2012 - 2013 Annual Report
CONTENTS MIFNQ Organisation, Mission, Values & Vision .............................................................................................. 3 Our Mission ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Our Vision.................................................................................................................................................... 3 Our Values ................................................................................................................................................... 3 MIFNQ Quality Standards................................................................................................................................ 3 President’s Report........................................................................................................................................... 4 Treasurer’s Report........................................................................................................................................... 5 CEO Report ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Cairns Carers Hub............................................................................................................................................ 7 Community Education and Support Services .................................................................................................. 9 Day to Day Living Program ............................................................................................................................ 12 Respite Program ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Well Ways Program ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Schizophrenia Awareness Week 2013 .......................................................................................................... 17 MIFNQ’s Organisational Structure ................................................................................................................ 19 Management Committee .......................................................................................................................... 19 Corporate Services .................................................................................................................................... 19 Program Managers.................................................................................................................................... 19 Program Staff............................................................................................................................................. 20 Volunteers ................................................................................................................................................. 20 Partners and Supporters ............................................................................................................................... 21 Donations and Funding Bodies...................................................................................................................... 22 Donations .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Funding Bodies .......................................................................................................................................... 22 Annexure “A” Financials ............................................................................................................................... 23
Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc
159 Kings Rod Pimlico Q 4812 PO Box 979 Hyde Park Q 4812 P: (07) 4725 3664 | F: (07) 4725 3819 E: townsville@mifnq.org.au | W: www.mifnq.org.au
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|MIFNQ Annual Report 2012-2013
MIFNQ Organisation, Mission, Values & Vision
Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc. (MIFNQ) was formed in 1986 by and for people living with schizophrenia and other Mental Illnesses, their families and carers. The Fellowship works to support people with Mental Illness and their families to lead full and meaningful lives in the communities.
Our Mission
The Fellowship aims to reduce community restrictions on ordinary life opportunities experienced by people who live with mental illness and to improve the lives of people who live with mental illness by increasing the quality quantity and appropriateness of services available to them. We also aim to improve treatment services through the recognition and acceptance of the interdependence of the individual, family, professional, carer and community contributions while providing support in a growing range of services and program.
Our Vision
Our vision is of a society where Mental Illness is understood and accepted, where all community members work as a team to integrate all individuals regardless of social, mental, emotional and/or physical status.
Our Values
Trust, Respect, Openness, Equity and Fairness, Flexibility, Commitment, Communication, Responsiveness and Participation.
Supporting those with a mental illness, their families and carers while educating the community in mental health. MIFNQ Quality Standards Client focus.
Leadership.
Involvement of people.
Process approach.
Systems approach to management.
Continual improvement.
Factual approach to decision making.
Mutually beneficial relationships with funding bodies and partners.
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President’s Report
The last few President’s Reports have mentioned building - mainly the physical building that finance was promised for a couple of years ago. This building, and the delays and waiting and striving to make it happen, is a metaphor for what we try to do at the Fellowship. Building is an obsession we have, as we try to build our services to meet the huge needs of our people to get on to an equal footing with the rest of the community. We know that the needs of our people are far far greater than we can meet, so we do what we can, and strive to build to do more. What we can do is lobby and pester politicians and bureaucrats for more funding opportunities to provide more services. And of course, we find out what opportunities are available and we make sure we respond with quality tender documents and applications, so we have the best possible chance of being considered the appropriate organisation to provide the particular services being funded. This means that we are sometimes opportunistic. We see what funds might be available for what sort of services and then we consider whether we might be the appropriate organisation to provide those services. We ask ourselves whether we CAN provide the service [and how – who would we need to employ to do it etc] and we also ask ourselves whether we SHOULD do it – whether it suits the needs of our community and our organisation, or whether perhaps we should let someone else do it because maybe it’s not a core need of our people or maybe it’s not the best use of the limited resources of our little fellowship. It also means that we need to ask whether we should provide the service by ourselves, or in partnership with other organisations with which we could combine to offer the best service possible. The other thing we have to keep building is our organisation. We have focused on strengthening our fellowship – its organisation and procedures as well as its reputation in our community, with governments and amongst our peer organisations who we need to partner to keep expanding the reach and nature of our services. And so, once again, I hopefully state that we will be in our building by our next Annual General Meeting in September 2014. The signs are up for public comment and that process is well underway, with construction about to start, this month or next. So now, in this environment of waiting and hoping, I can make no promises. We have a new Federal Government which does not even have a Minister for Mental Health and we have a State Government which has cut primary health services. We have bureaucracies which have made it harder for small organisations like our fellowship to compete for funding with the big national charities, or even big profit-oriented corporates. Opportunities to build our services also exist, as the NIDS scheme gets underway and clubhouses financed partly by job funding schemes are developed. The changes in government bring threats and opportunities. We must be ready for both. We are still the best organisation in north Queensland to provide non-clinical support to people with mental health issues and their families and carers. We make sure that the funding bodies and their advisors know this and that other bigger organisations know that they need to partner us if they want to effectively connect with our people. Our wonderful staff continues to deliver the best possible services to the most possible people, knowing that, only by being the best can we hope to continue to be funded. And, only by building and maintaining the trust of our people in the quality of what we do, do we have any
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special claim to be the best organisation for governments to direct funding through to deliver the best services most efficiently and economically. We have had to wait for the new era of increased funding by governments promised by all sides over recent years, but we have made sure we have built our capacity to grow quickly when the funds come. I again thank our staff for their devotion to the people who we serve, for their patience as we wait for our building and our increased funding and for their professionalism as they continue to build our fellowship.
