It was a wonderful privilege to attend the on-line graduation of the LET(s) Lead Australia 2022 cohort. These emerging lived experience leaders have participated in the YALE University program, and Mental Health Australia has been proud to support the partnership between the Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network of the Primary Health Networks, and the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum to provide scholarships to access this program. I can assure you the future of lived experience leadership is in great hands!

As always, the Members Policy Forum will be held the day after the Grace Groom Memorial Oration at Old Parliament House. The Forum will commence at 9.00am and finish at 2.00pm (AEDT). Registrations will open at 8.30am with tea and coffee upon arrival. 

 Note: This event is for Mental Health Australia members only. 

Full Members (previously referred to as Voting Members) of Mental Health Australia Ltd are invited to nominate for a Director’s position on the Board.

The following positions are open for election in 2022:

- Three (3) Elected Directors for two-year terms (to the 2024 AGM)
- One (1) Elected Director nominated by a Carer Voting Member organisation for a two-year term (to the 2024 AGM)

All nominations and supporting material must be sent to governance@mhaustralia.org and received by Midday AEDT Monday 31 October 2022. Nominations submitted late or missing information will not be accepted. 

If you have not received a reply email confirming your nomination has been received within 1 business day please phone Returning Officer - Kath Sequoia on (02) 6285 3100.

Mental Health Australia has developed a position statement on employment and mental health, in consultation with members and representatives with lived experience. The position statement outlines key actions to improve employment participation and opportunities for people with experience of mental health challenges, and follows Mental Health Australia members highlighting employment as a key social determinant priority. Mental Health Australia will use this statement to inform future advocacy, particularly in relation to the White Paper on Employment.

Join us to hear more about a research piece on Mental Health & Stigma in CALD Communities conducted by Western Sydney University in collaboration with the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project.

The research piece ‘Understanding Mental Health and Stigma in Congolese, Arabic-speaking and Mandarin-speaking Communities’ will be presented by Associate Professor Shameran Slewa-Younan, University of Western Sydney.

The research was funded by by Mental Health Australia Ltd as part of the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project.

Please register by COB Friday 11 November.

If you have any questions, please contact Hannah: hannah.carrigy@mhaustralia.org or 02 6285 3100.

Time - Nov 14, 2022 01:00 PM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) want to hear from people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds on ways to improve the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

People interested should sign up to Participant First. Participant First share opportunities to participate in focus groups, survey and interviews.

Some feedback opportunities are also paid.

The third meeting of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Mental Health Sector
Reference Group (NMHSRG) for 2022 was held on 14 September 2022. The Chairperson, Dr Gerry Naughtin, welcomed new members to the NMHSRG, and noted
apologies. He welcomed Christine Morgan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National
Mental Health Commission to the meeting.

He also welcomed John Stanway and Dr Sue Page who are new Strategic Advisors on Health and the Health System Interface with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Finally, he welcomed Sandra Higgins, Acting CEO of the Consumers of Mental Health Western Australia (CoMHWA) as the new representative of the National Mental Health Consumer Alliance to the meeting.

“Labor’s budget fails to address the mental health crisis that so many in our community are
feeling right now.

“People are unable to get the mental health support they need. We know that the availability of local services, long waitlists, and the cost are major barriers to people getting mental health supports.

“The Australian Greens are disappointed that Labor’s budget did not commit to an extension of the additional 10 psychology sessions under the Better Access scheme. “This government should not be going backwards. We cannot return to only 10 Medicare subsidised sessions with a psychologist.

“The Australian Greens are calling on the government to make more mental health services free under Medicare. We are calling on the government to give certainty to the community and improve access to a range of mental health supports. We hope to see the Better Access
evaluation and the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce provide recommendations to enable this.”

headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation welcomes the Federal Government’s Budget commitments to young people and their mental health by pledging to expand the headspace centre network. Combined with announcements from the May 2022 Federal Budget, this week’s $23.5 million commitment to headspace means new sites are now set to be established in: Victoria: Box Hill, Hamilton, Armstrong Creek and South Melbourne, New South Wales: Edmondson Park, Shellharbour, Narellan, Hawkesbury, Ballina, Queensland: Bribie Island, Caloundra, North Brisbane, and Tasmania: Eastern Shore. Federal Government commitment to these communities means over the coming years 170 headspace centres and satellite services will be open to young people.

The Albanese Labor Government has today announced Micaela Cronin as the inaugural Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence Commissioner.

Following an open and competitive process, Ms Cronin will commence in the important role on November 1.

Australia is one of only three countries to have a national domestic violence commissioner.
Ms Cronin comes to the role following a distinguished career as an experienced CEO and graduate from Harvard Business School. She is passionate about prevention, early intervention, response and recovery from gender-based violence and will be responsible for measuring the success of the recently released National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said Ms Cronin’s appointment was critical to achieving the goal of ending gender-based violence within one generation.

