youth

Deadline extended for Youth Mental Health Consumer Rep role

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Please note that due to a technical glitch with the Health Consumers Queensland (HCQ) website, the deadline for applications for the available Youth Mental Health Consumer Rep role has been extended to Friday 22nd February. So please continue to encourage anyone you know who might have expressed an interest to put in their application.

Click below to go directly to the HCQ page:

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVE OPPORTUNITY

or access information from our previous post at:

Youth Mental Health Consumer Opportunity … 18–29 year olds PLEASE APPLY

 

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Medical Director, Statewide Extended Treatment campus advertised

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It’s likely to be of particular interest to many for whom child and youth mental health issues are important that Children’s Health Queensland (CHQ) is now advertising a position of some significance.

CHQ is the state government Hospital and Health Service under which the facility to be constructed at Chermside following the recommendations of the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry will operate as one of the many vital options that young Queenslanders can access through the  Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS).

The position of a Medical Director of a campus focussing on Statewide Extended Treatment is clearly a key role in shaping how the clinical elements of the Model of Service and Model of Care will be delivered and the right kind of leadership and approach will be influential in achieving the best outcomes for the patients and families who access the services offered at that campus. So there are many people hoping for interest from a substantial selection of high calibre candidates with an appropriate management style and collaboration skills as well as excellent clinical qualifications and experience.

With that in mind, this post is to encourage the widespread proliferation of the existence of this vacancy. Because the more people that are aware of this opportunity, the better the chance there is of the appointment of the best Medical Director possible.

The person who fills this position will be pivotal in establishing an environment and tone across a service where those elements can have far-reaching effects – not only on those for whom the right support for severe mental health issues can change the direction of their lives but for the team of professionals who will work collaboratively under the leadership of the Medical Director. And although the title accurately indicates the clinical emphasis of the Director, the campus team for such a service would include staff in important non-medical positions (e.g Education, Administration etc.) whose  input and mutual engagement with those with clinical expertise must be as valued and intrinsically linked to the goals and values of the facility as any other professional contributor. The right Medical Director will be able to unite all those who stay, work at or visit the campus  to create the kind of healing community that provides the outcomes deserved by those affected by the mental health issues the campus aims to address. And his/her leadership and management style will engender a workplace where  dedicated professionals with a range of skills and experience will seek to be able to make a contribution when they know that will be valued, stimulating and productive.

So there can be no doubt that this is a role of significant opportunity and influence in an area where professional and interpersonal attributes beyond those solely medical will be fundamental.

The link to the advertisement for this role is:

https://www.seek.com.au/job/37690108?type=standard

or you can click on the image below to take you there directly.

Please share this post and/or the link above as widely as you can.

Thank you.

Opportunities to be involved in developments in mental health research and treatment

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LIVED EXPERIENCE has genuinely moved from being a careful phrase to describe those impacted by mental health issues to being acknowledged as a significant asset in the development of all areas of analysis, understanding and treatment of such issues. Those who KNOW having gone from being INVISIBLE to being INCLUDED (thanks to the dynamic work of some very proactive people) and finally being VALUED.

And those who’ve been personally affected by mental health issues so often feel that they want to do what they’re able to help others to whom they can relate … it seems that experiencing health issues that can so comprehensively affect your thoughts, emotions and the way you live your life breeds deep compassion. The Lived Experience community is made up of some very strong and empathetic individuals.

If you are – or you know someone who might be – interesting in making a contribution to some innovations in mental health approaches, here are some opportunities to consider:

OPENING OF PEER CENTRE AT THOMPSON INSTITUTE

WHEN:   10am, Thursday 27th September
WHERE: Sunshine Coast Mind and Neuroscience Thompson Institute
USC (University of the Sunshine Coast)
12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya.

This is an informal morning tea event to celebrate the opening of the PEER Centre at the Thompson Institute where the focus is on integrating mental health research, clinical services and teaching. It’s a great chance to go and see what the PEER Centre has to offer and celebrate the opportunities the Thompson Institute is creating for people who use mental health services to be proactively engaged in education and research.