Bob James President
Treasurer’s Report
It has been another busy year at the Fellowship and I’d like to thank Jeremy and all the Board members for all their support. I’d also like to thank all the staff including our Volunteers for all their efforts during the year. Cherrie our Corporate Services Manager has done a wonderful job to prepare all our financial reports which has made my job so much easier, thank you. Our accounts are independently audited every year. We thank the team at WHK NQ which is now known as Crowe Horwath Australia for our recent audit. A copy of the audited report is included in our Annual Report. Revenue for the year ended 30/6/13 was $2,873,102 which is approximately 8% above budgeted income. This increase is not attributed to any major area. All Programs and Services run by MIFNQ have had minor variations to Budget that are individually listed in our Cost Centre Budget Summary. Expenses for the year totalled $2,761,647 which is approximately 17% less than expected budget figures. This saving is also not attributed to any major area and is listed in the above mentioned Cost Centre Budget Summary that shows variations to each of our Programs & Services. We are pleased to report a Profit for the year of $111,455. Bank Accounts have been reconciled to the 30th June 2013. Total Cash at Bank as at 30/6/13 is $1,665,346 which includes the balance of our Reserve Account $651,154 and our Capital Works Account of $679,460. Provisions have been made for Long Service and Annual Leave. We at the Fellowship have goals for the coming year and we all look forward to achieving these. I take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy year.
Sandra Hubert Treasurer
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CEO Report
The 12/13 financial year has been one of continued development for MIFNQ as I anticipate every year will be. This is because as our external environment changes we need to remain vigilant in relation to the opportunities that come our way and those that we consciously seek out. We have many competing demands and cannot respond to them all but what we do, we do very well. We all know that there is a huge unmet need for community mental health services in so many areas and the way forward is through the establishment of partnerships and other arrangements with other community service agencies, funding bodies and government agencies. Our strategic plan mandates our partnership approach and, in Townsville, for example, we have a strong partnership with the Acute Ward at the Townsville Hospital. MIFNQ recovery staff visit the ward weekly to help connect people into their community once they have been discharged. There are other examples too – our partnership with headspace in Mackay and Townsville, with the Toowoomba Clubhouse where Living Proof is delivered on our behalf and with Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres in Townsville, Mackay and Cairns that provide brokerage funds for carer respite and counselling. MIFNQ continues to lead the way in forming productive partnerships and alliances in other areas too. We also have many friends who support us, Rotary is one of them. They provide invaluable assistance for our Schizophrenia Awareness Week Awards and support our Townsville carers through a monthly financial donation. Others support us through generous donations that enable us to expand our services and community activities. During the year there were significant achievements for two MIFNQ staff. Adrianne Hicks, Manager of the Cairns Carers Hub was awarded the Cairns Area Woman of the Year for her untiring efforts in community mental health and Alison Fairleigh, Qld Manager of Living Proof and Rural Remote Services was awarded the title of Queensland Rural Woman of the Year. Clearly these awards are the result of the commitment and hard work of the recipients and MIFNQ is most fortunate to have this calibre of worker amongst its staff. Our volunteers continue to provide invaluable services – delivering the Living Proof program, assisting with WellWays and giving their time to sit on our management committee. Volunteers are valued and contribute a great deal to our operations, I thank them for all the work they have done over the last twelve months. The Fellowship continued to adopt its quality system and standards and is moving towards the point where it will seek external accreditation under ISO9001:2008 – an international benchmark. Quality improvements also extend to our management committee with most members undertaking governance, financial and risk management training which aims to build the committee’s capacity. Our information and communication technology has been reviewed and an upgrade to our ageing hardware and software has commenced. Our staff have also been supported in developing their own skills and knowledge by attending over 25 different workshops or conferences during the course of the year. The passion and commitment of our staff always amazes me as they go the extra step to assist someone. I am not just referring to our mental health professionals but also our hard working corporate services staff whose work provides the foundation for well supported service delivery. While there are some major challenges facing MIFNQ we are in a good position to meet them. We are already thinking about how to respond to Disability Care Australia when it is rolled out in Queensland. We are positioning the Fellowship as a provider of first choice when it comes to community mental health and look forward to new Queensland Health tenders once the Qld Mental Health Commission has scoped up what needs to be purchased from the community
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sector. MIFNQ continues to contribute to the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia in many ways and our combined national resources and expertise are considerable. There is some way to go, of course, but MIFNQ has made great progress in many areas over the year and the groundwork has been laid for a future that will ensure that we remain a viable, vibrant responsive organisation committed to improving the lives of people with a mental illness, their families, friends and carers.
Jeremy Audas
Chief Executive Officer
Cairns Carers Hub
Mental illness is the leading form of disability in Australia accounting for a quarter of the total Australian disability burden (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008) and yet people living in country areas have substantially less access to mental health services (National Rural Health Alliance 2012). Effective support for a person experiencing significant mental health issues requires an integrated approach from three sectors of our community: 1. 2. 3.
