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The MHYF Vic Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 25 August 2010 at 7pm.
Our guest speaker is Dr Sandra Radovini. Her topic will be: Child & Youth Mental Health from the perspective of the Chief Child Psychiatrist- Challenges and Future Directions.
Dr Radovini is the Director of Mindful and Director of Advanced Training in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in Victoria. In 2009 Dr Radovini was appointed Victoria’s first Chief Child Psychiatrist with the Department of Health.
Dr Radovini has 20 years experience in Mental Health having worked in both private and public sectors, metro and rural settings and child, adolescent, youth and adult psychiatry.
Six MHYF Vic delegates spoke at this wonderful Congress. This included two Carer representatives (Suzanne Robson and Lynne Ruggiero) who were funded by a Grant to MHYF Vic by the Rotary Club of Collingwood. Others attending were Jacinta Bleeser, Sarina Smale, Chris Smale and Suzie Dean.
One MHYF Vic Symposium, entitled “Expanding public and professional awareness: Professionals, consumers and families cooperating to improve mental health in the Community” was also pleased to include a presentation on “Setting up a Peer Support Program in a CAMHS” by Amy Lampugnani and Christine Bunn, young people representing clients of Austin CAMHS, supported by Vicky Nicholls. Due to MHYF Vic’s efforts at three World Congresses (2006, 2008, 2010), the IACAPAP Executive Committee has determined to explore how young people and carers/families can contribute more widely to future Congresses, aimed to raise awareness of child and adolescent mental health needs around the world. MHYF Vic is to work on this issue as a project.
In our second Symposium, entitled “Towards advocacy action in striving to improve child and adolescent mental health: Pathways to aims and arguments”, MHYF Vic joined with colleagues from the Boston Children’s Hospital, who discussed successes in Massachusetts, and by the WHO. MHYF Vic reported on political lobbying, and on our own project to develop an economic argument for
better funding of child and adolescent mental health services.
Set in the astounding context of Beijing, the Congress was enjoyable for us all, bringing new knowledge and stimulating new thinking.
The government’s head advisor on mental health, Prof. John Mendoza, has resigned, saying that the Government is ignoring the need for mental health reform. He says that only public pressure will move politicians, and is aiming to collect 60,000 public signatures on a petition to be delivered to Parliament.
Access the petition through GET UP. www.getup.org.au/campaign/mentalhealth
We are all reminded that subscriptions are now due for the year 31 August 2010 to Sept 2011. The fee remains at $20 and applies to organizations as well as individuals.
Website grandmaster Ron Ingram invites you to www.mhyfvic.org to find out about us, who we are and what we stand for, our aims and objectives.
The website livery and presentation are under review and we welcome suggestions.
A new project group has been meeting to develop an advocacy program relating to provision of mental health services to Aboriginal families. The group would gladly welcome input from interested people – please contact the chair, Suzie Dean
A new project group has been meeting to develop an advocacy program relating to provision of mental health services to Aboriginal families. The group would gladly welcome input from interested people – please contact the chair, Suzie Dean, on suz.dean@bigpond.net.au.
A symposium on Mental Health advocacy has been accepted in principle by the conference organizers. MHYF Vic is looking for other advocacy groups to join in on a 90-minute session. Contact Jo Grimwade or Miriam Tisher.
Paul Tribe Members without portfolio: Miriam Tisher, Sarina Smale, David Mushin.
25 August, MHYF Vic AGM
6–8 October, Australian Family Therapy Conference, Melbourne
29 May to 2 June, RANZCP, 2011
Congress–, Northern Territory
One of the important parts of Mental Health promotion is the provision of quality childcare and pre-school education. Lady Gowrie Centre in North Carlton celebrated 70 years of excellence in service provision in 2009. It is a sobering thought that as Australia prepared for world war, we were also preparing for our children’s futures.
Lady Gowrie was a close collaborator with Ella Latham (from the last History Corner), with whom she established the Society for Crippled Children in 1935 (now Yooralla).
Lady Zara Gowrie was the wife of the Governor General when she advocated in 1938 for the established of pre-school education in Australia. Her representations were so strong that Demonstration Projects were launched in each state and accredited under her name. Leadership in the provision of care and in the training of staff and in community education has been an enduring legacy, as have the extensive library services for those in the field.
There has been much in the news about early intervention and preventative programs in Mental Health. Early childhood education is very much about mental health promotion.
Preventative programs to ensure mental health are very much part of what MHYF Vic advocates. One of the Committee is an early childhood educator (Sarina Smale). We honour the contributions that the field’s pioneers have enabled.
Mental Health for the Young & their Families in Victoria is a collaborative partnership between mental health & other health professionals, service users & the general public.
MHYFVic
PO Box 206,
Parkville, Vic 3052