Winter | 2015
Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission
Creating a Mentally Healthy WA
New Directions in Mental Health
Suicide Prevention 2020 Planning for reform Trieste NDIS in action Quality framework management FREE Magazine of the Mental Health Commission
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Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards 2015
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al
Celeb r
ta ating n e excellen m ce in the field of
Recognising outstanding achievement in mental health by individuals, organisations and projects
Nominations extended to 30 July 2015 www.mhc.wa.gov.au Phone: 6272 1248 Email: events@mhc.wa.gov.au
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Contents
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02 Foreword 03 Suicide Prevention 2020 04 Planning for reform 05 Community subacute update 06 Diverse groups share in suicide prevention funds 07 A life celebrated 08 Good Outcomes Winners 10 Quality framework management 12 Mental health services in Trieste 15 The NDIS in action 16 WA Football Commission kicks a goal in suicide prevention 17 Importance of the One Life partnership to junior footy 17 Netball coached in suicide prevention 18 Local star raising the profile of LIFE 20 Youth mental health 21 Mental Health Week Head2Head is available online at www.mentalhealth.wa.gov.au EDITOR: Marsha Dale T: (08) 6272 1200 E: Marsha.Dale@mhc.wa.gov.au SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mental Health Commission T: (08) 6272 1200 E: ContactUs@mhc.wa.gov.au
Foreword The last few months have been extremely busy as we have worked towards our amalgamation and finalising the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan. The 1 July amalgamation between the Mental Health Commission (MHC) and the Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO) will enable better integration of the State’s network of services relating to prevention, treatment, professional education, research and training activities in the drug and alcohol and mental health sectors. It also seeks to improve the delivery of mental health and drug and alcohol services across the State. Prior to amalgamation, the MHC and DAO entities had policy and services purchasing roles, and individually provided corporate services and communications functions to their respective corporate executive. These functions have a common foundation within broader State Government health services delivery, particularly with prevention services and treatment options. We have common stakeholders in the government and non-government sector and similar target groups such as the young or the Aboriginal community. Together, the MHC, DAO and the Department of Health formulated the State’s draft 10-year Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan (the Plan) as a blueprint for the coordinated delivery and acquisition of services. The Plan provides guidance about the optimal mix and level of mental health, alcohol and other drug services required over the next 10 years to meet the needs of the Western Australian population. An extensive consultation process was undertaken, with more than 670 people attending 19 forums held across metropolitan and regional Western Australia, 245 people completing an online survey, and more than 60 groups and individuals providing written submissions. Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton is now reviewing all feedback and will release the final Plan later this year. Substantial change has already taken place, but we have much more to achieve. Extensive transformation and well targeted investment is required to achieve our vision of a Western Australian community that experiences minimal alcohol and other drug related harm and optimal mental health. Timothy Marney, Commissioner for Mental Health
Getting help
If you feel someone is at risk of harm or in an emergency, call 000. Other services available to people experiencing mental health problems include: Crisis Care Helpline - 1800 199 008
Kids Help Line - 1800 551 800
Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
beyondblue - 1300 224 636
Men’s Line Australia - 1300 789 978
headspace - www.headspace.org.au
Reach Out - http://au.reachout.com
Youth Focus - www.youthfocus.com.au
Lifeline - online chat at www.lifeline.org.au. A range of other mental health professionals can also help. Contacts for emergency services are available on the Mental Health Commission’s website at www.mhc.wa.gov.au.
SUICIDE PREVENTION 2020
Suicide Prevention 2020 On average, one Western Australian dies from suicide every day – a rate more than double the road toll. For Aboriginal Western Australians the rate is almost three times the non-Aboriginal rate and even higher in some remote communities. This tragic loss of life is preventable. A new multi-year suicide prevention strategy – Suicide Prevention 2020: Together we can save lives (Suicide Prevention 2020) - was released by the State Government in May 2015 and has been funded for $25.9 million over four years, representing a doubling of investment from the previous strategy.
Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission
Suicide Prevention 2020 seeks to balance investment in community awareness and stigma reduction, mental health and suicide prevention training, and coordinated services for high risk groups. It recognises that suicide is not an issue that can be addressed by a single organisation or community. Only through broad-based support from government, the private and not-for-profit sectors and the broader community will the stated goal of Suicide Prevention 2020 of halving the number of suicides in Western Australia over the next decade, be possible. In addition to the findings of an evaluation report by Edith Cowan University, Suicide Prevention 2020 has been informed by reports on the State’s 2009 Suicide Prevention Strategy by the Auditor General and Ombudsman; suicide statistics; research into contributing factors and evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches; and the expertise of members of the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention, some of whom have lost loved ones to suicide. This information-gathering process resulted in the identification of six key action areas for suicide prevention in Western Australia including: •
greater public awareness and united action across the community;
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local support and community prevention across the lifespan;
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coordinated and targeted responses for high risk groups;
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shared responsibility across government, private and non-government sectors to build mentally healthy workplaces;
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increased suicide prevention training, and
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timely data and evidence to improve responses and services.
