Articles

January 30, 2012 12:04 PM

There are a number of major developments scheduled for the mental health area in 2012. Find out more about what’s on and how you can participate or make your views known about reforms and reviews taking place this year on areas like, the development of the national 10 Year Road Map for Mental Health, the commencement of the new National and NSW Mental Health Commissions and the scheduled review of the NSW Mental Health Act.

February 5, 2012 06:21 PM

Federal minister Mark Butler winds back planned changes to Better Access on a transitional basis.

February 3, 2012 11:24 PM

Take our short survey if you are interested in knowing more about being a primary carer or their rights

January 30, 2012 11:26 AM

NSW’s CEO-Keiran Booth has just been accredited as a  ‘Master Mental Health First Aid Trainer’ by Official Mental Health First Aid authorities.  Mental Health First aid is a 12-hour course designed to give members of the public some skills to identify and assist someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis situation.

January 30, 2012 12:01 PM

 

National Mental Health Commission formally launched! Alan Fels - as new Chief and a mental health carer - to look at the needs of consumers and carers.

January 30, 2012 01:14 PM

Neuroscience Research Australia are looking for a total of 88 patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder (male and female) to take this medication for six weeks in addition to their ongoing anti-psychotic medication.

January 30, 2012 12:23 PM

The NSW Parliament will soon be debating and passing legislation to set up a new Mental Health Commission for New South Wales. Here is a summary of the Bill.

November 22, 2011 03:27 PM

In 2009 ARAFMI conducted a survey of members and other carers about the implementation of the primary carer changes in the Mental Health Act 2007.

The purpose of this survey was to better understand the impact that the recognition of the role of Primary Carer in the Act has had on the treatment of carers by Mental Health Services in NSW. It also asked about the information carers would have liked to receive both before their loved one’s admission and before discharge back into the community. ARAFMI is repeating this survey today but here are the results of that original inquiry.

November 22, 2011 03:20 PM

On the 17th of October Mental Health Carers ARAFMI CEO Keiran Booth attended the launch of the ‘Intangible’ DVD and book by the Far West Local Health District as key-note speaker.

November 22, 2011 03:57 PM

The Welfare Rights Centre is an independent community legal centre specializing in social security law and issues associated with Centrelink benefit payments etc.  Find out all about Carer Allowance Facts and basic criteria and other issues relevant for carers and the people they help support.

November 14, 2011 01:56 PM

The on-line 'Mental Health Carer Survey' is available for completion. Mental health carers and those that work with carers are urged to participate , to have their colletctive voices heard. Please complete before 25 December (Christmas day) 2011. Click  Mental-Health-Carers-Survey-2011-12.  This is an important project that influence mental health policy and project development.  Have your voice heard!

October 31, 2011 03:12 PM

In honour of Mental Health Month the Minister for Mental Health, Hon Kevin Humphries has released a guide to the proposed NSW Mental Health Commission entitled, “DELIVERING REFORM to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the NSW community Legislation to establish the NSW Mental Health Commission”. Read our summary or download the guide to this legislation below.

October 31, 2011 03:07 PM

A consultation with carers to support the NSW Ombudsman’s Inquiry into the access of mental health inpatients to accommodation and support services was held on October 4th 2011 at ARAFMI’s offices in Woolloomooloo. Read a summary of some of the general issues raised in our report.

October 31, 2011 03:22 PM
Jonathan Harms et al.

Community walks against the stigma of mental illness have been staged for Mental Health Month. The 'Walk of Pride' idea has now been picked up throughout NSW by ARAFMI Branches as well as in other states in Australia.

October 25, 2011 12:13 PM

Professor Alan Fels, AO named as the new federal Mental Health Commissioner. Click for details  Allan Fels appointed as MH Commisioner.pdf

October 25, 2011 01:32 PM

The Consumer Experiences of Care Project aims to roadtest  a Consumer Experiences of Care Survey tool geared to measure recovery oriented care the consumer receives  from mental health services and  devise  method to best report on this. More details here:  NMH-CEoC Ebulletin 1.pdf

September 30, 2011 02:08 PM

The new Mental Health Act introduced in 2007 for the first time explicitly recognised the role of carers in mental health care. In 2009 ARAFMI conducted a survey of carers to understand how the primary carer changes had been implemented across NSW and how beneficial they had been. Now, two more years later ARAFMI would like to repeat this survey to better understand how the situation has changed since that time, and what further improvements could be made.

September 30, 2011 02:03 PM

ARAFMI has conducted an on-line survey for carers and consumers about the impact of the implementation of the smoke free workplace policy on all NSW Health controlled or funded sites. Here are the results of this preliminary survey.

September 30, 2011 01:55 PM

In present society, much focus is placed on the mental health issues of consumers in the community; however it is becoming much more widely understood that individuals looking after a consumer of mental health services (a ‘consumer’) may sometimes suffer from mental health conditions themselves, often as a result of their caring role. Do you have any tips to help people carry on caring?

September 2, 2011 03:56 PM

Aims of Family Systems Coaching: Carer Programme

 To provide a theoretical and experiential based model to help carers understand the biological and emotional forces within, that can overwhelm and cause chronic anxiety, especially when caring/ living with a person suffering with mental illness.

 To enable carers to distinguish between their anxiety and other’s and to develop the ability to self - regulate their emotion. This skill can increase their ability to make rational decisions rather than emotional, promotes increased confidence, reduces self- doubt /confusion and allows for clarity, honesty and open- communication which enhances connection in all relationships.

 The theoretical model will provide a source of reference and stability, an anchor for carer’s, which can help them identify and assess, what they want to do and what they are capable of doing, in their daily functioning and caring role.

 Objectives of Carer programme

 Provide education about Self

  • Create better understanding and development of interpersonal relational skills
  • Provide understanding of what chronic anxiety is and how to identify it - fusion
  • Know how to distinguish between emotional reactivity (an emotionally directed reaction) and a logical/rational response
  • Increase insight into one’s own Family of Origin
  • Increase awareness of own functioning / behavioural patterns
  • Increase knowledge of own emotional tolerance levels and how these direct decisions and affect relationships
  • Understanding of how one contributes to the family emotional unit and how to remain outside the fusion
  • Increase confidence, independence and emotional maturity
  • Develop strategies to remain true to self values and beliefs
  • Develop decision skills based on logic
  • Experiment with different behaviours / thinking in a safe environment
September 2, 2011 03:46 PM
Chris Beards et al.

The 2011 Census represented only the second time when questions regarding Carers were included in an effort to capture statistics on how many people look after someone with a disability or illness on an unpaid basis in Australia.  The statistics captured by the Census, whilst noteworthy, only reflect those who have recognised and identified their role as that of a carer.  Accordingly, it is reasonable to expect that there are potentially far more carers in Australia than suggested by statistics. Who are these ‘Hidden Carers’? Are you?

September 2, 2011 04:26 PM
Chris Beards et al.

‘Capacity’ is the ability to understand the nature, purpose and consequence of any act or transaction which one enters into. Having sufficient ‘capacity’ is necessary for a person to be able to make almost any legally binding decision, such as entering a contract, giving informed consent to medical treatment or authorising access to confidential medical information. Yet capacity can be seriously affected by mental illness. Learn more about how this issue is handled in the context of mental health treatment.

August 22, 2011 05:05 PM

 Experts present Mental Health reform roadmap at COAG!

August 14, 2011 04:04 PM

Recruiting now! Schizophrenia sufferers and their carers for paid market research. Contact Murray Gale or Shannon at QRA, recruiting for particpants, at (02) 9371 0311 or 0425 030 311 or office@qra.net.au, asap!