A new service to help South Australian businesses has been launched today, designed to create a workplace that boosts employees’ mental and physical wellbeing. Healthy Workplaces Service provides employers, large or small, with free and practical information to show how they can support their workers in a healthy and thriving environment through: Addressing specific health and wellbeing issues, including stress reduction. Developing health and wellbeing programs to promote physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction. Linking into resources and support to improve mental health, decrease staff turnover and highlight workplace safety. The prevention-focused service - developed after consultation with more than 250 workplaces - will help businesses take proactive steps to build a positive and safe work culture before challenges arise.

The peak body for psychiatrists, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), welcomes key mental health initiatives to improve affordable access to mental health treatment within the interim Australian Federal budget. The RANZCP President, Associate Professor Vinay Lakra, welcomes key mental health measures as positive steps forward, including: the reinstatement of Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Item 288 (50% Rural Loading): MBS 288’s removal had compounded existing economic and geographic inequalities by burdening patients with unaffordable gap fees and/or out-of-pocket costs and limiting psychiatrists’ ability to offer services to rural patients. As the only speciality to have their loading returned, the RANZCP commends the Federal Government for responding to our extensive advocacy.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Jeremy Rockliff, says looking after our mental health and wellbeing, and supporting others to feel safe, supported and connected in our communities has never been more important. The Tasmanian Government is deeply committed to ensuring all Tasmanians can find help and support, where and when they need it. That’s why today, a new multimedia campaign to promote awareness of mental health supports available for Tasmanians has been launched. The Government has worked with Lifeline Tasmania and the Mental Health Council of Tasmania to develop the campaign, which highlights the support provided by these organisations to help the Tasmanian community.

Beyond Blue has welcomed the Federal Budget announcement of $10.9 million to extend the availability of Beyond Blue’s mental health coaching service for small business owners. Amid growing economic pressure, the NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) service will be available for another two years, offering one-on-one support for small business owners, many of whom are still reeling from the pressures of the pandemic. Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said the Budget’s focus on issues such as housing security, employment, equality, improvements to parental leave and childcare could bring long-term benefits for the nation’s mental health.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says the federal government’s investment of $980 million for general practice in today’s budget is a welcome follow through on its election commitments, but warned that with the health system under so much pressure, the May 2023 budget must put health front and centre. Labor has made much of its credentials on Medicare and having now settled into office, the next budget must deliver on this rhetoric. While this is a budget that focuses on delivering on election commitments, we need to see a genuine health budget next May. “This is a welcome down payment towards the long term funding increase that is needed in general practice, something the AMA advocated for during the 2022 federal election campaign as part of our Modernise Medicare campaign,” AMA President, Professor Steve Robson said.

Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Bill Shorten, says the Albanese Government is delivering on its election commitment to get the NDIS back on track. The Budget delivers the change Australians voted for, including: A Fraud Fusion Taskforce with $137.7 million to strengthen fraud detection and better safeguard the NDIS from organised crime and other fraudsters. A $5.8 million Alternative Dispute Resolution Pilot to achieve fairer, faster and better outcomes for NDIS participants, with an additional $6.6 million for participants to access advocacy and legal assistance. An independent NDIS Review led by a panel of experts and people with disability to create a roadmap for improving the NDIS, rebuilding community trust and ensuring the scheme’s sustainability so that future generations receive the benefit of the NDIS.

Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, says Australian women are front and centre of Labor’s first budget, as the Albanese Government begins the job of delivering on our election commitment to make Australia a world leader on gender equality. Improving women’s economic quality was a central part of the discussions at the Jobs and Skills Summit and this is the first Budget where the Labor Government can demonstrate that we are serious about delivering on our promises.

More than 11 million Australian workers will soon have access to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. The Albanese Labor Government has delivered on its election promise to legislate this landmark change that will save lives. Our Government is committed to providing the leadership and the investment to help end family, domestic and sexual violence. Paid family and domestic violence leave is an important part of that commitment. It is a long overdue change that will give workers - overwhelmingly women - the means to escape violent situations without risking their financial security. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the leave will apply to all employees in Australia, including casuals.

The Property Council of Australia has today welcomed the Federal Government’s budget commitment to create one million new ‘well-located’ homes under a new National Housing Accord. The new National Housing Accord aims to bring together Federal, state and territory governments, as well as the property industry and institutional investors, to boost housing supply and create more affordable and social housing. Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison said the agreement demonstrates bold ambition and a welcome collaborative approach, but will require further action to deliver. “We commend the Government for making housing supply and affordability a centrepiece of this budget and for striking an agreement with the states and territories,” Mr Morrison said.