All are welcomed. For more information or if you have the chance to RSVP, you can contact Chérie McGregor, Consumer Services Coordinator at the Thompson Institute on (07) 5456 3893 or at cmcgreg1@usc.edu.au

JOIN ADVISORY GROUP OVERSEEING THE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE NEW ADOLESCENT EXTENDED TREATMENT FACILITY

Expressions of Interest are being sought for the positions of one consumer and one carer member of the Advisory Group to be chaired by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) tasked with developing an Evaluation Framework for the new adolescent extended treatment facility due to commence operation in 2020. As key stakeholders, consumer/carer input is vital to ensure relevance and appropriateness of the evaluation framework from both technical and service user perspectives.

It’s anticipated that the commitment will require 3 to 4 meetings of about 4 hours each with all other details available here via the Expression of Interest (EOI) form to be submitted through Health Consumers Queensland (HCQ) via email to Leonie Sanderson: leonie.sanderson@hcq.org.au by COB Friday 12 October 2018.  Please phone Leonie on 0437 637 033 for any queries including if you are interested in applying but are unable to submit by this date.

QLD HEALTH VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICE LOOKING FOR CONSUMER/CARER MEMBER FOR GROUP DEVELOPING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH IN MENTAL HEALTH AND FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Restorative justice is an approach that involves the use of an independent trained facilitator working with people who are victims of violence, and a person involved in committing harm, with the aim of repairing harm. Restorative approaches have been used with success over twenty years in across different systems, including youth justice, education, adult criminal justice, community conflict as well as in other health settings and although they have not been used in mental health and forensic mental health services in Australia, their use has been growing since 2012 in England in mental health and forensic mental health services, and forensic mental health services in Calgary and the Netherlands.   

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are being sought from carers and/or consumers with an interest in participating in the development of an innovative approach to how mental health and forensic mental health services respond to violence to participate in this stakeholder group.  You can download the EOI form here to be submitted by Tuesday 2nd October 2018 and if you have any enquiries, you can contact:
Michael Power
Director, Queensland Health Victim Support Service on
0428 594 119 or michael.power2@health.qld.gov.au

 

Consultation with young people and carers on Brisbane North mental health services

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The Brisbane North PHN is seeking Expressions of Interest from young people and parents/carers to participate in some focused consultations around their experience accessing child and youth mental health services in Brisbane North region.  They are interested in hearing the experiences of those who have accessed child and youth mental health services themselves, or for someone they care for.

The consultation will take place on
Tuesday 25th September
from
10am to 12noon

$80 Gift cards will be offered to young people and parents/carers who are invited to attend. 

Click here for further information and for the Expression of Interest form (due by Thursday 20th September 2018).

For further explanation on the purpose, key questions, process of review and existing services, click here to download a Background Paper with more detail on those issues. 

National Youth Health Forum inviting 16 to 30 yr old participants

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The Consumers Health Forum of Australia is running a
Youth Health Forum on the 18th and 19th of September this year.
The aim is to bring 40 to 60 young people aged 16 – 30 who are interested in advocacy and leadership to Canberra to discuss the health issues that matter to them most and what can be done to improve the system for them.

The Forum will develop recommendations to improve the health system for young people and a delegation of participants will present these at Parliament House following the event. There are also plans to establish an ongoing Youth Health Forum to continue discussions and advocacy after the kick-off event.

Those aged 16 – 30 interested in participating should lodge an expression of interest form by 29 June. These can be obtained via the following contact details:

Phone: 02 6273 5444
Email info@chf.org.au
Text 0411 299 404

(Former advocacy and leadership experience is considered but is not a requirement.)

There is an evening welcome dinner on the 18 September and the forum itself on 19 September. Accommodation and travel will be funded but unfortunately CHF are unable to offer sitting fees.

Click here to check out the flyer where contact details are also listed

*

PLEASE SHARE THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO GIVE ALL INTERESTED YOUNG PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO APPLY … THANKS!

COMMUNITY INPUT REQUIRED re: Educational Needs of Young People with chronic/complex health conditions

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Young people with chronic health or complex mental health conditions require more than simply healthcare. As they grow and develop – and hopefully receive the most effective treatment for their illness/es – their growth and development in all areas must be considered and supported, as is the case with all young people.

So, as the Health Department and Health Consumers Queensland facilitate the engagement of the wider community in the design and development of the new Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility for young people recovering from complex mental health conditions, Queensland’s Education Department is enthusiastic about embracing the input of those with lived experience in order to meet the educational needs of young people at the AETF AND through all stages of chronic illness and/or severe and complex mental health issues.