Clinical Support ie people like General Practitioners and specialist mental health clinicians. Daily living support services like Centrelink, Employment and Housing assistance. ‘Carers’ ie the unpaid or ‘natural’ support of family, friends and the local community who assist those living with a mental illness to stay safe, access services and remain socially connected. For most Australians with a mental illness it is the partner, the parent, the child, the sibling or simply the friend from next door that provides the support on a daily basis. This unpaid, and largely ignored workforce, is often the only “safety net” for people who are unwell. No government funded service has the capacity to deliver this type of whole of life support; no health system can survive without this community support. People can only recover from mental illness in their community. Medical services play a very important role in stabilising someone’s condition with medications and support with income or housing are crucial but it is our daily connection with others that rebuilds lives. But to provide this support for a person in a community we need to ensure the community members have the capacity to assist. The integrated model of services of the Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub builds the understanding, the skills and the resilience of this unpaid workforce to support and improve the lives of those living with a severe and enduring mental illness in our communities. This integrated model of carer support is backed by international research commissioned by FaCHSIA “Overall there is good evidence for multi-component interventions........ somewhere in the mix is the ‘active ingredient” (University of Wollongong 2007)
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The model was also endorsed by national consultation with mental health carers in July 2012 in which mental health carers from across Australia recommended a “One Stop Shop” approach to support them (Mental Health Council of Australia 2012). In 2012-2013 the Carers Hub provided a range of integrated services to support local families including:
Family Centred Counselling and short term Case Management using evidence based practice frameworks such as the ‘trauma informed care’ model and the FIT Evaluation Model. The Carers Hub capacity in this area has been significantly augmented with the commencement of Ms Janice Tiller and Ms Suzy O’Reilly who are providing excellent community mental health professional services alongside our Co-ordinator Ms Jacqueline Conroy. Carer Psycho-Social Education programs such as the nationally recognised Assisting Families is being rolled out in 2013-14 and more targeted programs were delivered for Early Psychosis, Borderline Personality Disorder and a Carers Orientation to the mental health system. To support these education activities special initiatives such as a Carers Workshop at the Australasian TheMHS Conference on 21 August have also been delivered. This day included a specially scripted drama performance, presentations, workshopping and a panel discussion. Carer Peer Support Groups in Cairns, Atherton Tablelands and the Cassowary Coast have continued to connect local families and provide opportunities for upskilling. Flexible Respite through the partnership with Bluecares’ Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre including Overnight Accommodation and Support Worker services. Information, Advocacy and Case Coordination support which is generally focused on assisting carers link services during periods of mental health crisis. This strategy was augmented with a Carers Forum education event on 29 June that focused on providing families with a better understanding of advocacy skills. As a result of the days discussions a regional Mental Health Carers Reference Group has also been formed to better represent families concerns in relation to systems advocacy. A number of new initiatives outside of this hub model are also being trialed to support local capacity building. For example MIFNQ has partnered with the Cairns youth service YETI and Queensland Health to deliver Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) services to young people struggling with the impact of Borderline Personality Disorder. Similarly, MIFNQ has auspiced initial training and collaboration to establish a Clubhouse in Cairns. This support is already reaping progress with a Steering Group chaired by Supreme Court Judge Justice Jim Henry, formed in July and a commitment of ‘seed funding’ from Federal Member for Leichhardt the Honourable Mr. Warren Entsch MLA. The rollout of the Living Proof community education program is also progressing very well with local presenters delivering to an ever increasing number of Cairns High Schools. To support referrals, maintain links with key stakeholders and continue lobbying efforts for funding, presentations have been made to a wide range of audiences including Community Mental Health Teams, JCU Social Work Students, and to audiences at Mental Health Forums and Conferences. Carers Hub team members are also active representatives in a range of consultation processes to ensure a carer voice is included in decision making. These representations included participation on the Queensland Health Statewide Mental Health Clinical Collaborative, Edward Koch Suicide Prevention Task Force, Far North Queensland Medicare Local ATAP’s and the Community Alliance Committees.
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The evidence that this integrated approach works for families is indicated by the numbers of local mental health carers accessing the service over the last two years. Over 253 carers accessed the Hub in 2012 -2013 in order to better support themselves and their families. 2012/2013 stats for Cairns SRS - Number of carers – 238 Total number of contacts o SRS report – 1606 contacts o FaHCSIA report - 1570 Other observations (based on SRS stats) 5 carers accounted for 325 contacts (i.e. 2% carers /20% total contacts) 127 carers (i.e. 53% or more than half of all carers) had 3 or less contacts each (211 contacts in total). That is 53% carers accounted for 13% of total contacts. The Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub is provided by the Mental Illness Fellowship North Queensland in partnership with Anglicare North Queensland and the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre.
Adrianne Hicks Cairns Hub Manager
Community Education and Support Services The year 2012 – 2013 reflected our first year of funding under Queensland Health Mental Health Programs. Whilst our funding areas remained unchanged our data collation methodology was reviewed which negates our opportunity to compare outcomes with previous years. The political and policy changes mooted over the financial year included the establishment of the Queensland Mental Health Commission and the Blueprint for Health Services and we have experienced the impending changes through a one year funding agreement only. We remain confident in the work that we do and of our value in the sector and continue to see referrals to our counselling and community education programs and other organisations seeking out our expertise to partner with them in community projects.
