As today marks the start of Mental Health Month, with World Mental Health Day just around the corner on Sunday 10 October, our theme this year is to look forward, look up, and look out for each other - all with the aim to “Look after our mental health, Australia”.

And to ‘look after the mental health of all Australians’, there must be real action on the volumes of work that have gone before us. The forthcoming National Agreement for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention is the vehicle to enable such action.

Three years ago this month the Government announced the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health, which became a driving force for our mental health ecosystem at the time.

The PC Commission galvanised us all to respond through countless consultations, submissions and reports outlining just how we should look forward, and look at dealing with a national, efficient, effective and productive approach to mental health reform in Australia. And remember, this was all pre-COVID.

Today, thanks to the PC Report and supporting reports at national, state and territory levels, we now have more than enough collective wisdom from our sector, at a time when we need that direction and strategic nous the most.

The PC Report was, and still is, our head start on building a mentally healthy future for all Australians through, out of, and beyond the pandemic.  

And while there’s also no doubt that some of the themes and ideas stemming from the PC Report have already started to receive welcome funding, the National Agreement must outline how the systemic national reform piece completes the puzzle.  

Of course, that’s not going to be easy, but if the generational reform for our mental health system that was so heralded at the start of this journey is to be achieved, governments must do the hard work. 

They must close gaps in the system. In tight fiscal times, they must understand what the returns on investment are. And they must embed lived experience at the heart of reform. 

To do this there must be a clear and productive National Agreement from the start, and the ball is in the court of all the governments to make this happen, now. 

What we do collectively for our mental health system today, tomorrow and in the coming weeks and months will not only help insulate many from the current challenges they face, but also has the potential to provide lasting supports to the many Australians who will need them, and our sector, in the years to come.

This weekend look up and enjoy the start to Mental Health Month, look forward to World Mental Health Day next Sunday and let’s look out for each other, which for me means advocating for the best mental health system in the world. 

Now is the time for governments to show leadership and galvanise the changes we have all been calling for through a strong and collaborative National Agreement.

Leanne Beagley
CEO

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World Mental Health Day - 10 Oct

Become a Partner

To become a partner for the upcoming World Mental Health Day campaign, and receive a FREE Partner Pack including the chance to record your own campaign video, please email nikki.hogan@mhaustralia.org or find out more on the World Mental Health Day website.

ANU: World Mental Health Day panel discussion

We are delighted to be partnering with the ANU for the World Mental Health Day online expert panel discussion on Friday 8 October at 12.30-2pm AEST. I will be joining a panel with Dr Hugh Mackay AO, Associate Professor Tegan Cruwys, Dr Amelia Gulliver, and Emeritus Professor Andrew Markus. The session will be moderated by Michelle Linmore from ANU Counselling. The panel will focus on practical ways to improve mental health, including ways to ease loneliness and create connections within our community. We hope this discussion will include ways that we as individuals can cope in the current context, but also ways in which Australia might best respond to emerging mental health challenges. 

Daily ideas for looking after your mental health this October

Mental Health Australia has launched its October 2021 calendars for Mental Health Month ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, including daily ideas for all Australians to look after their mental health in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Mental Health Australia’s downloadable and printable calendars are tailored with some great tips for different audiences, including the general public, young adults, families, older Australians, and workplaces. Download the calendars here.

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NEXT WEEK It’s the lead up to World Mental Health Day with lots of internal work to support partners and members to make the most of the opportunity to advocate for people across Australia to look after their mental health. And on Friday 8 October I’m especially looking forward to the ANU panel discussion. Today marks the start of Mental Health Month! For a full calendar of ideas to look after your mental health, click here.

 

Member Benefits, Jobs and Profiles

Communicate your news, job vacancies, or upcoming events to more than 5,000 people in the mental health ecosystem weekly. Mental Health Australia members are invited to send us news, announcements, job vacancies, events or other notices for inclusion in the Weekly CEO Update newsletter. To do so, simply fill out this form by COB each Wednesday for your notice to appear in the newsletter the following Friday. Job vacancy Emerging Minds, the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health is seeking a Content Development Officer to join their Adelaide-based Practice Development Team. This role is responsible for the development of innovative information and workforce development resources for clinical and non-clinical professionals to improve the mental health outcomes for infants and children as well as the parenting practices of parents, guardians and carers to support children. This is a fixed-term contract position (0.8 FTE up to 1.0 FTE) until 30 June 2023. A salary of $89,685 per annum (adjusted to hours worked), salary packaging and entertainment packaging is available. Additional Employer Superannuation Contribution of 3%. Member Profiles   Occupational Therapy Australia As Australia’s professional association for occupational therapy, Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) fosters evidence-based practice, enables lifelong learning and promotes the future of occupational therapy. OTA exists to support occupational therapists to support their community. Connections Connections is a not-for-profit community service organisation that provides individual support, training, programs and advocacy in the support of mental health and wellbeing. Connections vision is to Improve Mental Health in the Community and achieves this by providing relevant evidence-based learning and life skill development programs that assist in the facilitation of recovery.

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health News Workshops and Information Sessions for community groups and leaders The NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service working in partnership with UNSW is delivering a 2 hour training session for community leaders, community workers, and faith representatives working with CALD communities to promote uptake of vaccination, counter misinformation and address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. To book a session contact: your local Multicultural Health Unit or the NSW Refugee Health Service. Contact the NSW Refugee Health Service to request an in-language information session on COVID-19 vaccinations to communities with a refugee background. Contact RHS for details. Western Sydney Local Health District has developed a 1-hour COVID-19 vaccine information session for CALD communities living in Western Sydney. Bilingual trainers can deliver it in Arabic, Dari, Dinka, Punjabi, Urdu. Contact Daniel.Apat@health.nsw.gov.au RHS’ Assyrian Vaccination Helpline RHS is trialing a helpline to assist Assyrian-speakers with questions they have about the COVID-19 vaccine and assist them book a vaccination appointment. Call 0459 884 573 during business hours.  Those who want to make a booking themselves can also use Vaccine Eligibility Checker which is available in Assyrian and Arabic (as well as other languages).

