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QMHC eNews - Issue 14

5 Nov 2014

Commissioner's update

On 17 October I launched  the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s first grant scheme — the Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants Program in support of the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-2019. Information about applications is below.

The first round is to support attendance at ‘Wheel of Wellbeing’ training delivered by Tony Coggins from Maudsley International. The training is on 18 November 2014 in Brisbane. BE QUICK—Applications for this round close 6 November 2014.

Social and economic participation

One of the commitments of the Strategic Plan to receive a warm welcome is the commitment to a ‘responsive and sustainable community sector’ (Shared Commitment 4). This commitment has great potential for social and economic participation, and was the focus of two forums I attended recently.

  • The Social and Economic Procurement Forum hosted by Local Buy, Social Procurement Australasia and ArcBlue focused specifically on the commitment to “investigating options to include social outcomes in procurement policies and processes.” You can read my speech HERE
  • On 30 October 2014, the University of the Sunshine Coast brought together policy makers, researchers and service providers from around the country to discuss the challenges and opportunities for maximising the social and economic participation of those with mental ill-health participation. Read the speech HERE
  • It is also great to see that beyondblue, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland and Workcover Queensland are hosting a forum on 7 November to improve the mental health of workplaces. More information HERE
  • I have also had a number of enquiries about implementing the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Support in Queensland. Health Industry Training is accredited to deliver this in Queensland.

Mental Health Week

Achievement award winners 2014

Congratulations to all the winners of the Mental Health Achievement Awards 2014—your effort and commitment to improving mental health in Queensland deserves recognition.

The winners were—

  • Individual Award and Earl Duus Award—Helen Glover
  • Organisational Award—Mental Illness Fellowship Queensland (MIFQ), Journey Through My Mind Exhibition
  • Workforce Award—Corinda State High School and Microsoft
  • Commendation—Made4Media and ABC’s #MentalAs

Thank you!

Thank you to all the organisations up and down the State who held events for Mental Health Week this year. The variety of events and participation was wonderful to see.

A special vote of thanks needs to go to Open Minds for the huge effort they put in coordinating this year’s Mental Health Week across the State. They did a tremendous job and helped to make the week an outstanding success.

Wanted: Your views

Open Minds and the Commission have already started thinking about next year’s Mental Health Week, and we would like your feedback! We will be getting together with others in the sector early in the new year to plan next year’s MHW. Tell us what worked, what didn’t, what you liked, what could be better, etc. so that we can make Mental Health Week a bigger success next year. Email your ideas to info@qmhc.qld.gov.au by 31 December 2014.

Quick updates

  • Our Options for Reform paper on least restrictive practices, including locked wards, should be out before Christmas. As a point of clarification, this paper does not comment on the operational decision of Queensland Health to lock wards.  That is outside our mandate. What it aims to do, is to examine approaches to least restrictive practices in acute mental health units, including when wards may be locked. Read more
  • Our report on social housing for people with complex needs is nearing finalisation. We hope to get the background research undertaken by the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research published in the next few weeks. Read more
  • The communiqué from the recent meeting of the Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council is now on our website, as is a communiqué from meeting of the Rural and Remote Mental Health Roundtable hosted by the Minister for Health, the Honourable Laurence Springborg MP, in Mt Isa on 30 September 2014.
  • Don’t forget Postnatal Depression Week is 16-22 November 2014. We hope to have a summary of the feedback from the 101 respondents to our discussion paper available by then.
  • Thank you to the 500 or so people who responded to the survey on the evaluation of the Queensland Mental Health Commission.  The literature review is on our website now and a summary of the results will be up shortly.

Until next time.

Dr Lesley van Schoubroeck
Queensland Mental Health Commissioner

Read more about the Commissioner’s work in the Commissioner’s Diary.

 Grant funding available NOW

The Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants Program offers up to $500,000 for grassroots community wellbeing enhancement, community awareness and capacity building activities across the State.

Supportive, connected communities

This initiative recognises the vital role community plays in the prevention of, and recovery from, mental illness and drug and alcohol problems.

This encompasses supportive relationships, connection with others, being involved in meaningful activities that increase feelings of competency, confidence and self-worth and possessing resilience and the inner resources to help cope when things beyond our control go wrong.

Locally-led community activities

The funding is directed at local government and community sector so that people can access community-based support, not just clinical support.

We are looking to fund locally-led initiatives that:

  • Increase community and individual connectedness
  • Raise community awareness of mental illness and substance use disorders
  • Build community capacity for improving mental health and wellbeing.

Applications closing soon

Application information and forms are on the Commission’s website.

Closing dates for grant applications are:

  1. Community Wellbeing Enhancement Initiative—grants of up to $50,000. Applications close 21 November 2014.
  2. Community Awareness Initiative—grants of up to $15,000. Applications close 21 November 2014.
  3. Capacity Building for Community Wellbeing—grants to attend ‘Wheel of Wellbeing’ training delivered by Tony Coggins from Maudsley International. The training is on 18 November 2014 in Brisbane. BE QUICK! Applications close 6 November 2014.

More information on Tony Coggins and the ‘Wheel of Wellbeing’ training below.

Questions?

Please direct any questions about your grant application to the Queensland Mental Health Commission grant email address.

Submission of grant applications

You must submit your application by the due date, including all the requested supporting documentation.

Submit your application by uploading it with the relevant supporting documents via the QMHC grants program submission page on our website.

 Get ready to be ‘WoW’-ed

As part of its Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grant Program, the Commission has invited Tony Coggins from Maudsley International to host a training session on the Wheel of Wellbeing program from the United Kingdom.

The Wheel of Wellbeing website provides useful, practical and inspirational tools and resources from a personal and professional perspective about maintaining mental wellbeing.

The Commission wants to build community sector knowledge and understanding of positive mental health in communities, and help promote wellbeing, early intervention and prevention of mental health issues and substance use difficulties.

The Wheel of Wellbeing states that there are certain things we can do to improve our moods, reduce the risk of depression, strengthen relationships, keep us healthy and add years to our lives. Long live wellbeing!

BE QUICK! Grants to attend Wheel of Wellbeing training in Brisbane close on 6 November 2014.

 Sector news

Events

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