Suicide Prevention 2020 builds on the first Western Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy which was launched in 2009. This strategy emphasised the importance of identifying local solutions to local issues and achieved considerable community engagement as well as the delivery of suicide prevention training and programs to assist communities to reduce the stigma around mental illness and suicide. We all have a role to play in the prevention of suicide for Western Australians – together we can save lives. For more information visit www.onelifewa.com.au v 3 v Head2Head v Winter 2015 v New directions v
THE MENTAL HEALTH, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS SERVICES PLAN
Planning for reform Reform is never easy. But with clear priorities, political will and sector support, the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 20152025 sets the direction. Mental Health Commissioner Timothy Marney speaks at the Joondalup forum
A bold and ambitious agenda for building up community-based treatment and support services as a priority forms the basis of the Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 (the Plan). The 10-year blueprint outlines sector-wide transformation across three distinct phases. It is based on extensive consultation and robust modelling, and estimates the type and level of mental health, alcohol and other drug services required to meet the needs of our population over the next 10 years. The Plan has been developed by the Mental Health Commission (MHC), the Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO) and the Department of Health (DOH), with extensive involvement of consumers, carers and families. The forensic component of the Plan was developed in close consultation with the Department of Corrective Services (DCS). At the launch of the Plan, Premier Colin Barnett said the blueprint built on reforms the State Government had already implemented to modernise support and services. “The Plan will help people with a mental illness, their families and carers at an earlier stage and in their community while also supporting those working in the sector,” Mr Barnett said. “People struggling with mental illness, alcohol and drug use, as well as their families, need access to personalised, modern and high quality services close to their homes. Prevention and early intervention programs and greater access to community-based services are essential to bring
balance to the system and reduce our reliance on expensive hospital beds. “This Government recognises this and has made mental health, alcohol and other drug services a high priority since 2008. Substantial change has already taken place to modernise supports and services, and this Plan will build on this. “Change cannot happen overnight and must be staged to produce a system that is more responsive, easier to navigate and more equitable for all West Australians.” Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton said the Plan was an honest reflection of the mental health picture in Western Australia. “It shows where we are, where we need to get to and which direction to take,” Mrs Morton said. “It articulates the need for change over the next decade to tackle mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges to create a more connected, efficient and high quality system.” More than 1,400 submissions were received during the initial consultation which informed the creation of the Plan. Extensive public and stakeholder consultations were also held across the State to gain feedback on the Plan. Minister Morton is currently reviewing all feedback and will release the final Plan later this year. “The challenge now is for all levels of government, the private and not-for-profit sectors, consumers, families and significant others to work together to achieve this transformation across mental health, alcohol and other drug services,” Mrs Morton said.
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SUBACUTES
Step-up step-down update The draft Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 prioritises expansion of community-based subacute services across the State. Step-up, step-down community subacute services provide short-term supported residential care and treatment for people with mental illness as an alternative to hospital admission. Such community-based services offer flexible, recovery-focused care options for people with mental illness closer to where they live, while also reducing pressure on crowded hospital inpatient beds. Step-up services provide residential care to help people manage their mental health, where an admission to hospital is not necessary. Step-down services help those who needed a short stay in hospital, transition back to life in the community. Both services ensure acute hospital beds are available to those who need them most. This model of care helps build better community understanding and removes much of the trauma, stigma and cost that can result from acute episodes of mental illness.
The State’s first subacute residential mental health service in Joondalup, operated by Neami National and opened in May 2013, has had steadily increasing occupancy. It has provided more than 450 people with locally based care since it started, reflecting community preference for this type of service. Under the draft Plan the State Government has prioritised the expansion of community-based subacute services across the State and, in keeping with its corresponding 2013 election commitment, has allocated $10.7 million in capital funding and $17.2 million in operational funding through the Royalties for Regions program to develop facilities in Karratha and Bunbury. Planning for subacute facilities in the Goldfields and Broome is under way and a new step-up step-down service at Rockingham is expected to open in 2016.
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Joondalup subacute
ONE LIFE SUICIDE PREVENTION SMALL GRANTS
Diverse groups share in suicide prevention funds More than 30 communities throughout Western Australia have shared in $298,000 of funding for a range of suicide prevention projects and training through the latest round of One Life Suicide Prevention Small Grants. The Minister for Mental Health, Helen Morton, announced the successful recipients on 14 April 2015 and said the scheme would fund 37 projects and training programs, bringing to more than $800,000 the total State Government investment in the program since July 2014. “Aboriginal communities, people who are gender and sexually diverse, people living in isolation, and people in rural and remote Western Australia will all benefit as a result,” Mrs Morton said. “In addition to 20 projects and initiatives to be funded through this latest round, 17 communities will receive evidence-based suicide prevention training.
