Engage Aotearoa

Category Archives: Service-user Movement

Hikoi for Better Mental-Healthcare Choices in Feilding 13 May 2013

Feilding_Hikoi_Event_13May2013

 Want to help gather signatures? You can download, print and share a Paper copy of the petition here: http://hikoiforhealthychoices.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/hikoi-for-health-petition-final-written.pdf

Update from the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership

 From the IIMHL and IIDL Update List


IMHL AND IIDL UPDATE – 15 APRIL 2013 – Shared with permission here: Read on… 

IIMHL Features

Technique Is Not Enough (TINE) Framework

A Report from the British Psychological Society on Socially Inclusive Parenting Programmes and Child Mental Health

The BPS’s “Technique Is Not Enough (TINE) Framework” is designed to ensure known to be effective parenting programmes engage those parents most likely to benefit: those on low incomes who are marginalised and socially excluded. If all local programmes adopted this framework participation rates could increase dramatically.

Parenting programmes enhance parent-child bonding, reduce parental mental ill-health and lessen the chances of children growing up with behavioural problems or worse. Although the UN endorses 23 parenting programmes on the basis of RCTs their impact is limited by who they reach. In practice programmes recruitment and retention rates vary from a low 20% to a high of 80% in those programmes specifically adapted to reach and work with socially excluded families. The report recommends that parenting programmes should adopt psychosocial approaches to increase inclusion by involving culturally congruent parent “graduates” in the recruitment and retention of parents. When parents who have already benefited from the programme are involved in delivering the programme to others, it really helps. Parents should also be involved in adapting programmes’ content and learning styles to sensitively match participating parents’ cultural backgrounds as well as in quality control and evaluation.

The TINE framework describes how programme developers can invest in local parents and practitioners so their parenting programme can become an integral part of education and social care. Genuine co-production between programme developers and local parents, working alongside teachers, health and social care practitioners, can drive effective inclusion. TINE challenges developers to identify the essential ingredients from their current parenting programmes and to clarify what can be adapted to meet local parents’ socio-cultural needs, whilst avoiding adaptations that dilute effectiveness.

The report evolved from joint work with families and teachers from an existing programme in an alliance including community health, psychologists, family therapists, social workers and children’s rights professionals. The framework is illustrated with examples from 11 UN recommended programmes.

Following is the link to view this paper in full:

http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/images/tine.pdf

IIDL Feature

High Aspirations. An Interview with Rob Greig, Principal Author of Valuing People

This is an interesting interview canvassing Rob Greig’s opinions on the current issues facing people living with an intellectual disability

http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/Untitled009.pdf

2013 Leadership Exchange

In due course, copies of video interviews with delegates attending the Network Meeting and copies of keynote speakers’ presentations will be available on the IIMHL website, and they will forward further information to you in the 15 April Update.

You can now view the whiteboard narratives which are loaded onto the IIMHL website along with notes from the various workshops:  www.iimhl.com

IIMHL will also update you all on the formal evaluation in due course.

2014 Leadership Exchange

The 2014 Leadership Exchange will be in England in June.  IIMHL will confirm the city and date soon.

Please note: IIMHL try to find articles, new policies, research that has been released or opinion pieces we think are interesting to reflect on.  Sometimes those who receive these may feel  is not accurate either for its use of data or not aligned with their views. IIMHL does not endorse any article it sends out as we try to rapidly share information.

General enquiries about this update or for other IIMHL information please contact Erin Geaney at erin@iimhl.com.

The Nutters Club is Back on Air from Sunday 21st of April 2013!

Here are the frequencies for The Nutters Club new home on radio Newstalk ZB – first show this Sunday 21st April from 11 pm-1:00 am…

“yes we know it’s late,” says host Mike King, “but look at the positive people…we are back!!!”

These are the Newstalk ZB Frequencies across NZ

  • Ashburton 98.1 FM 873AM
  • Auckland 89.4FM 1080AM
  • Blenheim 92.1FM
  • Central Otago 89.6FM 95.1FM 90.6FM
  • Christchurch 100.1FM 1098AM
  • Dunedin 1044AM
  • Gisborne 945AM
  • Greymouth 99.1FM 1287AM
  • Hawkes Bay 90.3FM 1278AM
  • Kapiti 89.5FM
  • Manawatu 100.2FM 927AM
  • Masterton 846AM
  • Nelson 1341AM
  • Northland 1026AM 1215AM
  • Oamaru 1395AM
  • Rotorua 747AM
  • Southland 864AM
  • Taranaki 96.4FM 1053AM 1278AM
  • Taupo 96.0FM
  • Tauranga 90.2FM 1008AM
  • Timaru 1152AM
  • Tokoroa 1413AM
  • Waikato 97FM 1296AM
  • Wanganui 1197AM
  • Wellington 89.3FM 1035AM

