Mental Health Carers Voice

March 2022

MHCV Team Update

Hi valued carers,

We hope your March has been sailing smoothly so far. It's been another busy month here at the MHCV. Some of the highlights of this month include:

Participation in the ACT Mental Health Workforce Strategy Working Group.
Keeping up with the progress of Way Back, Safe Haven and Head to Health in Canberra. Initial feedback highlights that these services are growing in reach and well-embraced within Canberra (yay!).
Attendance in leadership meetings with the other Peaks including MHCC, MHCN, CHN, and Carers Australia
Meeting with the Advocacy and Policy Advisory Group to help shape the direction of our work in the upcoming months

We are working collaboratively to organise two online consultations seeking carer input on mental health services in Canberra. More details can be found further down the newsletter. These consultations will give carers a chance to:

Provide guidance on Canberra Head to Health's service design (10 AM on the 30th of March)
Inform the model of care for MHJHADS mental health supported accommodation project (1:30 PM on the 5th of April)

MHCV is also excited to hosting an upcoming NDIS information session for carers with the wonderful team at Feros Care. There is only one place left, so please register as soon as possible if you would like to join us for what we are sure will be an informative and enjoyable afternoon tea. The lucky last person can register here.

If you would like to know more about any of these opportunities or if you have anything you wish to share with us, please feel free to send us an email via mhcarers@carersact.org.au.

Take care,

Catherine Joseph and Catherine Vonarx

The Mental Health Carers Voice Team

Get Involved

Want to be more involved in Mental Health Carers Voice's work? You can:

Sign up for our consultation list by updating your subscription settings here.
Check the consultations page on our website for upcoming opportunities.
Like us on Facebook for regular updates and opportunities.
Join our Advocacy and Policy Advisory Group, a group of mental health carers who draw on their lived experience to drive our work. Learn more.

RANZCP Practice Guidance for working with families and carers in mental health settings

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) have released a new Professional Practice Guideline and desktop resource on information sharing with families and carers. These have been developed by RANZCP Committees including the Community Collaboration Committee:

The purpose of these documents is to assist psychiatrists to work effectively with families and carers and assist them to establish and maintain working relationships with mental health services and staff. If you have any queries regarding these publications, please email policy@ranzcp.org.

Productivity Commission Inquiry into Carers Leave 

The Treasurer has announced the Productivity Commission has been asked to undertake an Inquiry into the merits of extending leave entitlements under the Fair Work Act to family and friends who care for older Australians, which was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (ACRC). 

The inquiry will consider the application of paid leave or long-term unpaid carer’s leave for other types of care, such as caring for people with disability or having temporary or terminal illness. The inquiry will also examine the economic and social impacts of providing a statutory leave entitlement to extended unpaid carers who provide informal care to older people who are frail and living at home, while offering employment protection on return to work. The Productivity Commission will be required to provide a final report on the inquiry into leave for informal carers by early 2023.  

You can find the Terms of Reference for this inquiry here.

Carers Australia - Response to Disability Royal Commission

Carers Australia has released a response to the Disability Royal Commission's overview of responses to the violence and abuse of people with disability issues paper, which highlights cases in which 'carers' were perpetrators of abuse.

In the release, acting CEO Melanie Cantwell emphasises that the term 'carer' should not be used as an umbrella term to describe paid care workers, unpaid carers, and family and friends who are not defined by the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Commonwealth). Carers need to be properly recognised for their role and impact in our communities and need better mental, physical, and financial support to ensure they can undertake their caring duties.

Read the full media release here.

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement

The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement sets out the shared intention of the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to work in partnership to improve the mental health of all Australians, reduce the rate of suicide toward zero, and ensure the sustainability and enhance the services of the Australian mental health and suicide prevention system.

The ACT is yet to sign their agreement. NSW and SA have signed their bilateral agreements with the Commonwealth. You can find them here. You can also read NSW Minister Greg Hunt's media release regarding what this means for the mental health system in NSW.

