TAMHSS has been busy behind the scenes and in December we put out our first member newsletter.

We also developed our new logo (right) and updates to our website are underway.

We are always keen to hear from you so please stay in touch. You can find us on Twitter and we are currently developing our Facebook page- all platforms to converse with you.

2012 is sure to be a big year for TAMHSS and our members make us – so please get on board.

If you are after some reading during the upcoming holiday break we have attached four documents below that inform some of this issue.

They are:

The-Commissioning-Friend-for-Mental-Health-Services

Paths-to-Personalisation

Guidance on Fidelity for Crisis Services, UK

Shaping Personal Health Budgets- A view-from the-top

You can download the Conference Program and feel free to share it with colleagues and friends.

We look forward to seeing you there!

view:

http://soencpmha.wordpress.com/conference-details/ The Social Enterprise Callan Park Mental Health Alliance blog for all the conference details  

the conference registration link

read about some participants experiences

We would love you to become involved and share the information with others!

Historic Callan Park site makes history with a 30% employment minimum for people with lived experience of mental health problems, Master Plan still flawed

For the first time all organisations using the former psychiatric hospital of Callan Park will be encouraged to provide a minimum of 30% of available jobs to people with lived experience of mental health problems. At their meeting on 19 July, Leichhardt Councillors were unanimous in their support for this recommendation. This is in agreement with the Callan Park Mental Health Alliance’s position.

Read the entire  Press release Callan Park MH Alliance –

We would love your feedback so please comment below.

This is an excerpt from that report:

Every year in Australia suicide claims the lives of around 2000 Australians placing it ahead of road traffic accidents and skin cancer as a cause of death. For young people aged 15 to 24, it is the number one cause of death. Despite this, in recent years the issues of mental health and suicide prevention have received comparatively less mainstream policy attention and seemingly less program funding than well resourced and public road safety and sun protection campaigns. The tide is starting to turn. New, strong and ever growing community engagement with these issues now place mental health and suicide prevention firmly on the national policy agenda for political parties of all persuasions who recognise both the complex nature of the issue but also the impact that a single suicide can have on families, communities, schools and workplaces. There has also been a noticeable shift toward more open discussion and debate surrounding the issue of suicide including the role the media play in reporting on the issue; an important conversation to have particularly in the social media era.

Despite the alarming statistics the Inquiry has found some encouraging results to show that the situation can be improved. Evidence presented has suggested that as a result of measures taken by successive Governments, the rate of youth suicide has been in decline since 1997. The Committee’s investigation, which included roundtable discussions with young people and community organisations, focussed on the potential for early intervention programs to further reduce rates of suicide in this age group. These discussions highlighted to the Committee, the important role that young people play in the development of early intervention strategies aimed at assisting their peers. The Committee was impressed by the number of young people who contributed to the work of organisations through volunteering and by holding positions of responsibility.

 Read the full report: http://www.apo.org.au/research/its-too-late-report-early-intervention-programs-aimed-preventing-youth-suicide

Australians will have the opportunity to be at the forefront of national mental health reform with the first steps being taken towards the establishment of the nation’s first National Mental Health Commission.

The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler today welcomed the appointment of Robyn Kruk as Chief Executive Officer designate of the new Commission.

The role of the CEO will be to guide the Commission in providing strategic and practical advice to Government on mental health reform, based on evidence of the mental health system’s performance across all jurisdictions. This advice will be informed by nine Mental Health Commissioners, drawn from experts in a range of sectors.

“The Gillard Government’s moves to establish Australia’s first National Mental Health Commission signals a new approach to mental health leadership and reform in our country,” Mr Butler said.

“The Commission will have nine Commissioners and a Chair and will provide independent advice to the Government on the effectiveness of the mental health system in meeting the needs of people with a mental illness, their families and carers.”

The core functions of the Commission will be to provide cross-sectoral leadership in mental health and drive transparency and accountability in the system to deliver better outcomes for consumers and carers. The Commission will also monitor the ongoing implementation of the 10 Year Roadmap for Mental Health Reform.