“Programs such as Mental Health First Aid, ASIST, Opening Closets, Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and safeTALK will be delivered throughout the State. “These training programs help people identify when someone may be experiencing a mental health crisis and how to support them until appropriate professional treatment is received, or until the crisis resolves.” The new strategy, Suicide Prevention 2020: Together we can save lives, follows the previous Western Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy 2009-2013, and makes coordinated and targeted services for high-risk groups a key priority.
VALE DENISE BOWYER
The small grants enable funds to be directed towards at-risk groups for suicide and mental illness, with preference going towards applications that identify projects aimed at high-risk individuals. More than threequarters of the grants have been directed to rural and remote communities. One organisation, Starick Services, has received funding to provide Mental Health First Aid training to staff who provide refuge, transitional housing, counselling and outreach support to women escaping or experiencing family and domestic violence. Based in the south-east metropolitan area, the organisation has seen an increase in the number of women presenting with mental health issues.
Domestic violence and suicide are closely linked, with exposure to violence a strong risk factor for mental illness. Exposure in early ages and later stages of life are particular risk factors. In Australia in 2013, 637 women died by suicide, with 84 of those deaths occurring in Western Australia alone. For young women in particular, suicide is a disproportionate cause of death. The training will enable staff to be more responsive and proactive in their work with women who have a mental illness, as well as referring individuals to appropriate services. By intervening early they will be able to provide the best chance of minimising the impact of mental illness. Developed in 2001, Mental Health First Aid has a strong evidence base and track record for success. The term refers to the help provided to a person who is developing a mental health problem or is experiencing a mental health-related crisis.
A life celebrated Anyone who met Denise Bowyer could not help but be captivated by her passion and dedication. The inspiration behind distinctive hand trophies presented at the Good Outcomes Awards, Denise Bowyer, passed away last year. Ms Bowyer, who was manager of health and disability at Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia (DADAA), worked tirelessly to promote a recovery-focused approach across the service to help get people’s lives back on track. She was instrumental in extending DADAA’s Arts and Health program to span areas from Lancelin to Mandurah. The program helped many people gain employment, maintain control over complex Denise Bowyer mental health issues and find a place in the community. Always focused on individual needs, Ms Bowyer advocated on behalf of people with complex needs, disability, poverty, homelessness and challenging behaviours, making a difference to the lives of many throughout her long career. DADAA executive director David Doyle acknowleged her commitment, leadership skills and wonderful sense of humour. “Denise was tough, incredibly committed to people with a disability and mental illness, a whole lot of fun and a brilliant leader,” Mr Doyle said. “I acknowledge the great developments that Denise drove within DADAA over many years of work here, particularly in relation to policy development and service development. “She is greatly missed and the positive impacts of her work on personal and organisational levels will be felt for many years into the future.” Ms Bowyer was a long-term judge of the Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards, contributing her passion for supporting and celebrating recovery to the judging process.
MENTAL HEALTH GOOD OUTCOMES AWARDS
Good Outcomes Winners The Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards recognise the exceptional contribution made by individuals, groups and organisations to make life better for people affected by mental illness. Here is a snapshot of three 2014 winners.
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obyn Martin, a lecturer and researcher in the School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work at Curtin University, won the Excellence in Mental Health Award.
The award celebrates Professor Martin’s long-term commitment to mental health recovery, consumer and family participation and policy activism in a career spanning more than 20 years and covering mental health; domestic and family violence; homelessness; child protection; substance use and women’s services. Across government, non-government and tertiary organisations, Professor Martin has held a variety of roles and positions, ranging from direct service delivery to consumers to organisational management, professional supervision, research and evaluation, student supervision and development. Her PhD research explored women’s pathways in and out of homelessness, during which many women shared mental health issues. Professor Martin currently coordinates and teaches undergraduate and postgraduate mental health courses at Curtin, maintaining a clear focus on mental health recovery, consumer and family participation and policy activism.
Minister Morton, Professor Robyn Martin and Commissioner Marney
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MENTAL HEALTH GOOD OUTCOMES AWARDS
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elena Pollard has been involved in the mental health sector for approximately five years, during which she has supported family members with mental illness. Ms Pollard shares her knowledge and lived family experience to educate practitioners, particularly those working with families who are dealing with loved ones who find themselves at the pointy end of the mental health system - including those dealing with persistent mental distress, co-occurring AOD issues, and criminal justice involvement. She has also been a strong advocate for individuals and families, lobbying decisionmakers and parliamentarians, and mentors newer consumers and family members on their recovery journeys. Ms Pollard was the recipient of the 2014 Family and Carers Award. Minister Morton, Helena Pollard and Commissioner Marney
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ohn van der Giezen received the Curtin University Award for human rights, equity and diversity in mental health. Mr van der Giezen has more than 25 years’ experience establishing and implementing Aboriginal mental health programs in Western Australia. He has worked with the Ruah Inreach program, the Aboriginal Community Support Service and the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service, and was a founding member of Access Housing. In 2006 Mr van der Giezen inaugurated the Our Mob, Our Minds and Our Spirit mental health conference. He has also developed an Aboriginal cultural training package, What was, What Is, What Now? for practitioners working in the Aboriginal community. He currently works as a senior social worker for the Statewide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service.