KTL Logo w Website

Changing Minds Partnership Report Released

Changing Minds is pleased to announce the public release of “Partnership and Tangata Whai Ora: Report from Changing Minds Community Forum.” The report contains feedback from a range of forum attendees and other interested tangata whai ora, and we hope that this information will be well received by mental health and addictions service providers. Our goal is to provide a space for tangata whai ora to speak, and this report holds a great deal of wisdom and insight into what services are currently doing and how things could be improved. It describes challenges that people have faced, and recommendations for improving the quality of services for everyone…Read More

 

One Woman Walking Hikoi Reaches Whanganui Monday 22 April 2013

Whanganui_Hikoi_Events_22_23April2013

Two Volunteer Opportunities at EngageNZ

EngageNZ needs two volunteers to help keep two of their most widely-used recovery resources happening, The Community Resources Directory and the Mental-Health News and Events Blog. These resources aim to inform the public about what recovery resources are available for them – information is power and sharing information is an empowering act. By volunteering for Engage Aotearoa you can help empower others to find what works for them.

  • Do you have a lived experience of recovery or supporting a loved one on their journey?
  • Do you want to help make it easier for other people to find what they need to recover?
  • Do you have a home computer and internet access?

If you answered yes to those three questions, you might be just the person EngageNZ is looking for. You can be based anywhere in the country, because you will be working mainly online.

 Volunteer Community Resources Promoter

You would be responsible for finding and adding information about recovery resources to The Community Resources Directory and sending in an updated directory at the start of each month. You will be as passionate as EngageNZ is about connecting people across the country with the resources they need to recover from mental-health problems. So much is available, but it so hard to find out about it. Your work will help solve that problem. Some information you will receive by email and other information you will need to find through your own research and detective-work.

Skills Needed:

  1. Computer literacy – Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Email, Google & web searches
  2. Written communication – can summarise information and communicate clearly in writing, can proof-read and edit, can format written work so it is easy to read
  3.  Reliability – can spend 3 hours a week updating the Directory and responding to people who have contacted you with information, can stick to regular deadlines, can check emails at least once every 2 days and provide prompt responses
  4. Assertiveness – can identify gaps and self-motivate to find what is needed to fill them. You are a creative thinker who does what needs to be done and seeks the help they need to do it.

 Volunteer Mental-Health News and Events Blogger

You would be responsible for updating the Mental-Health News and Events Blog twice a week. There are so many events, groups and announcements happening in and around the mental-health sector. Your work will help make sure they can all be found easily, in one place. You will receive mental-health news and events notices by email and twice a week you will add them all to the Mental-Health News and Events Blog using WordPress and share the most interesting ones on the Engage Aotearoa Facebook Page.

Skills Needed:

  1. Computer literacy – Microsoft Word, WordPress, email, Facebook, Google & web searches
  2. Written communication – can summarise information and communicate clearly in writing, can proof-read and edit to suit the Engage style-guide, can format writing so it is easy to read
  3. Reliability – can spend 2 hours, two times every week updating the mental-health news and events blog and is able to stick to regular deadlines (4 hours a week)
  4. Assertiveness – can identify gaps and limitations and take proactive steps to resolve them, you are able to seek help and ask questions when you need to.

Interested? Your questions and queries are welcome.

To apply, please send a brief CV, photograph and cover letter to Engage Aotearoa.

Mike King Korero Goes to Kawakawa 7 May 2013

Engage Aotearoa and Key to Life Charitable Trust will be taking the Mike King Korero to Kawakawa on the 7th of May for two sessions at Bay of Islands College. In the morning, students at Bay of Islands College will get the chance to take part in the Cool to Korero seminar that aims to encourage students to talk about their problems with people they trust before things get on top of them. In the evening, community members will be able to take part in the Community Korero to discuss how to help prevent suicide in their town.

Click here to read about the Whangarei Community Korero that took place on the 9th of April and made the front page of the Northern Advocate.

Click here to check out photos and feedback from the Whangarei Korero.

CoolToKoreroPoster_Kawakawa_V1

CommunityKoreroPoster_Kawakawa_V2

 

Hikoi for Better Mental Healthcare Choices in NZ: Schedule April – May

Annie Chapman is walking the length of the north island following the Te Araroa trail to raise awareness of the need for better mental-healthcare choices in NZ. She’s on a mission to take a petition to parliament seeking improved options for people using public mental health services across the country. Across April and May she’ll stop off at a range of different towns to touch base with locals and collect signatures. 