So, as part of the Department of Education’s commitment to developing and implementing a statewide continuum of educational delivery to support all students dealing with these kinds of health impacts, there will be a community forum where anyone can attend to put forward opinions, ideas and feedback around how to best support the educational needs of young people recovering from chronic health or complex mental health conditions.

Discussion will include issues relating to the new facility (to be located at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane that is due to open in 2020) which will include residential facilities, day program treatment and therapy, and a school program. But young people move to and from different levels of healthcare service and, across Queensland, health issues and their impacts vary with each young person. So each student has specific needs in regard to accessing and gaining benefit from educational opportunities. So the Department of Education would like to ensure that all those needs are met. And only with the input of those who have needed and will need access to education across different circumstances can the full spectrum of types of education, training and rehabilitation services be planned for and provided.

So anyone who has an interest is invited to the:

Consultation Workshop

on

Monday 30 April, 9.15am–12.00pm

at

Conference Room, Autism Hub & Reading Centre (AHRC)
141 Merton Road (Cnr Park Road), Woolloongabba

(The AHRC is next to Park Road train station and Boggo Road bus station and there if free parking available onsite.)

If you click here or on any links in this post, you’ll be taken to the Eventbrite page where you can register to attend.

The program will be as follows:

9.15am–9.30am: Registration

9.30am–10.00am: Introduction presentation

10.00am–11.30am: Consumer workshop; Carer workshop

11.30am–12.00pm: Light lunch and refreshments

Reimbursement for attendance is provided.
Please advise of any dietary requirements.

Please share this on social media or with anyone you feel might be able to contribute in some way. The more that the people with firsthand knowledge can impart to those developing services, the more likely that Queensland’s young people will receive the invaluable education services that can make a significant difference to their lives.

Thank you.

CALLING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OPINIONS AND IDEAS!!

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A lot of different people have been involved in the co-design process still underway for the new Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility to be built at Chermside in Brisbane. And recently the most important people so far have begun to have input – Education Queensland and Health Consumers Queensland were able to facilitate a workshop that included a number of YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES, all of whom made incredibly valuable contributions that will shape many aspects of the new centre.

So now, the Department of Education would like to hear from more young people on issues like:

  • what classrooms and outdoor learning areas should look like
  • what activities the young people attending the centre should be able to participate in
  • how the centre can have as comfortable and homey environment as it possible
  • what skills and knowledge teachers at the centre should have

IN FACT, ANY IDEAS AT ALL!

So …

IF YOU’RE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT / SOMEONE WHO WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN THE LAST 6 YEARS OR SO – OR YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO FITS THAT DESCRIPTION, please spread the word and encourage young people to

TAKE THE SURVEY

It’s quick, easy and online.

And if young people have had experience (personally or through someone else) with mental health issues, those insights would be especially interesting to learn.
But any young person who has ideas on what might be important in a health and education centre that’s going to have residents and day students attending where the focus is on healing and hope for the future can make a really useful contribution.

The survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9WXM99Y
so please use the sharing buttons below to share this post and encourage young people to have their say.

The real experts on what works for young people are young people.
So as many insights as possible from those who know will ensure that the new centre has the best chance of being the place that everyone is hoping it will be.

Needed: Lived Experience reps to guide youth mental health services going forward

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PLEASE SHARE THIS AS WIDELY AS YOU CAN …

N.B. Closing Date for Submissions is Thursday, 7 September

ADOLESCENT EXTENDED TREATMENT FACILITY AND EXPANDED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

YOU can have direct input into the development of the new facility AND the other vital new services for young people with severe and complex mental health issues in Queensland. 

Health Consumers Queensland are seeking Expressions of Interest for consumer and carer representatives for the following:

Overarching Committee chaired by the Deputy-Director General, Clinical Excellence Division, Department of Health to ensure processes are monitored and advice/direction is provided to support timely and successful delivery of the AETF, StepUp/StepDown Units and new adolescent Day Programs.
Project Oversight Group to oversee delivery of the program of capital works i.e. resolving design and coordination issues and providing advice to the Committee on risks and actions for resolution. (Meetings held monthly.)
Co-design consultation: A range of workshops seeking health consumer input/expertise for detailed design, model of service and integrated educational/vocational services.