The Impact of Mental Health Programs for Australian Youth - A Systematic Review

The Clinical Child and Family Psychology review has published a new paper on the impact of Community Mental Health Programs for Australian Youth. The systematic review aims to describe the types of community-based mental health programs that have been delivered to Australian youth in the past 10 years and examine their impact in improving young people's mental health symptomology and psychosocial functioning.

Find the research study here.

Social Media and Online Safety Report

The Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety into online harms on social media platforms has recently released a report with their key findings and recommendations. The unanimous report found that the safety of people online is being threatened by individuals who engage in harmful behaviour and conduct. The harms experienced by victims of online abuse leave a long trail of trauma and suffering evidence. The Committee highlighted the necessity of a three-part response: social media platforms focusing on user safety and enforcing their policies; the Government appropriately regulating and monitoring the sector; and users understanding that while respectful dissent and disagreement is a part of online discourse, abuse isn't, and it should not be tolerated.

The Committee's media release is here and the report can be found here.

Head to Health - Carer Consultation

Canberra Head to Health Centre was launched in December 2021 to provide a range of accessible and flexible services to bolster the availability of mental health services in our region. This is a new initiative funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, meaning all services are free of cost. Think Mental Health (TMH) are the lead agency and have begun consultations with a range of stakeholders on the current service model, what’s most needed in our region and what a good service looks like from a consumer, carer, service and system perspective. TMH are keen to get input from those with lived experience on all aspects to ensure we get the best possible service design for our region. TMH want to know what you most want to see available within the Centre.

If you who would like to provide input into this process and in order to smooth the process would like to offer two methods of engagement;

Complete a short (5min) survey OR
You can register to participate in a planned focus group – Wednesday 30/3 @ 10am

For further details on the current services or to register for the focus group, contact vanessa@thinkmh.com.au.

Mental Health Supported Accommodation - Carer Consultation

The ACT Government and Canberra Health Services (CHS) Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) are working together to increase the number of mental health supported accommodation in the ACT. These homes will provide long term and permanent housing options for people who experience complex mental illness with significant functional impairment who require support to live independently.

The project will review the future needs and options for expanding mental health supported accommodation services for people who require accommodation on a permanent basis to release acute and rehabilitation beds for consumers requiring an inpatient admission. The project also hopes to ensure the model of care will be fit for purpose to inform future service and design requirements. As part of this process carers are requested to provide feedback current mental health supported accommodation and gaps in services.

If you would like to provide your valuable feedback on this process you can either:

Fill out the feedback survey here OR
Register to participate in a planned consultation - Tuesday 05/4 @ 1:30pm by emailing mhcarers@carersact.org.au

The project officer Judith Ingwersen can be contacted for further information or queries at

judith.ingwersen@act.gov.au.

ACTHD - Position Statement

ACT Health Directorate (ACTHD) have been working on a Position Statement regarding mental health supports and services for people who also have Intellectual Disability.  ACTHD have incorporated considerable stakeholder feedback from previous consultations into the draft document, however it has been highlighted that more significant input from people with lived experience would be desirable.

ACTHD would appreciate the opportunity to talk with people with Intellectual Disability, their families or carers to hear about their experiences in accessing information, support or treatment for mental health issues or mental illness.  This will allow us to test the recommendations made and receive input so that we can finalise the Position Statement on Improving Mental Health Services for People with Intellectual Disability.

Please contact the Mental Health Policy and Strategy team via email at ACTMentalHealthPolicy@act.gov.au or phone Melissa Lee on 02 51249780 to get involved.

Carers Australia - Carer Wellbeing Survey

Carers Australia has partnered with the University of Canberra to conduct a national survey into the wellbeing of carers and their support services.

If you provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends, we want to hear from you. Share your experiences – past or present – of being a carer and be entered into the draw to win a gift card. Your response will help inform our advocacy to the Government and help ensure carers are receiving the support they need. The survey is also available in Arabic, Italian, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Complete the survey today – the survey closes on 31th March.

If you need assistance completing the survey, or have questions about it, you can call the research team on 1800 981 499, request a paper copy to be sent to you, or email regionalwellbeing@canberra.edu.au.