Minister Morton, John van der Giezen and Commissioner Marney
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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN TRIESTE
Lessons from Trieste At a time when Western Australia is working towards rebalancing the mental health system and helping people with mental illness live a meaningful life in the community, close to family and friends, it is worth reflecting upon the experience of the small city of Trieste in the far northeast corner of Italy. There, three generations of psychiatrists have led a reform program focused on deinstitutionalising care in favour of community-based service development, empowerment, social inclusion, human rights and quality of care. The positive results which have flowed from Trieste’s whole system, whole community approach highlight some of the essential ingredients required to create a mental health system that emphasises personal recovery, greater choice and care options close to home. Many aspects of this Trieste approach align well with the current strategic direction in WA, as detailed in the draft Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015–2025. In 1978, Italy adopted a mental health law which required the phasing out of institutionalised care. The new law made involuntary admission more difficult, encouraged those already in hospitals to leave if they could, and required treatment through communitybased services or small wards in general hospitals. The process started in Trieste in 1971 when the late Franco Basaglia, a radical, charismatic psychiatrist, took over as director of the Trieste mental hospital. Driven by a view of asylums as prisons used by society to deprive individuals of their rights, he developed a series of neighbourhood facilities called Community Mental Health Centres that would Trieste, Italy
provide services to people living in small groups at the centres, in apartments, or in their homes. The four centres, or CMHCs, each service a catchment area of about 60,000 people and are open 24 hours a day. As such they have the capacity to directly respond in a timely manner and at an early stage to a full range of psychiatric needs, reducing the need for high levels of acute and crisis care. The centres have a home-like feel, operate on principles of no seclusion, no restraint and no locked doors, and focus on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Each CMHC houses four to eight beds and is supported by staff including four to five psychiatrists, one to two psychologists, one to two rehabilitation specialists, 18-20 nurses, one to two social workers, six to eight support operators, social cooperative workers, volunteers, trainees, and caregivers. Each night there are two professionals on clinical duty. The CMHCs are located in residential facilities usually a two- or three-storey house. The centres have an open door policy and are in airy, welldesigned buildings with ample multi-purpose indoor and outdoor spaces. They are abuzz with activity, providing accommodation for up to eight ‘guests’ overnight or longer, as necessary, and serving three meals a day to many more. No one is turned away, yet it is unusual for all beds to be occupied.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN TRIESTE
Staff attitudes in the centres mainly focus on flexibility, open communication and negotiation, where peoples’ concerns and needs guide treatment and support decisions. A single multidisciplinary team rotates on a 24-hour scheme covering all functions from care of admitted guests to outpatient and outreach activities. The largest centre, San Vito in the centre of the city, supports about 450 people a year and is staffed by four psychiatrists, two social workers and 22 nurses or attendants, about half of whom once worked at the old mental hospital. At San Vito people wander in and out of the clinic, chat with the staff, watch television, eat lunch or dinner at the centre’s free dining room across the street, and stay overnight, if necessary, in one of the clinic’s eight beds. People who access the service are able to enter and leave as they please. All requests for assessment are usually attended to within one to two hours. People are assessed on the problem presented, not on a diagnosis. Problems considered urgent by staff, the individual or carers are addressed without delay, reducing the chances that acute illness develops and preventing the potential for violence or aggression. People can be admitted to a CMHC directly and informally between 8am and 8pm. People presenting with a crisis outside of these hours are managed by the general hospital casualty department, where they receive psychiatric consultation and can be admitted to a psychiatric unit within the general hospital with an extended assessment to up to 24 hours, if required. In such cases the team at the nearby CMHC would visit the unit the following day to work out a plan for ongoing care. Each CMHC’s hospitality plan is based on informal agreement among users, the team and the caregivers, where appropriate. When agreement cannot be initially met, assertive negotiation is used in preference to compulsory psychiatric treatment orders. These can be issued for seven to 10 days by both the centre and the general hospital’s psychiatric unit, however hospitalisation is rare, with the general hospital’s psychiatric unit having a low occupancy and a quick turnover. According to a 2006 Senate Committee report into mental health services at Trieste, an average of only
seven per 100,000 residents in Trieste was subjected to involuntary treatment (and none in 2004/5 in one of the four areas). This compared with 30 per 100,000 residents Italy-wide. The report found no one with mental illness was homeless in the region and only one person was in a forensic hospital. In 2011 Roberto Mezzina, Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre in Trieste, reported suicide rates in Trieste had been reduced by 40 per cent over the past 11 years and 400 people (30 per cent of whom were affected by psychosis) with mental illness were employed on award wages in social cooperatives operating businesses ranging from restaurants, horticulture, gardening, the arts, museums and hotels. A further 200 people were employed in private firms. In 1971 Trieste reportedly spent just under 40 million euros (AUD $58.6 million) on psychiatric hospitals with 1,200 beds. In 2009 it spent just over 19 million euros (AUD$27.8 million), 94 per cent of which was on community services and only six per cent on acute beds in hospitals (six beds). Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton recently visited Trieste as part of a delegation which included a representative of the Mental Health Commission. Feedback from the visit highlighted the need to move away from institutional-type mental health care and towards more early intervention that was community based. It was noted that although Western Australia was a very different place to Trieste – Trieste has a population of just over 200,000 people within a relatively small region, compared to WA’s much larger, more widely dispersed population – the State had already begun embracing many of the principles of care which underpin the Trieste experience. This was reflected in the new Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-25, with its commitment to early intervention and increased community-based services, its heightened focus on person-centred care which shifts the balance of power to individuals, their families and carers, and its push towards supporting people with mental health, alcohol and drug problems to stay well, out of hospital and to live fulfilling lives in the community.