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Figure1. Funding Activity Areas Counselling
Community Eduation
Queensland Health - Mental Health Programs
Community Groups
General service availability Information, advice and referral
Our core areas continue to be in working with our community partners - crisis support through Supportlink and Queensland Police , a range of referrals from advocacy, disability employment, government and acute and community mental health services. We also see referrals from general practitioners and allied health services where people are falling outside their Medicare funded services. MIFNQ as a member of MI Networks provides a telephone information and referral service to community members, guaranteeing to provide knowledge, understanding, up to date relevant information on mental illness and linkage to a national network for assistance in other locations and regions. The two cornerstones of our community education programs are the Mental Health First Aid courses and the Living Proof program. MIFNQ facilitators are widely sought out because of their expertise and competency in delivering MHFA workshops tailored to their audiences. Examples of this are specialised workshops for Department of Education and Training, Australian Housing Institute, Volunteering North Queensland. The Living Proof program has powered ahead with the establishment of a group at Toowoomba Clubhouse and in our Cairns Carers Hub. Our investment in Social Media is reaping rich rewards with the number of new ‘likes’, ‘followers’ and ‘retweets’ growing all the time. New Living Proof training programs and new volunteers have boosted our capacity to meet the growing demand across the State. The time and energy contributed by staff and volunteers is amazing and much appreciated by the students, teachers and schools who access Living Proof. We can’t help but feel good about what we are doing, when we get comments from the students indicating that they will ask for help with an existing mental health problem, and not keep it to themselves any more. The early interention and recovery messages really connect with students. The ‘Toxic Thinking ’ App developed by Annie and Trevor Boulton in Hervey Bay continues to break records for downloads and use, not only across the state, but nationally and internationally.
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Co-inciding with the end of the financial year was the announcement of the winner of the Research and Development Rural Woman of the Year, none other than our own fabulous Alison Fairleigh!! Her project focuses on the mental health of Agricultural and Fishing families and in helping service providers, particulalry Medicare Locals to really connect effectively with this stoic group. Alison’s win now takes her to the Australian finals with a result expected in October. Alison’s amazing energy and passion has been instumental in the growth of Living Proof this year and she has now taken on the role of State Manager of the Program. Figure 2. represents the reported data for our funded service activities for the 2012-2013 financial year.
Counselling 431 new client contacts and 1982 client hours of counselling related services
General service availability information advice and referral 398 occasions of service
Community Education
Community Groups
457 participants receiving 172 hours of education over 23 workshops in the community
187 participants receiving 96 hours of community based activities
Living Proof 5142 students & teachers receiving 439 hours of education over 156 presentations
In keeping with the reforms to the sector MIFNQ Inc. has been proactive in developing a clear focus and philosophy for maintaining our place in the delivery of mental health services in the community supported by appropriate policies and processes. This follows on from our goals last year to coordinate our responses to the changing needs of the sector in our three service locations in a cohesive, consistent and considered manner. This has been in developing language about the work that we do as community mental health professionals and outlining eight core competencies that underpin their practice ensuring our staff have the key skills, support and training to meet the demands of their role. We have endorsed a recovery focussed model of care as per the Fourth National Mental Health Plan and adopting a trauma informed focus as outlined in the ACSA Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery (Kezelman & Stavropoulos, 2012). These guidelines are nationally and internationally endorsed as the most comprehensive and clinically relevant approach to acknowledging and working with people with complex trauma. Here we acknowledge that our work is predicated on the fact that the majority of people seeking counselling and support from us have been impacted by trauma and that their interactions with us and others are an adaptation to their experiences and their mental health issues are encapsulated in this. The guidelines endorse five key principles for service delivery SAFETY - TRUSTWORTHINESS – CHOICE – COLLABORATION – EMPOWERMENT This means that we value and support: Maintaining a safe and welcoming environment. Providing clear information and reasons about what we do and why. Providing people with choices and flexibility in the services that they receive. Working with and not for people. MIFNQ Annual Report 2012-2013|
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Honouring that people are the experts of their own lives. Having a focus on enhancing the skills and abilities of the people that we work with.
We have adopted an evidenced based evaluation approach involving Feedback Informed Treatment. This is a process of providing a service that is continuously informed by the people that we support about how they are doing and how well our interactions and approaches fit with their needs. The work is ongoing and continues with the upgrading of our quality management systems across the organisation. As we wait to see what the sector will look like in the upcoming year and where and to whom funding will be directed, we recognise that we cannot sit on our laurels and expect rewards for past success to come our way. We therefore, continue to improve our work practices to obtain the best possible outcomes for those who seek our services.
Barbara Anderson Counselling & Support Manager
Day to Day Living Program
The Day to Day Living Program in Townsville has been gradually transitioning into a member driven program where members take on more responsible for themselves and other members, and in contributing to program development and delivery. In January and February we surveyed participants, asking for reflections on the previous year’s program and ideas and suggestions for 2013. Results have shaped the programs offered, reflecting members’ interests and aspirations. Member’s mobility and transport independence has increased and we no longer provide a pick-up and return service for participants. In some cases this has led to a decrease in participation and this is currently under review to find a compromise and a way forward. Regular meetings and individual reviews have been held to elicit further input from members regarding the programs offered. Our Coffee Club moved from an ‘in-house’ activity into the community, meeting in various cafés and shopping centres around Townsville. Whilst initially popular, numbers dwindled and eventually this program ceased. Review indicated that active staff involvement was essential for the Coffee Club’s success and that at this time, members were unable to maintain the momentum on their own.