Mental Health News

New phone app to support children’s mental health and wellbeing The federal government has launched a new, free phone application with information, ideas and guidance for parents to help them provide additional support their child’s mental health and wellbeing.  The Raising Healthy Children App was developed by the Raising Children Network as part of its program to support parents’ mental health literacy by building knowledge and confidence concerning the social and emotional wellbeing of children.  Read more Government welcomes interim National Commissioner’s Preliminary Interim Report The Australian Government welcomes the Preliminary Interim Report of the interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, which has been tabled in Parliament. The interim National Commissioner, Dr Bernadette Boss CSC, commenced her work on the Independent Review of Past Defence and Veteran Suicides on 16 November 2020. This Report sets out the duties Dr Boss has undertaken to date, including preliminary findings and initial recommendations.  Read more Lifeline acknowledges fall in suicide death rate in 2020 John Brogden, Chairman of Lifeline Australia, has highlighted the release of the 2020 cause of death data by the ABS, which reveals that 3139 Australians lost their lives to suicide over the year, however, welcomed the 5.4% decrease from 2019. Read more Beyond Blue supports ongoing suicide prevention effort as data points to fewer suicides Suicide rates in Australia are at a five-year low as governments, the mental health and suicide prevention sectors and the community continue working together to support those at risk. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ preliminary 2020 Causes of Death data, released today, shows that 3,139 people died by suicide in Australia in 2020, down 5.4 percent from 2019 when 3,318 people took their lives. Read more Prevention and early intervention critical to ending the cycle of family mental illness An international group of researchers led by Monash University have developed a series of principles and recommendations to assist children whose parents are living with a mental illness. The team of researchers have found that due to a range of factors, children whose parent/s have a mental illness are at risk for their own mental health problems and recommend that mental health services deliver support for the whole family and not only to individuals. Read more Community mental health sector growing at pace in New South Wales A new report highlights significant growth in the non-government community mental health workforce in New South Wales. Mental Health Coordinating Council’s latest Mental Health Workforce Profile: Community Managed Organisations Mental Health Workforce Report 2021 shows the workforce is growing at 6.5% annually, outstripping increases in other workforces in the mental health system. Read more Oil and Gas Industry unites for Mental Health The voice of Australia’s oil and gas industry today joined forces with Safer Together and AMMA to release a national ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing Implementation Guideline’. APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville said the guideline’s release coincides with the start of National Mental Health Month. “Today APPEA, AMMA and Safer Together have released a ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing Implementation Guideline’ to support our members as they continue to prioritise the mental health of our workforce,” Mr McConville said. Read more

Reminders

Odd Socks Day GROW Australia’s Odd Socks Day is taking place on Friday 8 October. Help GROW reduce the stigma around mental ill-health and start the conversation now. Odd Socks Day is a fun way to approach a really serious topic. One in seven Australians will experience depression and one quarter of Australians will experience an anxiety condition in their lifetime. There are a number of easy ways you can participate in Odd Socks Day. 1,000 DSS funded psychosocial learning places now open Mental Health Victoria is offering 1,000 limited free recovery-oriented Psychosocial Learning Hub training places nationally funded by the Australia Government’s Department of Social Services (DSS) as part of its Jobs and Market Fund. Applications close 6 October 2021.  8th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium #8RRHSS Virtual registrations are now open for the 8th Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium on 6-7 October. The full digital program retains the more than 60 research presentations, poster sessions and engagement with high-quality keynote speakers. The theme of the virtual symposium is ‘Connecting research, practice and communities’ – bringing together rural health academics, clinical researchers and practitioners, students, as well as policymakers engaged with the Alliance and the rural health sector. The Alliance hosts the Symposium in conjunction with the Australian Rural Health Education Network, the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators and the Lowitja Institute. Walk for Wellness this World Mental Health Day One Door Mental Health is holding a Walk for Wellness during the week following World Mental Health Day – 10 to 16 October. The virtual event will encourage people to register their support and run or walk anytime, anywhere in their local community in a COVID-safe way. Even a simple walk around the block can help improve mental and physical health. What are Recovery Colleges? webinar Mind is running a one-hour webinar on 28 October at 12-1pm AEDT which you’re invited to join to understand more about Recovery Colleges as an essential part of the mental health system. Register here. Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces The Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces aims to define a vision of mentally healthy workplaces that can be shared by all organisations and businesses across Australia. This Blueprint is a living document that will be refined over time. The National Mental Health Commission is seeking feedback from a wide range of organisations, businesses, unions, government agencies, professional associations, service providers and the mental health and workplace health sectors to shape the Blueprint. Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022 Conference  The Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022 Conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 15 – 17 June 2022. Call for abstract submissions are now open for presentations, roundtable sessions or symposia on a diverse range of issues affecting family wellbeing such as: Family relationships; Parenting, child development and caring; Families and financial circumstances; Family law; Challenges for families. Submissions close Thursday, 14 October 2021. A full list of plenary speakers is available, and sponsorship packages to engage with audiences are also available through the AIFS Conference website. Mental Health Month Webinar Series For Mental Health Month and Safe Work Month, OzHelp is raising awareness of the role we can all play in creating safe workplace communities in a series of webinars on 7 October at 11am, 14 October at 12.30pm, and 21 October at 11am. Each session is free and suited to those who lead teams, have their own business, or are responsible for workplace health and safety.