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QUALITY FRAMEWORK MANAGEMENT
Evaluating an evaluation The Mental Health Commission, in consultation with the sector, has developed a quality framework designed to reassure individuals, their families, carers, advocates, the Western Australian community and the State Government. The Mental Health Commission funds a number of Community Managed Organisations (CMOs) to provide a range of supports and services to individuals and their families and carers in the community. One such organisation is Bay of Isles Community Outreach Inc. (BOICO), a non-government, not-forprofit organisation providing non-clinical mental health outreach services in the southeast Goldfields region since 1997. BOICO exists as a unique, recovery-focused community agency, providing community mental health support services and advocating for people in rural and remote Western Australia who are affected by mental illness.
Staff from Bay of Isles Community Outreach Inc.
BOICO was recently involved in the Mental Health Commission’s quality framework evaluation process. This evaluation process is designed to assure individuals, their families, carers, advocates, the WA community and Government that funded CMOs understand and apply good governance principles, effective operational practices, and continuous service improvements, in order to deliver sustainable and contemporary high quality supports and services to those in need. All evaluations involve a minimum of two independent evaluators with at least one of them being a person with lived experience or a family member/carer. Evaluators assess the organisation’s service quality by seeking direct feedback from individuals, family members, carers and other stakeholders, observing services in operation, meeting with board members, management and staff, and reviewing documentation, systems and management processes. BOICO service manager Kylie Ryan found the process highly rewarding, providing the organisation with a valuable and credible baseline by which to measure future quality improvement initiatives over time. “It is difficult for organisations to undertake internal quality evaluations when you are caught up in the day-today running of the organisation, and more challenging to identify areas that need attention, or prioritise what needs to be addressed in order to improve quality when you are closely entwined in day-to-day processes,” Ms Ryan said. “One of our evaluators described it as swimming in a pool – when you are swimming laps you may think you have lovely strong strokes and great form but for someone standing on the edge of the pool it may seem as if you are just thrashing around…but, from the ‘edge of the pool’ the evaluators were able to observe our organisation, board members, clients, carers, volunteers and the agencies that work with us, and then utilise what they had learned to develop a picture of how well our organisation is functioning at that point in time.” Information on the Mental Health Commissions evaluation process and broader Quality Management Framework, including the list of CMOs who are scheduled for an evaluation in 2015, is available at www.mhc.wa.gov.au/mentalhealth_changes/quality_assurance/Independent_quality_evaluations.aspx v 12 v Head2Head v Winter 2015 v New directions v
50 years of social change is just the beginning.
UWA congratulates the Social Work and Social Policy discipline for making a world of difference. The School of Population Health at The University of Western Australia is celebrating its Social Work and Social Policy discipline’s 50th anniversary in 2015. As one of Australia’s oldest social work disciplines, there are a lot of achievements to celebrate. Whether through the education around healthy lifestyles and research into disease and injury prevention; or through the promotion of social justice and reduction of social exclusion; we aim to improve and extend the lives of the people in our communities. UWA’s School of Population Health offers many study options and even more exciting ways to develop a satisfying career in creating a brighter future for local, national and international communities. It’s never too late to build on your skills, experience and qualications, and obtain an advanced degree from the State’s top university. The School of Population Health offers world-class graduate certicates, diplomas, Masters degrees and PhDs in public health and social work, child protection practice and mental health practice. With exible study options to meet your needs, you can pursue your own professional interests or research a topic you’re passionate about. For details, please call us on 6488 1261 or visit sph.uwa.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Code 00126G BRAND UWAM0295
THE NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME - MY WAY
The NDIS in action Ben is being supported by the WA NDIS My Way program. He lives in Margaret River and has a psychiatric diagnosis. Before Ben was engaged with the WA NDIS My Way program, he received some support from Government and community health services. Both were invaluable with their assistance, but neither organisation had the time to fully support Ben to manage his life. Due to bad dietary habits, Ben had ongoing weight and dental issues. He was also under constant threat of eviction from his Department of Housing unit, due to his inability to manage his psychosocial disability. His 73-year-old mother, who lives in Canberra, says Ben was ‘operating only at survival level’ and that was dependent on her coming to the rescue every few months to clean his unit, organise dental and medical appointments and pay bills. His mother was fearful about what would happen when she was no longer able to help her son ‘pick up the pieces’ on each of her visits. One of her main fears was that he would lose his accommodation and become homeless. In 2012, Ben and his mother contacted their local My Way Coordinator in Margaret River. Ben was eligible for supports and services through My Way and commenced his individualised plan in August 2013. Since then there have been significant improvements in Ben’s quality of life and he is getting tangible benefits from the specialised My Way planning and support he is receiving. Ben’s psychiatric diagnosis, schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder, remains the same, but is well controlled by regular medication. His support worker helps him to remember his psychiatric appointments each month and reminds him to collect his medication. There is a marked improvement in Ben’s appearance and personal cleanliness and the support worker continues to work with Ben to create routines. A supportive friend is helping Ben get to bed each night, to assist him with his OCD behaviour. By utilising these community support networks, Ben is now regularly getting a good night’s sleep.