More initiative was evident with the Gardening Group, as a small group of members took responsibility for planting and maintaining a number of garden beds at the centre. The Healthy Living group held popular discussions in January followed by Chair Yoga in February. The Karaoke music group proved popular with a small number of participants. Members planned to hold monthly Sausage Sizzles, but these stalled without staff organising and delivering the event. Beading has remained popular with both males and females as has the scrapbooking classes which are provided by a D2DL member. Acquisition of new computers led to initial enthusiasm from a number of members wanting to learn new skills, but this petered out due in part to staffing issues. Art classes are always popular and have been conducted by a talented D2DL Peer Support Worker and more recently by an Art Therapist.
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In February we began weekly visits to the Townsville Psychiatric Unit to provide opportunities for patients to link to community based services prior to transitioning back into the community. The activity based program has been popular and fully supported by the Unit staff and management. Following discharge, individuals have self-referred or been referred directly to the D2DL program. Significant events have been held showcasing the work and achievements of the creative arts program. In January an exhibition of art works was held at ‘eMerge Art Space’ at JCU in Townsville and concluded with a number of items being sold by the participants to the general public. A very successful solo exhibition was held on Magnetic Island by Imogen Rogers. An Open Day was held in April, held to showcase the work of participants and the D2DL program with attendance from a broad range of health, community and employment services and networks of family and friends. Jewellery and scrapbook cards made by members are on display and sale at MIFNQ and a number of stalls have been held at the Artists Market at Riverway. Our links and working relationships with other organisations has been slowly growing and now includes a number of disability employment providers, Inpatient and Community Mental Health Services, community organisations and the Townsville Mackay Medicare Local. Information packs have been distributed to employment agencies, doctors, psychologists, chemists and other allied health services.
Philippa Harris Acting Rehabilitation Services Manager
Respite Program The Respite Program delivered by MIFNQ in Townsville is based on guidelines provided by the Queensland Government in the Carers (Recognition) Act 2008 and supports a philosophy of recovery of mental health. Carers are supported and encouraged to build their own independence and quality of life, in a manner that is true to their values and is safe and sustainable. The purpose of Respite is not to take over the carer’s life but to support them through difficult times. The approach focuses service provision on carer needs and coping skills through needs analysis, goal setting, problem solving and coping skills development that enhances the longterm outcomes for carers and their loved ones. Respite Packages are negotiated and services brokered between Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres (CRCC) and MIFNQ to meet the needs of carers. Changes within our small staff led to some temporary challenges for the Respite program delivery, however, we have endeavoured to ensure the families we support have continued to receive the respite assistance they needed throughout. Whilst Barbara Forman was on extended leave, we had the pleasure of having Louise Masters filling in for her. We were able to utilize Louise’s vast experience in human service provision to introduced new data systems that have improved our service tracking and recording. Our relationship with CRCC’s in Townsville and with other service providers has gone from strength to strength resulting in new opportunities now and in the future. Our current Townsville staff, consists of Social Worker, Pip Rose and Respite Assistant, Barbara Forman, both part-time. Recovery Services Manager Kylie-Maree Beller resigned in June, so Philippa Harris is providing temporary program oversight. MIFNQ Annual Report 2012-2013|
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The families we support are receiving a range of services from direct respite to domestic assistance to counselling from MIFNQ’s counselling service. A survey of carers indicated that there was a high level of satisfaction with the Respite Service provided by MIFNQ.
Philippa Harris,
Acting Rehabilitation Services Manager Education and Training Manager
Well Ways Program
Well Ways is well evidenced and continues to be evaluated through La Trobe University. The Well Ways suite of programs is designed for the families and carers of people with a mental illness. There are three programs in the suite.
Well Ways Building a Future (BAF): an 8-week program for families and carers of people with a mental illness offering counselling, support, up to date information and practical ways of coping and navigating the mental health system. This is followed by 4 consolidation sessions with more specific information on Grief, Communication, Suicide and Developing a Wellness Recovery Plan. Well Ways DUO: a 6-week program for families and carers of people with a mental illness and a substance use disorder offering support, discussions, information and a guest speaker. Well Ways Snapshot: a 1-day program for families and carers offering a brief overview of mental illness, symptoms and treatment. It also includes a presentation from a person in recovery from a mental illness talking about their experiences through the illness, treatment and recovery. Well Ways MI Recovery: a program for people who have a mental illness offering support and education towards recovery and developing their own Personal Recovery Plan.
