General

Perspectives Newsletter - September 2015. When a mental health crisis occurs, often the first people on the scene are the police. However, in reality, the need for trained mental health professionals as first responders is also key. In this article, Kym Ryan, CEO of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses discusses a new plan by NSW Police to ensure mental health nurses are part of any first response to reported mental health related crises.

Perspectives Newsletter - September 2015. Mental Health Australia CEO Frank Quinlan recently joined a delegation of leaders from the mental health sector to attend the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory. In this article Frank shares his experiences and photos from this important Indigenous cultural event.

The Integrating Mental Health into the NDIS Conference was held by Informa Australia from 27-28 November 2014 in Sydney. Topics covered included scheme design, emerging lessons from the launch sites, the changing landscape for service providers, integrating the NDIS with other service systems and maximising choice and control. Presenters included Frank Quinlan, CEO of Mental Health Australia and Josh Fear, Director Policy and Projects, Mental Health Australia, David Butt, CEO and Commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission, Eddie Bartnik, NDIA Strategic Advisor NDIA , Nick Hartland, Group Manager, NDIS Department of Social Services, David Meldrum Executive Director of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia and a range of other key stakeholders including consumers and carers. Video footage and slideshow presentations for many of the sessions can be accessed here.

Ahead of the COAG Leaders Retreat, the mental health sector has written to the Prime Minister and First Ministers calling for urgent action on reforms COAG agreed to in 2012. This includes the adoption of clear targets and indicators for improving mental health outcomes as well as a fully developed and funded national agreement on mental health reform.