Ben has also lost about 10kg thanks to improved shopping, cooking and Ben (left) with his My Way coordinator dietary habits, continually reinforced by his support worker. This is also having a positive impact on his dental health and his expenses in this area have reduced significantly in the past 12 months. The support worker is also helping Ben maintain a regular exercise program, including visits to the gym three times a week. All these changes are improving Ben’s overall health and his self-esteem. The cleanliness and neatness of Ben’s unit has improved dramatically due to a number of strategies identified during the planning process. Ben’s support worker developed a regular cleaning pattern for him to follow, whilst his My Way Coordinator organised for Ben, his family and support workers to paint the unit and replace dilapidated furniture. Silver Chain is also cleaning the unit once a week. All this has led to Ben taking pride in keeping his unit in good order. Ben’s social life is improving. Through the WA NDIS My Way program he has met a wider circle of people who are positive, motivated and lead healthy lives. According to Ben’s mother, the highlight of his My Way journey has been his first solo art exhibition in the local library, where he sold most of the paintings he exhibited. My Way provided an art mentor once a week, who inspired and motivated him and helped prepare the exhibition. The success has given Ben a huge boost of confidence and a belief that he can have a worthwhile life. Ben’s family are now confident about his future and say working with the local My Way team is like ‘being supported by a band of angels’.
Ben’s mother says she has particularly enjoyed working with the My Way team as Ben’s mother, rather than a ‘sole and desperate carer’, making her relationship with her son happier and healthier. v 15 v Head2Head v Winter 2015 v New directions v
SUICIDE PREVENTION
WA Football Commission kicks a goal in suicide prevention The West Australian Football Commission was recognised at the Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards for its mental health programs in partnership with the One Life Suicide Prevention Program.
The Western Australian Football Commission WAFC won the Edith Cowan University Award for prevention, promotion and/or early intervention service or program at the 2014 Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards. The WAFC delivered a Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan through the Western Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy - One Life - educating more than 1,000 football coaches about suicide prevention. These coaches applied their knowledge when coaching young footballers, many of whom are Aboriginal. Coaches were targeted as they are key mentors, having contact with players aged 15-25 at least three times a week. As well as training coaches, the WAFC developed a Live Life Ambassador program to train ambassadors to raise suicide awareness in community clubs. In the past two years, the program has trained 98 ambassadors, with a further 100 expected to be trained this year. The WAFC also developed mental health and suicide awareness training with Youth Focus, based on the Mental Health First Aid course. Tailored to the wider football community, this program addresses relevant risk factors such as drugs and alcohol, stress, sports disappointment and family issues. To date, 98 coaches and young footballers have participated in this course, which is estimated to have reached more than 100,000 people including coaches, players, families and football stakeholders with the message: “Suicide is everybody’s business.” Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton said the WAFL had played an important role in educating young people on how to deal with suicide prevention. “The wide reach their programs have had is incredible,” Mrs Morton said. “They are educating future generations on the importance of suicide prevention and awareness.” For more information on the One Life program and suicide prevention visit: www.onelifewa.com.au
Netball coached in suicide prevention A partnership between Netball WA and the State Government to raise awareness of suicide and equip communities with suicide prevention training is scoring goals.
