MHCV Team Update

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the refreshed Mental Health Carers Voice-mail (see what we did there?) for June 2021 - just a little late. We've recently updated our email system so our emails will have a slightly different look and feel.

We have also started sending out mid-monthly emails with consultation opportunities to those of you who have indicated you are interested in participating. This could involve attending a focus group, completing a survey or reviewing a document to help us best represent the views of carers. Your voice is a vital to what we do, so we encourage you to participate if you can. If you would like us to put you on or take you off the consultation list, just send us an email at mhcarers@carersact.org.au.

Some of our highlights from the past month are:

• Attending a thank you event for carer and consumer representatives in the health system at the Legislative Assembly with our colleagues from the Health Care Consumers Association (HCCA) and Mental Health Consumer Network (MHCN)

• Contributing to the HCCA Guide to Mental Health Complaints

• Making a submission to the 2021-22 ACT Budget consultation asking for funding for a scoping study into mental health respite and carer awareness training for Act public servants

• Making a submission on the National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations

We hope that you're all staying safe out in the community. If you're looking for information about COVID-19, see the bottom of the email for some useful links.

All the best,
C Moore and Catherine Vonarx
The Mental Health Carers Voice Team

Have you had experience with mental health orders and going interstate for services?

Mental Health Carers Voice has received a request to take part in a consultation with Queensland Health on the National Mutual Recognition Project. This is a vital consultation for carers who have experience with cross-border issues. Currently, when a person under a mental health order goes across the border, the other states do not support the ACT Mental Health Act. This project is seeking to create a national scheme that ensures orders will be recognised across state borders.

Other topics that may be covered are the barriers of confidentiality when accessing information about the person you care for, forensic issues, or any topic you might think creates barriers to you supporting the person you care for.

The consultation will take place on Thursday 22 July from 2-4pm, online. Contact mhcarers@carersact.org.au to participate.

Participants will be paid at the rate of $40/hour. If you have childcare costs for the duration of the session and we may also pay you for up to two hours of preparation time.

Join us for our first ever conference!

Mental Health Carers Voice presents ‘Caring Together’, a conference for carers and family members of people living with mental ill health.
The conference will include:

• Opening by ACT Minister for Mental Health, Emma Davidson.
• Keynote from Petrea King, founder of Quest for Life
• Presentation from Najla Turk on cultural diversity and caring
• Understanding smoking and mental illness
• Lived experience of self-advocacy from carers and consumers
• Carers contributions to mental health research
• Wellbeing workshop and in-seat massage
• Plus, join us for a cocktail party after the conference!

Tickets are $25 for carers and consumers and $80 for mental health sector employees. Click below for up-to-date information and to order your ticket.

Mental Health and NDIS Q&A with Feros Care

Join us for an online question and answer session about psychosocial supports under the NDIS with the Local Area Co-ordinators for the ACT, Feros Care. Feros staff will be joining us to answer your questions about access, planning, supports and recovery coaches.

The Q and A will be on Microsoft Teams from 1pm on July 28th. Register on Eventbrite to receive the link.

If there's another topic you would like covered, send us an email at mhcarers@carersact.org.au with your question and we'll make sure the team comes prepared. There will also be plenty of time for questions the day.

Carers Recognition Act

You may remember us asking you about the Carers Recognition Act earlier this year - well, we are glad to say that the Carers Recognition Act has been introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly.

This is an important milestone in our journey towards a Canberra that Cares for Carers and will ensure that carers are acknowledged, heard and supported in their role. The Act will promote awareness about the vital role that carers have within our community so that their needs are better considered in various aspects such as employment, education, planning and service delivery.

To learn more about the act, visit the Carers ACT website.

Training and Education

Do No Harm Training

Hosted by the Mental Health Community Coalition and MIEACT. This 4 hour workshop is built off MIEACT’s DoNOHarm framework© and builds on the skills of individuals with a lived experience and their support network to use inclusive language and minimise referred trauma. In this session you will explore personal and professional boundaries to share and hear stories safely. This session is delivered by a qualified facilitator in partnership with a lived experience Educator. Tickets available on Humanitix.

Online: QPR Suicide Prevention Training

An important part of suicide prevention is knowing what to do when someone needs help. Canberrans from all walks of life are encouraged to take part in a free one-hour online training. Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) is an evidence-based training program developed by the QPR Institute in collaboration with the Black Dog Institute and supported by CHN.

No assumed knowledge of mental health or suicide prevention is required. The training will help you to recognise and respond effectively to someone exhibiting suicide warning signs and behaviours so that you can connect someone at risk with professional support.
Delivered through a mixture of videos, written content and quizzes the web-based course covers:

• Common myths and misconceptions about suicide
• Warning signs of suicide
• How to ask someone whether they are experiencing suicidal ideation
• How to persuade someone to stay alive
• How to refer individuals to appropriate professional help

Register here to complete the QPR online training at a time that suits you. It’s free and you could save a life.

COVID-19 Update

There have recently been some changes to the public health directions and advice related to COVID-19 in the ACT, including a requirement to wear masks in several public settings. For the safety of carers, staff and the community, Carers ACT offices at Holt are closed at this time. You can read about the restrictions and changes to Carers ACT's service delivery in the Carers ACT mailout here.

Exemptions from the mask order include people with a physical or mental health illness or condition, or disability that makes wearing a fitted face covering unsuitable. You do not need documentation to prove an exemption, but you may find it helpful to print out one of these wallet cards if needed.

If you need to purchase PPE and you have an NDIS plan, you are able to use your plan to purchase what you require (see: Your health and safety | NDIS for more information). If you do not have a package or are unable to purchase PPE, you can source masks and sanitiser from the ACT Government by sending an email to csdppe@act.gov.au stating your status as a carer and what you need along with your contact details. This source can also be used if you are not able to locate any PPE to purchase through normal means.

For more information please see:

• Face mask requirements - COVID-19 (act.gov.au)
• ACT status and response - COVID-19
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) health alert | Australian Government Department of Health