Itinerary for April and May 2013

  • Taumarunui                        5 April
  • Whanganui                         22/23 April
  • Fielding                                12th May
  • Palmerston North            14th May
  • Otaki                                     21st May
  • Paraparaumu                     24th May
  • Porirua                                 28th May

Times and venues for Community Hikoi Meetings coming soon.

If you are interested in organising a Hikoi Meeting for your group or community contact Annie Chapman’s new volunteer Hikoi coordinator, Miriam Larsen-Barr by emailing admin@engagenz.co.nz

Keep yourself in the loop at the official Facebook event.

And don’t forget to sign and share the petition!

If you’d like to know a bit more about what this Hikoi is all about, please click here to watch a short video taken of the Hikoi Meeting in Whangarei.

Mike King Korero to Get Whangarei Talking About Suicide

Media Release: Engage Aotearoa & The Key to Life Charitable Trust

For Immediate Release: 01/04/2013 | Updated 5/04/2013
_ _ _

Mike King’s Community Korero will hit Whangarei from the 8th to the 9th of April to throw solutions at the problem of suicide, with a series of public seminars. NZ has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world, especially among older people and youth. Estimates suggest that 1 in 6 New Zealanders have suicidal thoughts every year. As Mike King puts it “The Korero encourages people to help fight suicide by talking and supporting each other rather than taking their own lives. Silence is not the solution.” Rather than simply telling people they need to talk, King leads by example; Through sharing his own story, he opens the way for community members to share theirs.

CommunityKoreroPosterWhangareiV5

In the Community Korero, comedian Mike King gets straight up about his battle with depression, addiction and his ongoing journey back to recovery, including the mistakes he made along the way. This is a not-to-be-missed chance for communities to come together and explore how to support our youth and each other to survive and thrive. People can ask the questions they have always wanted to ask during a Q & A session at the end of the talk where Mike is joined by Engage Aotearoa service director Miriam Larsen-Barr, who also has a lived experience of recovery from being suicidal. Together they are an example of how the issue of suicide can affect anyone, Pakeha and Maori, men and women, young people and adults.

The Q & A is a chance for local professionals, parents, teachers and people with personal experience of these issues to discuss how we as individuals and communities can use our experiences to prevent suicide. Those with questions can ask them and those with knowledge can share it. Feedback from the Community Korero in Kaitaia included comments like “loved it”, “amazing evening, Mike opening his heart and bringing this community together” and “we should have another one I reckon.”

The initiative hopes to reach local schools in Whangarei in the future, through Cool to Korero, a special student-centred session that gives kids a chance to seek help and empowers youth to lead the way in creating supportive school and community environments. At least 20 students came forward to seek help for active suicidal thoughts after the Kaitaia and Taipa talks and were linked in with support.

Students commented “It was mint. I like how you approached the subject like not too serious and yeah, shot oi!”, “Thank you so much, words don’t suffice” and “you should come back mah gee!” Teachers commented “Thank you for giving our rangatahi options to stand up, speak up and seek help” and “I BET you have saved lives today.”

Community Korero is open to the public and a resource table provides plenty of take-home information about everything from suicidal thoughts and supporting someone who is suicidal to recovery and community services.  Local services are welcome to bring information to share with the community too – people can simply bring their materials along and add them to the table.

Larsen-Barr comments “suicide is a really hard issue in our communities. There are so many people who are prepared to help and who are already helping.  When our powers combine, I truly believe great things will happen. But first, we need to talk about it. Mike’s Korero creates a space to do that.

For more information visit www.engagenz.co.nz and click on Mike King Talks.

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The C Word: C is For Consumer | New Blog Promotes Discussion

An important new forum for strengthening self-determination in mental-health recovery has been launched on the Changing Minds website – a brand new blog called The C Word.

The latest blog post on ‘The C Word’ was released on Friday the 15th of March, and this time the blogger tackles the word ‘Consumer’ and ideas of self-identification:

“Working in what is considered a “consumer” role, most people would assume that I identify as a “consumer”.  But I don’t.  Put simply, I just can’t identify with that term, and to be honest I feel the same way when it comes to alternatives such as “service-user”.

I choose instead to identify as a person.

I’ve had experiences in my life that have lead me to work in the mental health and addictions sector. These experiences probably enable me to work in this sector more effectively, because I bring personal knowledge as well as professional knowledge to my work.  I don’t feel that I should need to share those life experiences to prove my validity as a humanitarian and as an asset to the community sector.  I’m a person – a person with a strong sense of social justice and who believes that all human beings should be free from harm and treated with fairness and respect. ”

Read more…