Support
If you are after information and support from women, please visit the Australian Pelvic Mesh Support Group.
Senate Inquiry
A Senate inquiry is being held in Australia on the number of women in Australia who have had transvaginal mesh implants and related matters. Women were invited to share their experiences via submissions. The submissions closed on 31 May 2017.
Health Consumers Queensland is feeding into a joint submission from the state and territory peak consumer organisations across Australia. Our equivalent organisation in Victoria, Health Issues Centre, has created a time-limited Facebook page to gather feedback from consumers to inform this submission. All information will be used without identifying the respondent.
Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility and Expanded Youth Mental Health Program
Closing date: midday Thursday 7 September 2017
The Department of Health is committed to ongoing engagement and participation of health consumers following the work done implementing the Government response to the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry report. See the youth mental health website for further information: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/improvement/youthmentalhealth
As part of the 2017-18 State Budget,Government committed more than $68 million over four years for capital works to deliver a new statewide Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility (AETF) at The Prince Charles Hospital; two new Step Up Step Down Units (SUSDU) in north Brisbane and south Brisbane; and refurbishment for two new adolescent day program (DP) spaces at Logan and the Gold Coast.
To ensure progression of this next stage of work the Department of Health in collaboration with key Government agencies and health consumers is establishing governance and consultation processes that offer a range of opportunities for involvement: an overarching committee, a project oversight group, and a co-design consultation.
April – May 2017 Update
April – May 2017
Youth Mental Health Forums are happening across Queensland and registrations are now open. For more information and to register, please go to the Queensland Health website
At the forums you can:
- Be updated on the implementation of the Government response to the six recommendations made by the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry report.
- Contribute to the conversation about the model of service for the new statewide Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility and the continuum of services being developed for adolescents and young people with severe and complex mental health issues across Queensland.
- Learn about the role consumers and carers and the Department of Education and Training are playing in implementing the Government response.
Leonie Sanderson, our HCQ Engagement Advisor, is attending each forum and consumer and carer representatives who have been involved with the Barrett project so far will also be in attendance. We encourage you to attend and come up and say hello to us! Consumers and carers are vital to this process and their view is essential in the development of these new services.
Queensland Adolescent and Young People Mental Health Services Mapping Survey
In relation to Recommendation 5 the Government has commissioned an independent review of the transition and alignment between adolescent/youth and adult mental health services in Queensland as outlined in the Government response. This review is being conducted by Health Outcomes International (HOI) and the Synergy Nursing and Midwifery Research Institute.
We are seeking your involvement in the survey process which will be open until Friday 26 May 2017.
January February 2017 Updates
February 2017
Last week the Consumer and Carer representatives on the Steering Committee gave a presentation about the stories of young consumers. From this presentation, we will develop a consumer and carer designed education and training package designed for the staff at the new facilities, as well as a range of other applications for mental health and other staff. This will include a range of (anonymous) stories, developed for training purposes. Through your contributions to our story snapshots and templates online the Consumer and Carer representatives were able to share the lived experience of severe and complex youth mental illness. If you didn’t get the chance to do this, the templates are still open:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yourlivedexperience
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/livedexperiencecarersfamily
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/storytemplate
Having your say on Education and its role in Severe and Complex Youth Mental Health
A consumer and carer-designed survey has been developed to explore the connection of education to recovery for young people with Severe and Complex Youth Mental Health. Health Consumers Queensland and Education Queensland will also be working together to facilitate further consumer and carer consultation.
The new survey is here (sorry for survey overload!)
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mhandeducation
January 2017
Preliminary Model of Service open for consultation!
Implementation of Recommendation 4, to build a new state-wide, extended treatment facility with access to an integrated education/vocational program in south-east Queensland for young people with severe and complex mental health issues, commenced last
Following nominations from Hospital and Health Services, Department of Education and Training and consumers and carers, a co-design process was undertaken to inform a preliminary Model of Service (MOS) for the new facility. The MOS has now been released on the COI Implementation Team website at www.health.qld.gov.au/improvement/youthmentalhealth/model-of-service/ and will remain open for comment until Friday, 17 February 2017. You are invited to provide comments on the MOS to inform further development and encourage other interested parties (government, non-government and individuals) to do so also.
If you would like to contribute to a group response for consumers and carers, please contact us by emailing leonie.sanderson@hcq.org.au
Do you have a story to tell about your experience with youth mental health services? Our Consumer Reference Group has developed resources to help you share your experiences and to tell your story.
If you’re a young person with lived experience of mental health services, click here to go to the consumer snapshot questions.
If you’re a family member or carer of a young person with a mental health issue, click here to go to the family/carer snapshot questions.
We’ve also prepared a storytelling template that helps you to tell your story. You can access it here.
We have now held a total of 3 Consumer Reference Group meetings. These meetings are held monthly in Brisbane and we can also telelink people in via phone if necessary. The next meeting will be held on 11 January 2017. If you are interested in connecting with other consumers and carers who have an interest in the implementation of this project, please email Leonie on leonie.sanderson@hcq.org,au
Renewal of the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-19
Discussion paper feedback closes: 12 May 2017
Various forum dates
The Queensland Mental health Commission is reviewing the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2014-2019 (the Strategic Plan).
The Strategic Plan set a platform for change over three to five years to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Queenslanders.
Much has been achieved by many agencies across many sectors over the last two years. However reform is continuous and there is a need to ensure our collective efforts are making a difference. The Strategic Plan review will focus on how we can continue to make progress towards achieving better outcomes for Queenslanders. The Commission is also updating the:
- Early Action: Queensland Mental Health Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention Action 2015–17
- Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2015-17
- Queensland Alcohol and other Drugs Action Plan 2015-17.
You can play a significant role in the review by:
- Providing feedback to two discussion papers published by the Commission with feedback due on 12 May 2017.
- Attending community forums being held throughout Queensland.
Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry Recommendation 6 – Reference Group
CLOSED 8 FEBRUARY
Queensland Health is seeking Expressions of Interest from Consumers and Carers to sit on a Reference Group focused on the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry Recommendation 6. The Reference Group will be involved in the development of a revised collaborative practice framework to meet the needs of children and young people with dual diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and Mental Illness (DD).
The Queensland Department of Health is leading implementation of the Government response to the six recommendations made in the BAC COI Report and a COI Implementation Team commenced in the Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch in August 2016 to progress this work and engage with a broad range of stakeholders. An Implementation Steering Committee is overseeing implementation of the Queensland Government response.
How do you make your ward the most popular in the hospital?
How do you make your ward the most popular in the hospital? Getting to know the end user is a good start, according to Kelsie Dummett.
Kelsie is one of the founding members of Mater Youth Consultancy, Mater Hospital’s initiative to design better services for patients making the transition from paediatric care to adult health services. Mater Youth Consultancy (MYC) was founded in 2013 in recognition of the poorer health outcomes for people in those transition years.
As the Manager of the Mater Young Adult Health Centre (MAYHC), Greg McGahan, explained, this 16 to 25 year age group need support for more than just their physical health problems. In order to fully engage in their health care, young people need holistic emotional and educational support.
Occupying the building formerly housing the Mater Children’s Hospital, the Mater Young Adult Health Centre was designed hand-in-hand with young people from the start. MYHC worked closely with Mater Youth Consultancy, a group of 14 young people, some of whom had lived experiences of health care, some local students, and also a small group from the local refugee community.