The scholarship, provided through a partnership between Relationships Australia and the ANU, will support a PhD candidate in their investigation of how to better include children and young people in the design, delivery, and evaluation of community services. 
The scholarship is valued at $21,640 and is available to prospective or continuing domestic ANU students receiving an approved HDR Base stipend scholarship. Apply before submission close on October 31st. 

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) is seeking feedback on the Accreditation scheme for the National Safety and Quality Mental Health (NSQMH) Standards for Community Managed Organisations (CMOs).

The Commission has released a discussion paper to provide information to support stakeholders to participate in this consultation, please find the document attached. This discussion paper provides information on the operation of the Australian Health Services Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme and seeks stakeholders’ views on the accreditation methodology that best suits the CMO sector, within the bounds of that scheme.

The NSQMH Standards for CMOs will be released in November 2022. The NSQMH Standards for CMOs describe a nationally consistent safety and quality framework that all community managed organisations providing mental health services can apply when delivering mental health care. Where implemented, consumers and carers should be able to be confident they are accessing a mental health service that is safe and of high-quality.

CMOs implementing the NSQMH Standards for CMOs will develop their own practice governance frameworks. How this looks will depend on the mental health service’s size, as well as risks and complexities associated with the services it delivers. Implementation requires a whole-of-service approach.

We invite you to provide your feedback via a written submission or participation in a focus group. Please visit the website - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/australian-commiss… to register to attend an information webinar of focus group. 

The consultation period is open now until 11.59pm (AEDT) Friday 9 December 2022.

If you have any questions about the accreditation scheme discussion paper or the consultation process, please contact the mental health team at: mentalhealth@safetyandquality.gov.au

Held exclusively online from 14-18 November 2022, PACFA’s Safety Through Diversity Conference will be a ‘collaborative festival of ideas,’ discussing the most important counselling, psychotherapy and Indigenous Healing Practices themes of our time.

On each of the 5 days, a stellar line-up of speakers/ ‘key collaborators’ will spark conversations with attendees around themes of the day:

Day 1, 14 November – Indigenous Healing Practices

Day 2, 15 November – Diversity in Gender, Body, Kinship and Sexuality

Day 3, 16 November – Psychotherapy, Counselling and the Politics of Mental Health

Day 4, 17 November – Research and the future of the profession

Day 5, 18 November – Wrap up – Bringing it all together towards the future

Practising counsellors, psychotherapists and Indigenous Healing Practitioners can accrue up to 6.5 Category A CPD hours per day.

Registration opens 19 October. Visit bit.ly/PACFACONF22 for more information and to sign up for updates.

The Black Dog Institute will hold its Summit on Self Harm at Doltone House in Sydney on November 10th. This full day event will bring together leading international researchers, clinicians, and lived experience experts to share insights on self-harm. Click the link below to register your interest and be alerted as soon as the program becomes available.

Nearly 1 billion people live with a mental health condition. But mental health remains one of the most neglected aspects of healthcare. Some countries have only two mental health workers for every 100 000 people. The social and economic repercussions are profound.
Anxiety and depression alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion per year.

We must strengthen the capacity of health services to offer quality care to those in need, in
particular young people. This includes community-based services and integrating support for mental health into broader health and social care. Investing in mental wellbeing means investing in healthy and prosperous communities.

We must also address stigma and discrimination – and break down the barriers that prevent
people from seeking care and support. And we must prevent the root causes of mental health conditions, including violence and abuse.

The United Nations is commited to working with partners to promote mental wellbeing.
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2022 - Make Mental Health & Wellbeing for All a Global Priority.

As we mark World Mental Health Day, let us make it a global priority and act urgently so that
everyone, everywhere has access to quality mental health care.

The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) is developing the National Health Literacy Strategy (NHLS), which will aim to improve the health literacy environment in Australia as well as individuals’ self-care capabilities. The objective of the NHLS is to provide an evidence-based health literacy environment, where health information is person-centred, accessible and culturally and linguistically appropriate, and to improve health literacy skills of all Australians. The NHLS was announced as one of the early priorities in 2021-22 under the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030.

To facilitate consultation, the Department has published a Consultation Paper which includes a draft NHLS Framework. This Framework has been developed based on feedback gathered through targeted consultations with a diverse range of stakeholders and consumers, and based on reviews of national and international evidence. The feedback received from this consultation will then be used to inform a draft NHLS, which will subsequently be released for consultation in early 2023.

The Consultation Paper is now live on the Department’s Consultation Hub. We ask that you please review and respond to questions on the Consultation Hub to provide feedback on the Framework, including the aims, vision and principles.

The paper will be available online for comment for a four-week period and will close on 09 November 2022 at 11:59pm.