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

ACT Health - "Let's Talk" suicide prevention campaign

Over the next three weeks, ACT Health is rolling out its "Let's Talk" suicide prevention campaign, in the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday 10 September. You can view the suicide prevention newsletter by clicking here

You can help someone who is feeling suicidal.

It is distressing to realise that someone close to you may be considering taking their own life.  It is often difficult to know what to say or what to do.  People need to know that it is OK to Talk.

Below are some suggestions of how you might support someone you know who may be at risk:

• Stay calm and ask the person if they are thinking of suicide.  People are often fearful that asking may introduce the thought to the person. This is a myth.
• Spend time with the person, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling and to get further professional advice; Don't agree to keep it a secret.  The person's safety is your main concern. You may need to talk to someone else to make sure that the person is safe.
• Remember, most people who consider taking their own life get through the crisis.
  
  

If your organisation would like copies of posters and 'z' cards to distribute, please contact Johann Sheehan at johann.sheehan@act.gov.au

For more information ACT Health website's suicide prevention page is located at http://health.gky.com.au/c/health?a=&did=11071645

If you are feeling stressed and thinking about suicide, or know someone who is, please contact Lifeline on 131 114 or the Canberra Mental Health Services Triage on 1800 629 354  

Quarterly Consumer, Carer and Community Forum - Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation

The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and the ACT Mental Health Consumer Network invite you to attend the Quarterly Forum. The theme is: Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation

View the Forum flyer here

Getting and maintaining employment is considered by many consumers as a key step in their recovery journey. Yet Australia has one of the lowest rates of employment for people affected by mental illness among the developed nations.
This Forum focuses on new initiatives promoting employment and vocational rehabilitation for mental health consumers in the ACT. The forum will also provide an overview of current supported employment services in the ACT.

Speakers include:
Melissa Lee & Steve Duffy, Vocational Support Project, MHACT.
Lisa McPherson, Nexus Human Services, and others still to be confirmed.

Feedback and questions from the audience are encouraged for all sessions.

Where:                Room 6, (Level 1) Griffin Centre, 20 Genge St, Canberra City
When:                 Thursday 9 September, 2010, 5.30 pm – 8.00 pm

For further information or to RSVP your attendance please contact MHCC ACT on (02) 6249 7756 or email admin@mhccact.org.au

Sector Development Forum - Quality Improvement and Outcome Measurement, 22 September 2010

MHCC ACT invites you to attend our regular Sector Development Forum.

This Forum will focus on the quality cycle and the challenges and benefits of using quality improvement tools and mechanisms in the community mental health sector.

The community mental health sector in the ACT already uses a diverse range of quality improvement tools and processes. This includes working with and reporting on various quality frameworks such as ‘Raising the Standard’, collecting the Life Skills Profile outcome data, and other processes, which are daily business.

This forum will give an overview of the quality cycle, quality improvement processes and consumer outcome measurement as a key part of the quality improvement process.

Speakers:
Jenny Klause, NSW/ACT/QLD State Manager, Quality Management Services, will give an overview to the Quality Cycle and discuss the impact of embedding quality improvement.

Faye Green, Assistant CEO CatholicCare, & Heide Seaman, Assistant CEO, Richmond Fellowship, will give a picture of Quality Improvement and outcome measurement in their service and how it has impacted on the service.

When:     2.00 – 4.00pm, September 22nd, 2010
Where:    Room 6, Level 1, Griffin Centre, 20 Genge St, Civic

See the Forum Flyer here.

For further information or to RSVP your attendance please contact MHCC ACT on (02) 62497756 or email admin@mhccact.org.au

More information and presentations from the Forum are available on the Sector Development page .

Recent training - Stories Changing Minds 26 August 2010

Do you ask consumers & carers to draw on their personal stories to deliver health promotion programs, offer peer support, represent your organisation or educate the community?
Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT) is a community organisation that has a successful model of consumer & carer engagement that allows people to tell their story in a safe, supportive and ‘do no harm’ environment.

“Immensely valuable – more than just technique/informs an approach to people, a way of listening to people which is very important in the community [health] sector”
(previous participant of ‘Stories Changing Minds’)

Discover how effectively supporting and empowering people to tell of their lived experiences will add value and impact to the delivery and outcomes of your service.

This training was held Thursday 26th August. For more information, please contact Margaret Charlton on (02) 62497756 or margaret.charlton@mhccact.org.au

Mental Health Organisations letter to the PM

On Thursday 24th June 2010, the Mental Health Council of Australia co-ordinated the delivery of a letter to the Prime Minister regarding mental health funding.

The letter was signed by approximately 70 organisations from across the country including MHCC ACT. Obviously with the PM changing moments before our event, the function was ‘lost’ in the shuffle. The event still took place however and we believe that the issues we raised will be taken up by Ms Gillard and we hope to have further information shortly.

The letter recommended the Australian Government:

• commit to achieving ready access to quality mental health care based on need
• work in partnership with State and Territory governments and the mental health sector to develop, resource, publish and implement a new mental health reform program
• comprehensively strengthen community mental health services by investing in both further expanding the youth mental health models of care supported in the COAG announcement and by substantially enhancing supports for other key points in the lifespan,  particularly for children and older adults.
  

For further information or a copy of the letter please contact Simon Tatz at the Mental Health Council of Australia on 02 6285 3100 or simon.tatz@mhca.org.au or Brooke McKail at MHCC ACT on 02 6249 7756 or brooke.mckail@mhccact.org.au

Recent MHCC Submissions

In consultation with members and other stakeholders in the sector MHCC has developed a number of submissions in 2010 and has provided input into a number of other consultation processes.
We have provided submissions to the Review of the Mental Health Act, ACT Comorbidity Strategy, the National Recovery Principles, and most recently to the ACT Legislative Assembly Inquiry into Respite Care Services in the ACT.

MHCC also had input into a submission to the ACT Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy through participation on the ACT Comorbidity strategic Working Group, and has participated in consultation sessions on the Preliminary Models of Care for the planned Adolescent and Young Adult Inpatient Mental Health Unit and Secure Mental Health Unit.
The MHCC response to the Review of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care Act) 1994 Framework for legislation Options Paper and Forensic Options Paper, MHCC response to the ACT Comorbidity Strategy, MHCC response to the National Recovery Principles, and the MHCC submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly Inquiry into Respite Care Services are available on our Policy and Publications page .

 

MHCC Strategic Plan

The Coalition has developed a new Strategic Plan for 2010-12. Copies of the Strategic Plan are now available from the office or can be downloaded here.

The Strategic Plan sets out priorities and goals for the next three years including that by the end of the period we will be able to say:

• MHCC ACT is a member driven Coalition taking its members voices to Government and influencing policy and service outcomes for the sector;
• MHCC ACT has a clearly articulated governance framework supported by appropriate procedures and guidelines;
• Caucus is revitalised;
• MHCC ACT has strengthened relationships with its networks and partners; and
• MHCC ACT has built capacity in the sector.