Improved mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable Queenslanders will be supported through more than $660,000 invested from the Queensland Mental Health Commission grants program.
Announced during Queensland Mental Health Week (9-15 October), a total of 15 organisations across the state have been offered up to $50,000 from the Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants Program to implement innovative, locally-led, collaborative initiatives.
Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Dr Lesley van Schoubroeck said this year’s grants target initiatives that focus on the needs of vulnerable groups, including rural and remote Queenslanders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, children and young people, seniors and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
“The Queensland Mental Health Commission has invested over $2.1 million through its grants program since 2014, providing support to communities and initiatives that promote good mental health and wellbeing in more than 50 locations across Queensland.
“We are pleased to offer support to 15 organisations this year, including local government, to boost social inclusion, community participation and improve the physical health of people living with mental illness.”
The grants enable organisations to support the implementation of priorities under the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-2019. Successful grant applicants are listed below.
Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants 2016-17:
| Organisation | Community | Description | Grant |
| Lives Lived Well Ltd | Brisbane | Building capacity in the Vietnamese, Sudanese and Samoan communities and to identify a culturally appropriate way of reducing alcohol related harms, stigma and discrimination and upskill community leaders and workers to provide support and implement co-designed local solutions. | $50,000 |
| Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action | State-wide | Using social media to promote holistic health, lifestyle and wellbeing information to people using illicit drugs in rural and remote communities supported by a limited phone number for those requiring additional support. | $37,502 |
| Beaucare | Beaudesert | Developing a whole-of-community approach to wellbeing through the Wheel of Wellbeing Framework. | $50,000 |
| Centacare Cairns | Cairns | Working with CALD communities, particularly refugees, to identify traditional and non-traditional approaches to wellness, using the Wheel of Wellbeing as a foundation. The work will seek to reduce stigma associated with seeking help and has the potential to identify a tailored model that could be used in other communities for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. | $50,000 |
| World Wellness Group | Greater Brisbane | Working with companies employing migrant workers to deliver wellness programs in the workplace including a workplace specific needs analysis. | $50,000 |
| Sunshine Coast Council | Maroochydore | Delivering a 16-week mental health and wellbeing project for seniors (over 50) living with a mental illness or those wanting to improve their mental health and wellbeing. This will enable up to 30 participants to set their own personal goals for physical health and be supported by a Peer Worker to work on cognitive and physical tools to improve mental health and wellbeing. | $44,131 |
| Dysart Community Support Group | Dysart | Developing a wellbeing framework for Dysart based on the Wheel of Wellbeing Framework. The project involves working with service providers and stakeholders across a wide range of areas. | $49,093 |
| Communify Qld | Kelvin Grove and Inala | Two groups (one in Kelvin Grove and one in Inala) participating in 12 sessions for up to 25 participants in each session to provide information including regarding the health system and ante natal and post-natal care and to build networks to reduce social isolation. | $26,762 |
| Toowoomba Clubhouse | Toowoomba | Recruiting and training up to 30 community volunteers to act as companions for people living with mental illness to reduce social isolation. The companions will be responsible for assisting people living with mental illness to live independent lives. | $50,000 |
| Vulcana Women’s Circus Inc. | Brisbane | Providing 20 places for adults experiencing mental illness and 40 for children and young people experiencing mental illness and alcohol and other drug problems in circus workshops to build confidence and skills. | $35,639 |
| Indel-Ability Arts Ltd | Brisbane | Developing a performance, involving six actors with disability who have experienced mental illness and mental health problems, that will address stigma associated with mental health. The performances will be trialled in schools in 2017. | $42,250 |
| Karakan | South Brisbane, Logan, Redlands | Developing easily accessible and supported physical activity programs to improve social opportunities for people living with a mental illness and intellectual disability including training volunteers who could continue to deliver the program. | $46,574 |
| Queensland Police Citizens Youth Welfare Associate | Cairns and Yarrabah | The program aims to improve physical health and community connections of Indigenous adults recovering from mental illness. The project involves capacity building which will build the skills of the local community to enable sustained delivery. The project is a partnership with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. | $49,826 |
| Stepping Stones Clubhouse | Brisbane | Provide opportunities to Clubhouse clients who are living with a mental illness to participate in the Healthy Active Lifestyle Program to improve their physical health and wellbeing. | $28,700 |
| Australian International Islamic College Collaborative | Gold Coast | The BRITA Futures Wellbeing Program helps build multicultural community social wellbeing and resilience by providing mental health first aid training to community leaders to equip them with knowledge and enable them to engage in non-stigmatising conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Training will also be provided to up to 50 young people attending a residential event. | $50,000 |
Downloads-
Grants statewide 2016 (PDF, 324.51 KB)