ONE LIFE AND THE COOLBINIA BOMBERS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
Importance of the One Life partnership to junior footy community
A One Life program testimonial by Luke McNiece, Club President of the Coolbinia Bombers Junior Football Club. In July 2012, the captain of our Year 12 team took his life. He was also an active member of two other community-based organisations. The support and counselling our club received through the partnership helped his teammates and their families deal with their grief. One of the members of the team was selected to participate in the Youth Leadership Program earlier this year. He is now studying at university and has moved into an amateur football club. The personal leadership and mentoring skills he developed on the program have helped him become a strong suicide prevention advocate in the community. As a club and a district we are embracing the Live Life Ambassador program. Having experienced first hand the trauma of youth suicide, our club is committed to training as many ambassadors as possible so we can help identify at-risk kids and help them make different decisions. We are also working with the East Perth District to have a One Life Week, where every youth coach in the district has a chat to their team about youth suicide and the importance of the players talking to someone about how they are feeling. We plan to get players to wear an arm band on game day to reinforce the initiative. As a football club we felt immensely supported during this difficult year by the WAFC/One Life partnership.
Netball WA, based in Subiaco, is the umbrella body for netball across Western Australia with 11 affiliated regions and 73 affiliated associations. With a membership base of 40,000 people – many in the 12-25 age bracket – the organisation aims to provide the best possible developmental pathways for WA netballers to reach their potential. The new partnership between Netball WA and the State Government involves the implementation of a mental health and suicide prevention project, including a variety of educational and promotional activities designed to increase knowledge and raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in the netball and broader Western Australian communities. Specific strategies include the delivery of mental health education to players, coaches, umpires and key officials, as well as the engagement of appropriate ambassadors to promote the One Life suicide prevention message within Netball WA and more broadly. Netball WA has trained a total of 553 coaches, players and officials since the program was announced in September 2014 and anticipates training a total of 1,200 by June 2015. Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton said: “Netball reaches thousands of Western Australia’s young girls each year, and provides an ideal forum for getting the message out there that it is okay to seek help. “This training will allow players and coaches in the netball community to recognise the warning signs of someone thinking about suicide, and be confident in helping them to get the support they need.”
MICHAEL WALTERS
Local star raising the profile of LIFE
Fremantle Dockers forward Michael Walters has been appointed as a One Life ambassador.
The young Noongar man, nicknamed Son-son, was appointed as part of a $200,000 partnership agreement between the West Australian Football Commission and the Western Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy - One Life - to train players and officials in suicide prevention.
Walters said it was often difficult for males to speak out, especially with Indigenous men as there was always the stigma of trying to be a strong man.
In an article published on the Fremantle Football Club website, Walters said he was passionate about spreading positive messages to the Indigenous community.
Walters said the onus was also on family and friends to act if someone was behaving uncharacteristically.
“Speak out, no matter who you speak to - friends, family or whoever. Just speak out and get things off your chest,” he said.
“This is a big issue with Indigenous people, not just here in the Perth community but up north, down south and around the regional areas,” Walters said.
“If the person is quiet, if they seem to be stuck inside themselves when they are usually extroverted, if they get on the alcohol a bit more or duck off and you don’t see them for weeks, they can be signs of depression,” he said.
“If I can help to raise the profile of One Life and spread positive messages, especially to the younger community, then I’d like to try and make an impact.”
“The first step is to go speak to them. You could be wrong, but you’re better off speaking to them than to let it go and something happens.”
He said it struck home hard when he read statistics that showed suicide rates were above average among Aboriginal people in WA.
Walters said one of his aims as a One Life ambassador would be to visit as many schools as possible to spread the key messages.
He had also lost a close friend a few years ago to suicide.
“The children are the ones who are going to be the future - the more you speak to, the more it will branch out. It’s just like planting a seed. Plant a seed here and let it grow and then plant another one somewhere else,” he said.
“It affected me a lot because I saw him as a cousin,” Walters said. “If only he’d spoken out, maybe people would have known, maybe we could have gone to him and spoken to him. The tragedy is that no one knows until it happens.”
Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton said Walters was a fantastic role model for football players and fans. “Having Michael Walters on board as a suicide prevention ambassador will help reduce stigma around mental health and suicide among Aboriginal people, who have a higher rate of suicide than the Western Australian average,” Mrs Morton said. “Michael is already regarded as a mentor and role model by young Aboriginal men and he will be using his influence in a positive way to spread the message that it is okay to talk and ask for help.” For more information on One Life, please visit www.onelifewa.com.au
Michael Walters
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Our view on mental health may surprise some people.
TITLE
View from the soon-to-be-complete Mental Health Unit at St John of God Midland Public Hospital.