Well Ways is conducted across the main centres of Townsville, Cairns and Mackay. Programmes have also been conducted in the outer lying areas of these centres including Innisfail and Atherton. In the 12 months to June 2013 across the Mackay, Townsville and Cairns area 6 BAF programs and 4 DUO programs were run. The number of participants in Well Ways including BAF, BAF (Consolidation),BAF (NDIS), DUO, and MI recovery is : 90 Support is vital for families and carers in order for them to cope with their role and through Well Ways this comes in the form of information (face to face, phone, email) counselling ( face to face and phone), referrals, support groups, case conferencing and advocacy. Data from across the 3 centres is shown below: New
Existing
Contacts
Concerning Well Ways
Counselling
Case Conferencing
Referrals
Supportlink
Yasi
218
371
1279
228
1144
301
418
38
1
The referrals from Supportlink are increasing and often complex. Towards June 2013 the referrals have become more specific to mental health issues. Participant Outcomes:
Evaluation, feedback and verbal comments from participants in Well Ways show an increase in family strength and resilience; an increase in knowledge and understanding about mental illness; an improvement in emotional health and wellbeing; better communication and problem solving; and better
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coping skills, resulting in better outcomes for the person being cared for. The comment heard most often during the program is “I’m not alone, others share my experience”. Personally benefits for participants were an increase in self-care, taking time for themselves to enjoy life. The strength of the program is the facilitators being carers themselves and that this adds credibility to the programme. Families within the Well Ways program also have opportunities to link into other specialised education programs such as Early Psychosis, Youth and Adult Mental Health Fist Aid, as well as continuing to access counselling and support. After the programme is completed contact is kept with participants with information on events and courses in their area. Carer support groups are also available in the three centres. A Well Ways Building a Future Program and a MI Recovery Program including NDIS information were also conducted. Staff were specifically trained by attendance at training in Brisbane and kept in touch by teleconference with MIF Victoria. These programs were successful in breaking down some of the mystery surrounding the NDIS. Assisting Families: Negotiations are in place to present the modular Assisting Families Program through Schizophrenia Fellowship NSW and Remind Education. Training of facilitators will take place in July with participants being staff from Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin and Alice Springs. It will be a more flexible way of delivering support and information to the families, friends, and carers of people with a mental illness. Advertising and Promotion Activities: Advertising takes place across the three areas for Well Ways Programmes and community events through newspaper advertisements and editorials, radio interviews and community notices, mail outs by post and emails to organisations and networks and presentations at services in the community. This has been effective in raising awareness of mental illness and the services available in the community. Well Ways promotion takes place at community events, community networks, allied health networks, interagency networks, regional mental health networks, consumer and carer groups, and with mental health service providers. Activities for Well Ways staff have included attending the Allied Health Network meetings, Community Network meetings, connections with the PTSD clinic, arrangements with job agencies, Women’s groups and clubhouse meetings, through Carers Qld., Carers Packs, through Headspace, Mental Health Network meetings, through links with Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre (CRCC), mental Health Week, Carers day, Senior’s week, Advocacy, Family Law Pathways Network, QLD Health Orientation to community Agencies, High School Expos, Youth Pathways Expos, and other community events.
Other Relationships: Strong alliances are held with MH services across the three regions of Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. In addition connections and alliances exist with Carers Queensland, Commonwealth Carer Respite Services, Medicare Locals, Worklink, ATODS, ARAFMI, Migrant Resource Service, Consumer Advisory Group, Anglicare, OZCare, Relationships Australia, Rotary, James Cook University, Headspace, Diversicare, COTA (Maturity Blues), Lifeline, MHCA, Division of General Practice, Red Cross, National Council of Women, Centrelink, Mental Health Resource Centre, Centacare, Qld Police, Carer and Consumer groups, Youth Connections Network, Independent Advocacy, Dept. of Communities, Domestic Violence Centre, neighbourhood centres and others. Staff Development:
Supervision and training are ongoing for Well Ways Project Officers. Professional Development is important and staff have participated in training and workshops eg., ongoing connections with Maturity Blues (COTA); Mental Health Professional Network training including “Legal Highs, an area of much concern and “Couples Therapy”; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Non Suicidal Self Injury conducted at JCU over 2 days; Biological Discrimination held at Perc Tucker Gallery, of interest for multicultural work; Mind Matters around mental health education in schools; Inclusion works Forum around connection with community; Mindfulness; and First Aid CPR.
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Townsville staff member, Glenda is on Steering Committee for the Family Law Pathways Network and this involves education and activities. Sheree attends meeting with the Headspace Steering Committee in Mackay and also provides a counselling service at Headspace.
Positive Stories: Some stories and comments from Well Ways participants include… Positive news from a mum (carer and daughter). After her daughter had two major hospitalisations in the acute care unit, the daughter has decided to add social activities and the reduction of social isolation to her recovery plan. Specifically she joined the Choir of Unheard Voices at MIFNQ. A carer who has been a client of Well Ways for approximately 6 months has joined the local CRCC team. She has been very excited about this change in career involving helping other carers. This is very exciting as it demonstrates that lived experience is being further recognised by other organisations in the sector. A carer has said that after many years of battle, she and her husband have made the difficult decision to support their adult son from the outside of his life. He has let the family home and this has in turn assisted his own personal recovery journey. Both parents report a much healthier relationship with their son. After Session 1 of the Well Ways program it was lovely to see that “light bulb moment” when the carers could stop blaming themselves for their person’s illness. This was achieved by the discussions around the biopsychosocial model and how there are many causes of mental illness. A really great moment in group work! The Well Ways suite of programs plays an important role in terms of community capacity and in reducing stigma around mental illness. Recognising the value and potential of every person to contribute to the community is essential. In supporting carers through education and advocacy they are more confident and able to discuss their roles and issues, recognise their value and potential to contribute to the community and increasingly
see the need for self-care.
Through community events and the media where information is distributed to the public, and to other services and networks, the community becomes more educated and informed about mental health. This allows for a reduction in stigma and more importantly allows the community to contribute to the overall health of its population. We look forward to the introduction of Assisting Families for families, carers and friends of people with a mental illness.
