News & What's On

From the EO's desk

It is hard to believe that we are already in May and that soon the financial year will be coming to an end. ConnectGroups efforts in this first part of the year has been to address the recommendations outlined in the Blue Print for Change; which was a direct result from the 2011 Symposium. Hence considerable work has been conducted and conversations have been had with Government line agencies around accessing funds for Support Groups - so that you can concentrate on the direct needs of your group and its members and not have to predominantly focus on fundraising activities; in order to ensure the sustainability of the group. We have also continued to lobby for the running of the pilot of the Certificate IV in Self help and Support group facilitation. We will be looking at providing you with an update on both of these initiatives in the new financial year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those Support Groups who accepted our invitation and are now part of our 2012/2013 Consultative Group. The thought behind the establishment of the group is to ensure that as your Peak body, we consistently and appropriately are addressing your needs at a grass root level.

Feel free to contact myself or the ConnectGroups team for any support or advice.

Antonella Segre

ConnectGroups selected as Charity of Choice for Fundraising Event

The Medical Forum WA ‘Doc of the Swan’ charity fun sailing race was held at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on Sunday, the 25th March 2012. The opportunity allowed for over 20 children and their parents to experience a fun day on the water in 3 spectator boats.

The children & parents who enjoyed this fabulous fun day were members of WA Special Families, Childlimbs and Defence Special Needs Support Groups .

The kids were also treated to face painting and able to enjoy a spot of cricket, when they came onshore at the Yacht Club grounds.

A delicious dinner was generously provided to all the children and their parents. The money raised from the auction, the silent auction and raffles will be brokered to ConnectGroups to be distributed to these three Groups as required, to assist them to better promote & run their groups.

Our thanks go to the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, its members & members of the Medical Forum Magazine, the hardworking Doc of the Swan Committee and skippers – Basil, Mark & Peter for the wonderful day and also for all the greatly needed funds raised from the event.
Last but not least, a BIG THANK YOU to the wonderful kids who made the day an absolute joy for all who were involved .

ConnectGroups once again was the recipient of an Aim Management Scholarship

ConnectGroups once again was the recipient of an Aim Management Scholarship the funds will be utilised for professional development of the organisations board members as part of the Board Members attraction and retention strategy. It will also ensure that its board retain a high skill level that will in turn support the growth of the organisation in its service delivery to its key stakeholders.

Sumit Dutta ConnectGroups’ Deputy Chair with the CEO of AIM (Emeritus) Professor Gary Martin at the AIM Scholarship Presentation Night.

Introducing Associations Online

The Department of Commerce announced the arrival of AssociationsOnline, a new online portal for incorporated associations.

AssociationsOnline allows associations to view information and submit requests online through the Department’s website. Submitting forms online saves time, money and paper, so time can be better used to run your association and participate in its activities.

Once enrolled, incorporated associations will be able to:

• Lodge changes to the rules/constitution;
• Update contact information;
• Request an extension of time to hold the annual general meeting;
• Purchase a replacement certificate of incorporation; and
• View the progress of documents lodged with this office.

Members of the public and unincorporated groups will also be able to use the services to check whether an association is registered, purchase copies of documents and apply to become incorporated.

While there are now a range of online services available, hard copy forms are still available for associations’ that do not have access to the internet and applications can still be submitted by fax or post.

For more information about enrolling to use AssociationsOnline and the services available visit www.commerce.wa.gov.au/associationsonline.

To read AssociationsInfo Newsletter Click here.

ABC New website to keep us mentally healthy

Mentally Healthy WA’s Act-Belong-Commit campaign launched a new website to keep Western Australians mentally healthy. http://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/

The new site is designed to remind people of the sorts of activities enhance mental health—and connect people to those activities.

“We think a lot about what we should do to keep physically healthy, but we rarely think about looking after our mental health” said Act-Belong-Commit Assistant Campaign Manager Simone Comtesse.

“Visitors to the site can rate their involvement in mentally healthy activities, search for clubs, community events and volunteer opportunities and make pledges to look after their mental health” Simone said.

Organisations can find out how to partner with the campaign and can download resources to promote mental health in their community.

Act-Belong-Commit targets the whole Western Australian population, in an attempt to build individual resilience and bring communities together to curb rates of mental health problems.

Ms Comtesse encourages us all to visit the site at http://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/ and make a pledge to act, belong, commit and get more out of life.

“Keeping mentally healthy is just as important as staying physically healthy” she said.

MENTALLY HEALTHY WA
ACT-BELONG-COMMIT CAMPAIGN
ASSISTANT MANAGER
SIMONE COMTESSE
08 9266 3788
s.comtesse@curtin.edu.au

Mental Health Commission of WA - Upcoming consultations on the First Draft of the National Mental Health Recovery Framework

The promotion and adoption of a recovery oriented culture within Australian Mental Health Services, is one of the key actions identified in the Fourth National Mental Health Plan (Action 4). This Action Area is being progressed by the Safety and Quality Partnership Subcommittee (SQPS) of the National Mental Health Standing Committee, Chaired Dr Ruth Vine.

Overseeing this project with Ruth is Michael Burge, Judy Bentley, Dr Rowan Davidson, Jenna Bateman and Robyn Millthorpe. Sarah Daffey, the Subcommittee’s Project Officer is based with the Chair in Melbourne.
The central task of this project is to develop a national framework for recovery oriented mental health service provision that spans all levels of service delivery to meet the needs of consumers, carers and the community.

The framework is to be suitable for guiding national mental health system change.

Craze Lateral Solutions has been engaged to conduct this project. Information about the project, the Discussion Paper and consecutive drafts of the Recovery Framework have been placed on the website http://www.crazelateralsolutions.com/ , Mental Health Recovery Framework and can be obtained by contacting Dr. Leanne Craze via phone on 02 4625 7777 or 0408 869 051, or by emailing Leanne.craze@bigpond.com.

As part of the consultation process the WA Stakeholder Roundtable will be held:

Date: Monday 21 May 2012
Time: 9.30 (registration and tea/coffee) for 10.00 am - 12noon
Venue: City West Receptions, The Cambridge Room, 45 Plaistowe Mews, Perth
Phone: 9481 5793

As part of the consultation process the WA Public Consultation Forum will be held:

Date:    Monday 21 May 2012
Time:    1.30 (registration and tea/coffee) for 2.00 - 4.00pm
Venue:  City West Receptions, The Cambridge Room, 45 Plaistowe Mews, Perth
Phone:  9481 5793