2013 Training and Professional Development Calendar

The Training and Professional Development Calendar is produced bimonthly by the Youth Coalition of the ACT in partnership with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) and the Mental Health Community Coalition (MHCC) ACT.

The Training Calendar provides training and professional development opportunities for workers in the youth, alcohol and other drug, mental health, family support and community sectors. This calendar has an average distribution of over 400 in the ACT and surrounding areas to workers in these fields.

The next Training Calendar will be for June - July 2013. To include your training in this calendar, email admin@mhccact.org.au or call MHCC ACT on (02) 6249 7756 to provide the following details:
Click here to download the April - May 2013 Training & Professional Development Calendar     

Paper copies of the Training and Professional Development Calendar are available at the MHCC ACT office.

Comorbidity Bus Tours

The Youth Coalition, together with the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) and the Mental Health Community Coalition, invite you to join us on a Comorbidity Bus Tour. The Comorbidity Bus Tour visits a variety of services in the ACT from the alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD), mental health (MH) and youth sectors. The aim of the bus tour is to increase the capacity of frontline workers to support people experiencing co-occurring ATOD and MH issues (comorbidity). There are currently 3 bus tours operating (Tour A, B & C) with each tour visiting different services.

Upcoming tour dates include:

Tour A: 
  • Wednesday 27 February 2013
  • Wednesday 8 May 2013

Services visited on Tour A:
  • Karralika Therapeutic Community, Karralika Programs Inc. 
  • DIRECTIONS ACT
  • Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit, Mental Health Services
  • Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT), Mental Health Services
  • Opioid Treatment Service, Alcohol and Drug Services
  • Withdrawal Unit, Alcohol and Drug Services
  • Canberra Recovery Services, Salvation Army
  • Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service
  • National Drugs Sector Information Service, Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA)
  • Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA)

Tour B: 
  • Wednesday 20 March 2013
  • Wednesday 29 May 2013

Services visited on Tour B:
  • Brian Hennessy Rehabilitation Centre, Mental Health Services
  • Arcadia House, DIRECTIONS ACT
  • Calvary Inpatient Unit (Ward 2N), Calvary Hospital
  • Lesley's Place, Toora Women Inc.
  • Step Up Step Down Program, Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria
  • Alcohol and Drug Services, Health Directorate
  • Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimimsation and Advocacy (CAHMA)
  • The Connection
  • ACT Mental Health Consumer Network
  • Mental Health Community Coalition ACT
  • Women's Information, Resources and Education on Drugs and Dependency (WIREDD), Toora Women Inc.
  • CAN Program, Richmond Fellowship of the ACT
  • The Rainbow, Mental Health Foundation

Tour C:
  • Wednesday 17 April 2013
  • Wednesday 26 June 2013

Services visited on Tour C:
  • Youth Coalition of the ACT
  • PALM Program, Ted Noffs Foundation
  • STEPS, CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn
  • headspace ACT
  • The Cottage, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
  • Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation
  • Sobering Up Shelter, CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn
  • Court Alcohol and Drug Assessment Service (CADAS), Alcohol and Drug Services
  • Needle and Syringe Vending Machine
  • CALM Program, Ted Noffs Foundation
  • Junction Youth Health Service, Anglicare ACT

Cost (includes resources and snacks, but not lunch)

  • $50 - Participants from agencies who are members of ATODA, MHCC ACT or the Youth Coalition, or staff members of a service visited on the bus tour
  • $60 - Participants from non-member, non-government organisations
  • $70 - Government workers (except those from a service visited on the bus tour)

For more information click HERE to download the flyer  or visit www.youthcoalition.net  If you are interested in attending a tour please contact me to obtain a registration form. 

Exposure draft ACT Mental Health Act - MHCC ACT Submission

In late August the ACT Government released the Review of the ACT Mental Health (Treatment & Care) Act: First Exposure Draft for public consultation. Significant changes to current mental health legislation in the ACT are proposed in this document in recognition of changes affecting the mental health field in recent years.
 
MHCC ACT in consultation with stakeholders and partners undertook an analysis of the draft Bill. We believe the Bill is on the right track, but changes are required to strengthen the focus on a person’s decision making capacity, including when considering involuntary treatment, to improve aspects of the making of orders, and to ensure the proper application of the Principles of the Act to actions taken under the Act.
 
To view the MHCC ACT submission on the Exposure draft Bill click here
 
Other submissions on the Exposure draft Bill are available for download on the ACT Health Directorate website.
 
Feedback will inform the Second Exposure Draft of the Act, which is planned for release towards the end of 2012.
 
For more information contact simon.viereck@mhccact.org.au  

Standards and Performance Pathways portal

SPP Portal


ACT Community Mental Health Sector group subscription

MHCC ACT and BNG NGO Services Online are partnering to provide a subsidised group subscription to this valuable online service to MHCC ACT members. The Standards and Performance Pathways (SPP) is a new product of BNG NGO Services Online and is an integrated online system for the completion of self-assessments, quality improvement and compliance activities related to service and quality standards, including the National Standards for Mental Health Services.

The Standards and Performance Pathways was developed to provide NGOs with an easy, electronic system for completing standards assessments, supported by resources to enable them to complete improvement tasks, and, through its comprehensive cross referencing, a way of completing multiple sets of standards through a single assessment process.

Where NGOs have a single set of standards, SPP provides a simple to use online interactive tool, guiding and resourcing organisations through this process, tracking progress and collating evidence for reporting.
The Standards and Performance Pathways will support ACT Community Mental Health Sector organisations to transition to reporting on the National Standards for Mental Health Services in six monthly contract reports, as required by the ACT MH Policy Unit from July 2013, and provides tools and resources for quality improvement related to the Standards.

For more information on the group subscription CLICK HERE to view SPP Information for MHCC ACT members

For more information on Standards and Performance Pathways CLICK HERE to view SPP Information Sheet

To register to take advantage of this great SPP portal group membership offer go to the online registration form (note: this is a link to an external website): CLICK here SPP Online Registration Portal

For more information on the National Standards for Mental Health Services and MHCC ACT services, please contact MHCC ACT on ph: 6249 7756 or email: admin@mhccact.org.au  
 

Let's Talk – It's OK to Talk

ACT Suicide Prevention campaign 2012

For more information, resources, mythbusting facts and more click the Let’s Talk image to visit the ACT Health Directorate website 

 Let's Talk