St John of God Health Care provides a wide range of mental health services across Australia and New Zealand. In Western Australia, these services are available as free or low cost Social Outreach services or free public services. In November this year we will open a 56-bed mental health unit at St John of God Midland Public Hospital. This innovative service will be located on the top floor of the hospital with views of the city, hills and four landscaped courtyards. The hospital is a public private partnership with the State Government and it will provide free public mental health services. Our other mental health services in WA include: • Raphael Centres in Subiaco and Fremantle Specialised support for anxiety and depression during pregnancy and in the early years after childbirth • Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network (DAWN) Helping people reduce or stop their drug and/or alcohol use in their own homes across metropolitan Perth, operated by St John of God Subiaco Hospital
• South West Community Drug Service Team Services across the southwest to reduce the harm associated with alcohol and other drugs • Ursula Frayne Unit at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital An inpatient service dedicated to providing the best possible care for older people with a mental illness
• Murdoch Community Mental Health Counselling for mental health conditions to adults 16 years and over and outreach to young people and their families
Proud sponsors of the 2015 Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards
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Hospitality I Compassion I Respect I Justice I Excellence
www.sjog.org.au
YOUTH Feature TITLE MENTALH HEALTH
A sustainable workforce
Youth mental health Young people aged 16 to 24 experience the highest prevalence and incidence for mental illness across the lifespan, with half of all mental illnesses occurring by the age of 14 and three quarters by the age of 24. Australian data also indicates that 70 per cent of young people with mental health issues are not seeking professional help and young people with high prevalence disorders such as anxiety or depression have reported a delay of 5-15 years before they received care. Mental illnesses account for a greater percentage of the disability burden in youth than in other age cohorts. The impact of not receiving treatment can lead to increased acuity of mental illness, suicide, physical illness, substance use, educational failure and subsequent difficulties with employment, involvement in the justice system with juvenile offending, criminality, incarceration and homelessness. An Access Economics report (2009) revealed that in Australia, the financial cost of mental illness in people aged 12-25 years alone was $10.6 billion, including health care, productivity, tax and welfare payments. Hence, early and effective intervention which targets youth has the capacity to generate greater personal, social and economic benefits than intervention at any other time in the lifespan. This makes it one of the ‘best buys’ for future mental health service reforms. Currently, the State’s clinical mental health services are generally provided in three age streams: infant, child and adolescent (0-17 years); adult (18-64 years); and older adult (65 years and above). Youth up to age 18 access public community clinical and bed-based services provided through the Child and Adolescent
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Title MENTAL HEALTH WEEK Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This includes specialised services for those with complex needs (e.g. complex attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders). An early and urgent priority of the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025 that is currently being finalised, is the expansion of youth-specific mental health services for young people aged 16 to 25 years across all service streams, including hospital beds and community residential beds and outpatient treatment and support services. Recent progress in the provision of mental health services tailored to meet the specific needs of young people includes the opening in June last year of the State’s first dedicated 14-bed Youth Unit (YoU) at the Fiona Stanley Hospital that provides specialist hospital care for adolescents and young adults with acute mental illness, within a youth-friendly environment. To complement the Fiona Stanley Hospital Youth Unit, the Minister for Mental Health announced $2.5 million funding in May for a two-year trial of a specialist community-based mental health service to facilitate prompt access to treatment and support to improve continuity of care and help young people with a mental illness to stay out of hospital, or return home earlier after an inpatient stay. These new youth-specific services are in line with current research which shows that young people achieve the best outcomes when they have access to recovery-focussed, youth-friendly services that are attuned to their life stage and recognise and respond to their special cultural and developmental needs.
2015 Mental Health Week Now in its 48th year, Mental Health Week is presented by the Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH) and the Mental Health Commission. This year’s Mental Health Week will run from 2-10 October, with the final day coinciding with World Mental Health Day. The week is an opportunity to promote awareness about mental health and wellbeing and equip people with accurate information. This year’s event takes Mentally Healthy WA’s Act-Belong-Commit message as its official theme. Being active, having a sense of belonging and having purpose in life all contribute to better mental health. These guidelines provide a simple approach almost anyone can adopt to help become more mentally healthy:
Commission, will host free community events and release a range of resources throughout the week. Events this year include a comedy show, beach sports day, film screenings, youth and family-focused activities, and seminars aimed at parents and workplaces. To help teachers integrate Mental Health Week in their classrooms and create awareness of mental health among students, WAAMH will host a Mental Health Week school poster competition. The annual competition, open to all primary and secondary students, aims to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in schools.
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Act: keep mentally, physically, socially and spiritually active, take a walk, read a book, play cards.
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Belong: join a club, take a class, volunteer, stay connected, get involved in your community.
Entrants must draw a poster which shows how they Act, Belong and Commit to keep mentally healthy. Winning artwork will be displayed during Mental Health Week 2016, and printed onto postcards as a positive resource for other youngsters. A generous collection of sponsors has also ensured fantastic prizes for individuals and schools.
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Commit: take up a cause, help a neighbour, learn something new, take on a challenge.
Entries close 4pm, Friday 11 September 2015 and winners will be notified by 4 October 2015.
WAAMH, with the support of the Mental Health
Further info at www.mhw.waamh.org.au
THE WA ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTS
MENTAL HEALTH WEEK
2015 THEME
2 –10
OCTOBER
2015
Being active, having a sense of belonging and purpose in life all contribute to happiness and good mental health. This year, the Western Australian Association for Mental Health is using Mentally Healthy WA’s Act-Belong-Commit message as the official theme for Mental Health Week.
mhw.waamh.org.au Mental Health Week WA
Western Australian Association for Mental Health
#MentalHealthWeek2015 @TheWAAMH