Content about Psychology

Part one of a three part series looking at how mental illness can effect other family members.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

 Experts present Mental Health reform roadmap at COAG!

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! 

In the last issue, the role of ARAFMI’s (the Association of Friends and Family of the Mentally Ill) , as the peak carer organisation specifically set up by carers of people living with mental illness to support other carers facing challenges in their role, was explained.  In this issue, the focus on mental health carers continues, to firstly explain “What is a carer?” more specifically the characteristics of a mental health carer, and how State and Federal Mental Health laws define them.

I attended Blokes Day a few Sundays ago  at Clarendon showground.  The event had a lot of drawcards aimed to attract men – vintage engines, motorcycles, trucks, tools and more.  The underlying point was to draw men and their families in and bring them into contact with information and services around the issue of men’s health. However it seems that even in this day and age there are still some 'taboos' in our society.

ARAFMI operates a carer Information and Support Line which provides carers of people living with mental illness information about mental health services and a range of carer support services and support groups right across New South Wales. Take our survey to help us improve our service.