Glenda Blackwell Well Ways Manager
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Schizophrenia Awareness Week 2013
As we have in previous years, we celebrated the achievements of many in our regional communities at a breakfast held at the Mercure Townsville which was attended by close to 90 friends of the Fellowship not only those from Townsville but friends from Cairns and Mackay. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the Sunflower Awards and befitting the significance of this, we were fortunate to have a number of key guest speakers and presenters who shared their visions, passions and sometimes Awards MC, Philippa Harris very personal stories. Our MC for the breakfast was Philippa Harris, who kept us all entertained during the morning with “exercises” that had us in fits of laughter and presented us with some hilarious photo opportunities! Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of Townsville was also on hand this year to present two Awards, the Recovery Award and the Employer Award. Cr Hill had this to say during her initial speech. “I commend the Mental Illness Fellowship North Queensland for staging the awards, which began during Schizophrenia Awareness Week in 1998. Since then, the awards have grown in size and prominence.” Cr Hill then went on to say “Council is also proud to continue its support the Sunflower Awards, as a means of supporting people with mental illness, and to help remove the myths and stigma surrounding the condition. Three years ago, the Mayor’s Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of office gave special recognition to the awards, by endorsing the Recovery Award. This award recognises an individual who has made great strides in their recovery Townsville and who is an example of what’s possible. The Mayor’s Recovery Award recognises that recovery is a personal journey and that stories of success bring hope and encouragement to others.” Bob James, President of MIFNQ, also addressed the gathering and spoke of the importance of these awards, the work of the Fellowship and the important role we, the community, plays in promoting awareness. MIFNQ’s CEO Jeremy Audas, shares his thoughts with us. “The Sunflower Awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate those exceptional people and organisations who, in a significant way, have made a valuable contribution to their communities. Such recognition is important because it validates the experiences of the award nominees and winners, acknowledges their commitment and exemplifies how, even through adversity, hope guides us to a better future. We also need to understand that while the Sunflower Awards are a very important part of the MIFNQ community, and indeed the broader community, they provide a touchstone for our thinking about mental illness.” “These annual Awards remind me of all those who have been touched by mental illness. While we celebrate the achievements of nominees and award winners alike we must also acknowledge and celebrate the everyday achievements of those others in our communities who follow their own dreams and aspirations of a better life. My sincere thanks go to the organisers and contributors to yet another wonderful Sunflower Awards ceremony.” “Townsville Daybreak Rotary has been associated with Mental Illness Fellowship for almost 20 years. In the early days we enjoyed providing an informal BBQ evening for the Sunflower Award’s, getting to know the many clients of the Fellowship and enjoying a fun filled evening of food, speeches, poetry and music. Times have changed and the venue and event is more civilised but we still value our association with the Fellowship and hope to continue for many years to come.” Tony Caruana, President Rotary Club of Townsville Daybreak
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2013 Award Winners
Mayor’s Recovery
‘A special award to recognize an individual, who has made great strides in their recovery, and who is an example of what is possible.’ (presented by Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville)
Brad Page
Employer Achievement
For an employer, who has shown outstanding commitment to support the recovery of an individual, or group of people, in the workplace.’ (presented by Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville)
Cornetts Supa IGA – Riverside Gardens The Award was accepted by Andrew Howarth on behalf of Cornetts Supa IGARiverside Gardens
Outstanding Reform/Service Coordination
For a service initiative, that has demonstrated the ability to effectively integrate/co-ordinate services, in order to provide better outcomes for consumers and their families. This award is open to government and non-government providers. (presented by Mary-Ann Kirkman, Townsville Hospital & Health Services)
Leanne Mizzi, SOLAS
Mental Health & Well Being Community
For an individual or organization that has given exceptional support to the promotion of mental health and wellbeing awareness throughout the community. (presented by Adrianne Hicks, 2013 Cairns Region Woman of the Year)
Ann Burke – Artworks!, Kith and Kin Association
Media
For an individual or media organisation that has provided high quality coverage of issues relating to emotional health and wellbeing. (presented by Alison Fairleigh, 2013 Qld Rural Woman of the Year)
R U OK? Accepted by Jeremy Audas on behalf of R U OK?