NDIS - Test ‘my NDIS participant portal’

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is looking for current NDIS participants, nominees, and child representatives to test and give feedback on the ‘my NDIS participant portal’ under development. The new NDIS participant portal is part of the NDIA’s ongoing commitment to improving the NDIS experience of participants, families and carers.

If you or the person(s) you care for are interested in providing feedback or testing the new portal, sign up to the pilot here or learn more about the test.

Carers ACT - The Carers' Time Management Club 

Carers ACT hosts a regular fortnightly forum for carers who are interested in getting better at their time management. Time is scarce and a precious resource for carers, who face a multitude of urgent and important tasks each day. The forum also aims to increase carer choice and control, building the key skill of saying 'No!'.

At each 45 minute online session carers will consider one time management issue/strategy, share stories/ideas and learn from each other.     

Date: Thursday 24th of March      

Time: 12:30pm - 1:15pm

Venue: Online 

Impact Trails - World Bipolar Day Q&A

In recognition of World Bipolar Day on 30th March, Impact Trials with Deakin University are hosting a free online Q&A session with a panel of experts. All are welcome to discuss bipolar disorder. This event is supported by: the Australasian Society for Bipolar & Depressive Disorders Ltd, Bipolar Life, World Bipolar Day and the Community and Research Network (CARN).

Date: Wednesday 30th of March      

Time: 6pm - 7:30pm

Venue: Online 

MHCN - Self-Advocacy and Consumer Representation Training

ACT Mental Health Consumer Network will be hosting free online training sessions for Self-Advocacy and Consumer Representation. Self-advocacy training will grow your ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you, support you to identify how effective you can be as a self-advocate, and how to be a voice for others.

Those who have completed the Self-Advocacy Training can then participate in Consumer Representation Training which supports mental health consumers to become informed and confident Consumer Representatives, equipping them with the skills to represent themselves and other consumers in the provision of mental health services.

Upcoming Courses:

Self-Advocacy – Fridays, 1, 8, 22, 29 April, 6 May 2022

Consumer Representation – Fridays, 27 May, 3, 10, 17, 24 June 2022

Time: 10:30am-1:30pm

Location: Online, using Zoom

If you are interested in attending or just want to know more, please contact: education@actmhcn.org.au or 6230 5796.

Caring for Someone with an Eating Disorder

The National Eating Disorders Collaboration has a range of resources and information available to carers to assist in the care, support and recovery of a person experiencing an eating disorder here.

The Butterfly Foundation also has several resources and access to online support groups for family members here, as well as a National Helpline: 1800 33 4673.

Eating Disorders Families Australia aims to support, educate and empower families affected by an eating disorder through education seminars, peer support and events. For more information, visit their website here.

Landcare ACT - Wellbeing through Nature

Landcare ACT is facilitating a range of free nature-connection activities designed to support mental health, social connectedness, and general wellbeing amongst Canberrans. Supported by the Healthy Canberra grants program, Wellbeing through Nature activities include mindfulness-based guided walks, conservation projects with Landcare groups, and therapeutic horticulture sessions.

More information and links to upcoming programs can be found on the Landcare ACT website.

Help after the death of a person you cared for

If you have been caring for someone for a few months or many years, the death of a person you have cared for, even if it was expected, can leave you wondering what to do next. There are emotional, legal and financial considerations, but you don’t have to do it all at once, and you don’t have to do it alone. Counselling, payments, and financial services are available to support you.

Grief is an individual experience, and there is no right or wrong way to feel or set time to grieve.

Contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 for counselling over the phone or in person. Selecting Option 1 for the ACT will transfer you to Carers ACT.
Services Australia has provided information on what to do after a person has died and payments and financial services available here. The payment type and amount will depend on what payments you received before the persons’ death and your relationship to them.
If you received a Carer Payment for a person who dies, you may continue to get this payment after their death for up to 14 weeks or receive a lump sum bereavement payment.
Managing financially at this time can be overwhelming; you can find a free financial counsellor near you here or by calling 1800 007 007.

Events Coming Up

MHCV Afternoon Tea/NDIS InfoSession

29 March, 2PM-3PM

Carers ACT Office, 80 Beaurepaire Crescent

The Carers' Time Management Club

24 March, 12:30PM - 1:15PM

Online

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