Key stakeholders with connections across their community play an important role in helping to get translated information about staying protected from COVID 19 out to those who need it.
Help protect your community by sharing the resources in this pack across your networks and your social channels. Through your help and support, we can ensure the community stays informed about COVID 19 through official sources.

Over the past two weeks, the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum convened a series of workshops on behalf of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). The aim of the workshops was to hear directly from participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) living with psychosocial disability about how to improve access and planning within the NDIS. These workshops have now concluded and de-identified transcripts will be provided to the NDIA to inform future access and planning to the Scheme.

Thank you for spreading the word, we were overwhelmed (in a good way) by the level of interest and the generosity of what people shared.

The negative impacts of financial and mental health challenges can accumulate over time, and can be reciprocally reinforcing, leading to downward spirals and entrenched issues. Downward spirals can be unexpected, and can progress more quickly and be more difficult to halt or reverse than the people experiencing them initially anticipate.

Around 15,500 people living with disability will have access to better quality employment services and a greater chance of finding a long-term job following a performance assessment of the Disability Employment Services program.

Shocking new findings that 3.6 million Australians have been subject to emotional abuse by a partner show the urgent need for national focus on this extremely important issue.

Every Australian, no matter where they live, can now make a free phone call to the national Head to Health support line where they will receive advice, assessment, and referral to mental health services that best suit their needs.

Governments fund non-government agencies to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. These agencies provide specialised services to target groups as well as general homelessness support services. The AIHW receives and aggregates data from around 1,700 specialist homelessness services agencies across Australia on a monthly basis. This report presents monthly data on the number of clients receiving services. 

The Governor-General His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) has issued Letters Patent establishing a Royal Commission into the former debt assessment and recovery scheme commonly known as Robodebt. The inquiry will examine, among other things: The establishment, design and implementation of the scheme; who was responsible for it; why they considered Robodebt necessary; and, any concerns raised regarding the legality and fairness; The handling of concerns raised about the scheme, including adverse decisions made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; The outcomes of the scheme, including the harm to vulnerable individuals and the total financial cost to government; and Measures needed to prevent similar failures in public administration. 

A review of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) pricing has today been launched to cement the future of quality, innovative housing for eligible National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants

The Department of Health has issued its next COVID-19 Disability Provider Alert. This provider alert along with other resources and information about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available from a dedicated web page for disability service providers on the Department of Health website. This page will be updated regularly.

People living in West Australia can now access a new telephone and online service providing tailored mental health support to people living with complex mental health and trauma.
Developed and delivered by national mental health organisation SANE, this new service involves professional phone and online counselling and one-on-one contact with a peer support worker, as well as access to community forums and a range of therapeutic activities designed to support recovery and help participants learn the skills to better manage their mental health.

The Tasmanian Government is working to reduce suicide rates in Tasmania and is seeking the views of the Tasmanian community to inform the development of the third Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Strategy, which is expected to be released by the end of the year.

A new and exciting partnership between the Department of Health and the University of Tasmania has been made official with the signing of a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding to create a Centre for Mental Health Service Innovation.

The Centre will facilitate engagement and collaboration between the Department of Health’s Statewide Mental Health Services and the University across a range of areas, including workforce development, training and education, research and development, and policy and advocacy.

Speech Pathology Week seeks to promote the speech pathology profession and the work done by speech pathologists with the 1.2 million Australians who have a communication disability.

Frontline services in NSW will receive a share of $6.55 million to fund specialist workers to support children and teenagers living in women’s refuges.

Ex-service organisations and community groups can now apply for funding to help host events promoting healthy eating as part of this year’s Veterans’ Health Week.

Early Bird Registrations are open for The AASW Mental Health Social Work and Contemporary Practice Symposium 2022 – Online. Held on 17 November 2022, this one-day, online Symposium will explore mental health and contemporary practice from a social work perspective.

Keynote speakers and panel discussions will bring lively and thought-provoking debate to contemporary practice. A rich and rewarding program will be offered, giving attendees practical learnings and take-aways.

Visit the conference site for more information, Early Bird Registrations are now open.

Suicide Prevention Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Conference 2023 will be held over 1 – 4 May in Canberra. This event provides a gateway to unite suicide prevention experts to showcase evidence-based solutions and robust discussion, focused on solutions for saving lives.

Delivered by one of Blue Knot Foundation’s most experienced trainers, Dragan Zan Wright is a transgender psychotherapist and trainer who has worked extensively in the fields of Gender Diversity, Complex Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care and Practice.

Scheduled on 7 September 2022 via Zoom, this experiential one-day professional development training goes beyond ‘standard’ LGBTIQ diversity training. This masterclass fosters the knowledge and skills to work competently and confidently with the growing number of transgender people accessing therapeutic and other services. It explores the intersectionality of complex trauma, discrimination, and minority stress to build understanding on how these factors impact the health of transgender people.

Black Dog Institute is pleased to announce its Summit on Self-Harm to be held on
Thursday, 10 November 2022 at Doltone House in Sydney.

This full-day event will bring together leading international researchers, clinicians and lived experience experts to provide and share insights about self-harm.