Employee Achievement
For an employer, who has shown outstanding commitment to support the recovery of an individual, or group of people, in the workplace. (presented by Tony Caruana, President Rotary Club of Townsville Daybreak)
John Hobbs, SOLAS
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MIFNQ’s Organisational Structure Management Committee President
Bob James, CPA | Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) | Masters of Indigenous Australian Studies (Hons)
Secretary
Jenny Chapman, Bachelor Social Work
Treasurer Sandra Hubert, Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
Committee Persons
Alf Musumeci Dr Tanya Park, PhD | RN | Endorsed Mental Health Nurse & Midwife Donella Pickles Sandra Winner
Chief Executive Officer ......................................... Jeremy Audas Corporate Services
Corporate Services Manager...................................... Cherrie Krajacic Corporate Development Manager ............................. Deborah Wilson Administration Assistant (Townsville)........................ Cassy King Receptionist (Townsville) ........................................... Margaret Sleeman Human Resources Support Officer............................. Sallyann Lawson Administration Assistant (Townsville) ....................... Bridget Peters Administration Officer (Cairns) .................................. Michael Jackomos
Program Managers
Cairns Carers Hub .................................................................Adrianne Hicks Counselling & Support Manager ..........................................Barbara Anderson Education & Training Manager & Acting Rehabilitation Services Manager...........................Philippa Harris Qld Manager Living Proof, Rural & Remote Services...........Alison Fairleigh Well Ways Manager .............................................................Glenda Blackwell
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Program Staff
Counsellor (Cairns Hub).............................................. Jacqueline Conroy Counsellor (Cairns Hub).............................................. Janice Tiller Counsellor (Cairns Hub) & Living Proof FNQ Coordinator .................................... Suzannah O’Reilly Counsellor (Townsville) .............................................. Jenny Russell Counsellor (Townsville) .............................................. Lyn Tyson Counselling & Support Project Officer ....................... Pip Rose Day to Day Living Project Officer (Mackay)................ Margaret Ward Day to Day Living Support Worker (Mackay) ............. Lindy Bishop Day to Day Living Project Officer (Townsville) ........... Sally Thain Living Proof CQ Local Coordinator ............................. Margaret Corby Living Proof Online Coordinator................................. Catilin Duffy Living Proof SQ Coordinator....................................... Judy Kiellerup Living Proof SQ Local Coordinator.............................. Ianessa Hughes Living Proof Wide Bay Local Coordinator................... Annie Boulton NTMI Project Officer (Townsville) .............................. Rebecca Wood NTMI Peer Support Worker (Townsville) ................... Rebecca Blundell Rehabilitation & Respite Assistant (Townsville)......... Barbara Forman Well Ways Project Officer (Mackay) .......................... Sheree Hollywood
Volunteers Cairns Maggie Howison Joy Lawson Cindy Massey Andrea Stark Alison Willis Mackay Jasonkay Briggs Margaret Corby, (now staff) Kathleen Lewis Courtney Meng Jennifer Patterson Anyssa Roworth Kathleen Sorbello Leanne West
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Townsville Toni Abberton Daniel Cotterall Raymond Fancourt Peta Ford Rebecca Hampton, (now staff) Natasha Hull Louise Masters Natasha Monk Kathryn O'Neil Jenny Ryan Graham Sabinda Robyn Steen Kelly Williams
Partners and Supporters As well as membership of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia and our sister organisation, MIFNQ continue to development and maintain networking relationships on local, state and national levels.
Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia
- Mental Health Carers Tasmania - Mental Health Foundation ACT - Mental Illness Fellowship Northern Territory - Mental Illness Fellowship of Queensland - Mental Illness Fellowship of South Australia - Mental Illness Fellowship of Western Australia - Schizophrenia Fellowship – NSW - Arafemi - After Care
Partnerships/Alliances/Consortiums
Headspace Mackay Consortium Headspace Townsville Consortium Mackay Regional Mental Health Network (MIFNQ is the auspicing body) Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Inc (member) Townsville-Mackay Medicare Local Partners In Recovery Consortium
Program Partners
Cairns Mental Health Carers' Support Hub - Anglicare / Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre - Cairns Education and Training - Mental Health First Aid Australia - Mental Illness Education Australia Coalition (MOU) - Remind Mental Health Training and Education for Assisting Families Housing - Coast to Country Housing Company Living Proof - Dovetail - Metro North MAHODS - Toowoomba Clubhouse (MOU) Respite and Carelink Services - Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre – Cairns | Mackay | Townsville - Blue Care - Nth Qld Regional Office
Supporters
Cairns and Hinterland Health Service District Carers Queensland Centacare - Cairns | Centacare - Mackay | Centacare – Townsville CRS Australia Dept of Local Government, Sport and Recreation Headspace - Cairns Mackay Health Service District Mental Health Council of Australia Queensland Aged and Disability Advocacy
Queensland Health – Mental Health Ozcare Townsville City Council Townsville Community Legal Services Townsville Health Service District Townsville Integrated Mental Health Services Townsville Intercultural Centre Uniting Church - Presbytery North Queensland Volunteering North Queensland
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Donations and Funding Bodies Donations
Dr R Bailey John Moore R Barrett Moya G Bird A Musemici B Bogaarts J Noble A & M Bone A Poletto L Buonaccorsa B & J Rampton A Crepaz A Renke GIVE NOW (Online Donations) Ritchies Community Benefit Program R & D Goodwin A Rizzalli M Hajek CJ & D Rogers Handup Support Group M Ryan P Harris M Stremouchive BJ & LA King S Tyrer M Krause L Tyson S La Spina B Werner A Laustra B West J Mains D Wheeler Maleny State High School D Zaneti And to all those who gave but did not wish to have their names published.
Funding Bodies Dept of Communities (DOHA)
Community Mental Health Services Dept Health & Aging DOHA Health & Hospital Fund
Qld Health
Community Mental Health Services
Cairns Carers' Hub Day to Day Living New Building
01-Mar-11 01-Jan-12
15 months 3 years
Living Proof/CES
01-Jul-12
12 months
01-Jul-11 01-Jul-11
3 years 3 years
FAHCSIA
Mental Health Community Based Well Ways Mental Health Respite/ Respite/SLRRP National Respite Development Fund
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) Building Rural Communities Fund Building Rural Communities Fund
Philanthropic Qld Communities Foundation Tim Fairfax Family Foundation
The Matildas We of the Never Never (Always Always)
01-Jan-12 01-Jan-12
1 year 1 year
Volunteer Project “Toxic Thinking� App Development & Support Delivery in to Mt Isa
13-Jun-13
1 year 1 year
Annexure “A” Financials
Auditor’s Report and Financials
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