“More transparency and accountability in the mental health system will drive continuous improvement and innovation and help inform future investment in mental health,” Mr Butler said.

The Commission was one of the major recommendations of the Mental Health Expert Working Group and is built on continued and extensive consultations with the mental health sector and the community.

Through the 2011-12 Budget, the Gillard Government is investing $32 million over five years to establish the Commission.

The Commission’s first task will be to produce a National Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in 2012, delivering on a key commitment of the Gillard Government.

Today’s announcement reaffirms the Gillard Government’s commitment to planning more effectively for the future mental health needs of the Australian community.

Media contact: Virginia Kim 0407 415 484

Biography

Ms Kruk has almost 30 years of significant public sector experience including as Director General of NSW Health and Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Ms Kruk was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to public administration in NSW, particularly in the areas of executive functions of government, Commonwealth/State relations and functions which align closely with those of the Commission.

Ms Kruk has a proven history in service reform at the head of Australia’s biggest health system in NSW and experience playing a central role in Commonwealth/State negotiations.

Ms Kruk has participated in major health reform negotiations and improving the interface between Federal and State Government agencies. Her skills and experience in public administration will be an asset to the Commission, helping drive effective mental health reform.

 We do wonder how the mental health commission will work with only approximately $2mil per year allocated for the next 4 years.  We want a great deal more independence for the Mental Health Commission.  We don’t want the Commission to be a select club chaired by the Minister for Mental Health that reports to the Prime Minister but with no real authority or funding to make a difference and to improve the lives of people with lived experience of mental health problems. 

We do want to be reassured that new and redesigned programs will work seamlessly together and that States and Territories will work co-operatively with the Commonwealth towards the best interests of the people that they set out to serve. 

More to come on the National Mental Health Reforms, but in the meantime, here is the mental health budget-at-a-glance.   

New state funding is expected to boost the quality and number of mental health workers in regional Western Australia. The State Government has handed the Western Australian Association for Mental Health nearly $1.7 million to distribute to non-government agencies over the next two years. The association’s Stephen Hall says the money will go towards recruiting and training mental health workers. “We can increase the capacity of the workforce with training and other things around that,” he said. “That’s particularly important for service delivery in rural and remote settings, having a professional workforce that is well trained and has the expertise that is needed on the ground.”   http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/06/3183806.htm

 $30m allocated for NSW mental health Apr 4, 2011 2:08pm

The newly-appointed New South Wales Minister for Mental Health says he is allocating $30 million to establish a Mental Health Commission by the end of the year. Kevin Humphries was named in the new O’Farrell ministry yesterday and also picked up the portfolios of Health Lifestyles and Western New South Wales. The Nationals MP says he will be directing some resources away from the acute sector to ensure people who are ill have somewhere safe to go in the community. He says he is yet to see any evidence the current funding allocations for mental health have worked or are producing results. “Mental Health is about a $1.25 billion spend in New South Wales,” Mr Humphries said. “To date no-one has been able to tell me or anybody else where that money goes or indeed if people are getting better. “Are they recovering? Are they getting back to work? Are younger people being diagnosed early enough and treatments put in place? “It needs to be rebuilt and that is what we will do.”http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/04/3181726.htm?site=news

Bedlam mass grave uncovered in London

Archaeologists in central London have uncovered a 16th century mass grave containing the remains of patients from the former St Bethlehem’s mental hospital, known as Bedlam. The archaeologists were preparing the way for construction of a new underground rail link. It is thought thousands of skeletons might have to be removed to enable the building of a new ticket hall. The original St Bethlehem’s was first used as a hospital in the 14th century and has become notorious for the cruel and degrading way in which inmates were treated. In the 18th century Londoners paid to go and stare at and mock the inmates, who were kept shackled for much of the time. The hospital was moved to another site in 1815 and the site of the original Bedlam is now occupied by Liverpool Street station.http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/07/3184391.htm?site=news