Go to this page of the HCQ website for more info and to download the Expression of Interest form to be emailed to Leonie Sanderson by midday Thursday 7 September 2017.

Please phone Leonie on 0437 637 033 if you are interested in applying but are unable to submit by this date.

*

WANTED: Young People with Opinions and Experience!

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NEWS

Following  the news posted recently about the engagement of two independent organisations to review the alignment and transition arrangements between adolescent and adult mental health services in Queensland, Health Consumers Queensland is hosting a forum run by Health Outcomes International to ensure the most important voices are heard on this issue i.e.

 the views of older adolescents and young people who have lived experience of mental health issues and have had contact with mental health services. 

Young people from 18 to 27 years are encouraged to attend, dial in to videoconference or submit their input to the issues being discussed via email. Through whatever means young people with experience in this area are able to communicate their opinions, it’s important that they are heard. It’s only through knowing what’s been happening that isn’t working that those approaches can be changed and we can put all our efforts into ensuring that the support, processes and services that will actually help are made available. SO … the independent reviewers are doing best to make sure that young people can gather together in a neutral environment – without service providers or government representatives – to air their concerns. This will take place at

Health Consumers Queensland Level 9, 217 George Street BRISBANE QLD 4000

on Thursday 1 June 2017, 1.30 pm – 3.00pm (approximately 1.5 hours)

RSVP: V􀁳anessaH􀀬@hoi.com.au

(If you need to bring a support person, please indicate that in your RSVP and be aware that this forum is to allow free-flowing discussion between young people so all attendees should help to foster that environment.)

FULL DETAILS of the youth forum are on the flyer that can be viewed/downloaded here.

The independent reviewers understand, though, that not everyone will have the capacity to attend. But that doesn’t mean those young people can’t have their say.

 For more information about linking in by videoconference, or to request an interpreter please contact Samantha Battams: 08 83633699 or samantha@hoi.com.au

Young people can also use the Word document available here to download or copy/paste into an email to give feedback on any of the issues to be discussed. They can then send these to either Samantha Battams or to Leonie Sanderson (Health Consumers Queensland) with the assurance that their comments will be included without any identifying information included. Privacy and confidentiality are recognised as vital in this process so HOI have guaranteed that …

 The session will be confidential in that no-one will be individually identified in the review.

 Please share this post with anyone you know who may have valuable experience in this area. The only chance we have to repair/replace the areas of the system that are failing  is if the true experts – those who’ve lived through direct experience of transition from adolescent to adult services – provide their insights. The benefits to other young people in the future will be immeasurable.

AND PLEASE DON’T FORGET … ANYONE with insights into the transition from adolescent to adult services for people with mental health issues in queensland can complete the independently run online surveY HERE.

The more you say, the more things can change.

UPDATE: Mackay event added to Youth Mental Health Forums

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NEWS

The Queensland Health Commission of Inquiry Implementation Group and Health Consumers Queensland will be hold a forum in Mackay as well as the other regional centres already announced. The list of dates is now as follows:

2 May (Tuesday) – Toowoomba
4 May (Thursday) – Sunshine Coast
5 May (Friday) – Cairns
9 May (Tuesday) – Ipswich
12 May (Friday) – Rockhampton
19 May (Friday) – Townsville
23 May (Tuesday) – Mt Isa
25 May (Thursday) – Bundaberg
29 May (Monday) – Logan
30 May (Tuesday) – Mackay NEW
1 June (Thursday) Gold Coast
2 June (Friday) – Brisbane

Click on your chosen location above to register your attendance OR

Head to the GET INVOLVED! page at severeyouthmentalhealth.org
under the heading getinvolvedtopic4
for more information

OR

Go directly to www.health.qld.gov.au/improvement/youthmentalhealth OR www.hcq.org.au OR
contact EDyouthmentalhealth@health.qld.gov.au 

This is a unique opportunity to genuinely contribute to the specific services and support required for all young people and families in Queensland dealing with severe and complex mental health issues.
We cannot change the past – and we will continue to support those whose suffering continues as a result of what has gone before – but anyone with an interest in this vital area of service provision can now be HEARD and RESPONDED TO.
Please become a part of the movement towards valuing our young people and those who care for them in the way that they truly deserve.