Engage Aotearoa

Engage Facebook Updates

May 27, 2015 12:07 am ⋅

Here are a half a dozen recent highlights from our Facebook page. Please LIKE US!

Joining together to get ahead of bullying
Mr David Rutherford, Chief Human Rights Commissioner, releases the updated 2015 Bullying Prevention Guidelines on Pink Shirt Day at Silverstream School.
Here are 31 clever tips to make life feel a little easier
Tuck these away for dark days.
Suicide Attempt Survivors
They call it waking up alive – that moment you’re aware your suicide attempt was not fatal.
Devastating news for vulnerable Kiwis
Relationships Aotearoa struggling to stay afloat.
Beneficiaries ‘scared stiff’ of Work and Income
New Zealand’s social welfare system “dehumanises” people in need.
No. 161: Laughter Yoga | The Coping Kete
Laughter yoga is the practice of deliberate, voluntary laughter. The idea is that forced laughter soon turns into real laughter.
Posted in: Engage Updates ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Te Pou: Towards restraint-free mental health practice

May 26, 2015 11:31 pm ⋅

Te Pou is pleased to launch Towards restraint free mental health practice: Supporting the reduction and prevention of personal restraint in mental health inpatient settings. This resource is the latest in a suite of work aimed at reducing and preventing the use of seclusion and restraint. Services can use this resource to plan and identify best practices that support a least restrictive approach to service delivery.

Contact:
Te Pou
Level 2, Building B, 8 Nugent Street, Grafton, Auckland 1023.
Telephone: +64 9 373 2125www.tepou.org.nz

Posted in: Disability Issues, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Physical Health, Politics and Policy, Professional Development, Social Change, Trauma ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Reprints of popular Mental Health Commision resources now available

May 26, 2015 10:48 pm ⋅

Due to popular demand, new versions of “Oranga Ngākau – Getting the most out of Mental Health and Addiction Services: A recovery resource for service users” and “When someone you care about has a mental health or addiction issue” are available in hard copy or by download.

“Oranga Ngākau” is easy to understand and provides valuable information about what to expect from treatment in mental health and addiction services. This includes a glossary of terms used during care, as well as describing different possible scenarios when using these services for the first time.

“When someone you care about has a mental health or addiction issue” is a resource for those who are supporting others. Read about the best ways for family, whānau and friends to help people close to them who are in care, as well as how to find support for themselves, should they need it.

Contact:
Kim Higginson, Information Officer, Mental Health Foundation
info@mentalhealth.org.nz

Posted in: Disability Issues, Families/Whanau, Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Support, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Ministry of Health guidelines for COPMIA

April 20, 2015 2:09 am ⋅

The Ministry of Health will soon release the national COPMIA guideline, currently in draft.

This guideline will outline the responsibilities all mental health and addiction services have to the children of parents with mental illness and or addiction (COPMIA) and their families and whānau. For some, this is going to mean a big shift in the way that services operate. The guideline envisions a mental health and addiction sector that is inclusive of family and whānau, focusses on strengths, and promotes and protects the wellbeing and rights of children. It promotes early intervention in the lives of children to support resilience, offering evidenced based and culturally appropriate ways of working, and across sector partnerships to meet the needs of children and their families and whānau.

For more information click on this link to Te Pou.

Or contact Mark Smith at Te Pou
Phone number: 07 857 1278
Mobile number: 027 687 7127

Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Parents and Parenting, Politics and Policy ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Mental Health Foundation: A to Z of Mental Health

April 20, 2015 1:55 am ⋅

Have you seen the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand’s new A‒Z of mental health conditions? From anxiety to suicidal feelings, they have compiled the best-quality information about mental health conditions available in New Zealand so you have all the information you need to make informed decisions about your mental health.

No one should have to go through a mental health problem alone. They believe the information in the A‒Z will help remove some of the fear and confusion that can accompany a diagnosis of mental illness, allowing individuals, families and whānau some peace of mind so they can move forward together.

Each page contains information about symptoms, causes and treatment options, and addresses some of the common myths associated with that condition. You will also find links to support groups, brochures with further information, useful links, and tips for looking after yourself. It really is a fantastic resource.

They’re still in the process of adding different conditions to the list, so check back frequently for updates. If you have any further questions, you can contact one of their fantastic information officers via the Live Chat option on their website or by emailing info@mentalhealth.org.nz

Contact: Sophia Graham, senior communications officer at the Mental Health Foundation

Posted in: Online Resources, Personal Development Tools, Social Change, Suicide Prevention/Support ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Synergia Report -Think Differently, Ministry of Social Development

April 9, 2015 2:07 pm ⋅

Think Differently, led by the Ministry of Social Development, is a social change campaign that seeks to encourage and support a fundamental shift in attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.

It works across community and national level activities to mobilise personal and community action, to change social attitudes and beliefs that lead to disabled people being excluded, and to increase people’s knowledge and understanding of disability and the benefits of inclusive communities. To support this work, Think Differently commissioned a review of the published and grey literature to understand the factors that cause disabled people to be socially excluded. The review is designed to inform the further development of the Think Differently Campaign. This summary focuses on understanding social exclusion and its key drivers. The methods and a more detailed analysis of the key concepts are provided in the main body of this report.

 

 

Posted in: Disability Issues, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, People with Disabilities, Research, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Dr Gwyn Lewis: a modern understanding of arthritis

April 9, 2015 1:54 pm ⋅

18th April University of Auckland, 10.00 – 11.00

Presenter Dr Gwyn Lewis:  Gwyn’s presentation will focus on a modern understanding of arthritis related pain, avoiding pain pitfalls and future directions in the treatment of arthritis related pain.

Associate Professor Gwyn Lewis is a neurophysiologist based at AUT University’s North Shore Campus in Auckland. She obtained a PhD in motor control from the University of Auckland in 2003. Gwyn had an extended post-doctoral experience undertaking research in motor control, rehabilitation and neurophysiology at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She currently spends half her time teaching in AUT’s physiotherapy programme and the other half undertaking pain research in the Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute. Most of her research is in pain neurophysiology and how it relates to persistent pain development, pain modulation pathways, and the cognitive factors and psychosocial influences affecting pain.

Contact: Carol Lovatt, Northern Regional Administrator, Arthritis New Zealand, Kaiponapona Aotearoa
Ph: 09 523 8900
Email:  carol.lovatt@arthritis.org.nz
Support the person in your family who has arthritis.
Phone 0900 33320 OR Donate via our website www.arthritis.org.nz

Posted in: Disability Issues, Older People and Aging, People with Disabilities, Physical Health, Professional Development

Submitting Information to the Engage Blog

March 12, 2015 5:33 pm ⋅

VoiceBoxMEgaphoneYou are welcome to send information about any mental-health recovery related news and events, whether it’s some new research, a consultation process, a new service, a support group, a social activity or a workshop. From time-to-time we will also publish guest feature articles and opinion pieces. To include your notice in the Blog, please send the following information, in the main body of an email with any related images or documents attached to EngageAotearoa@gmail.com.

What to Send

Title:  Your Headline Like This.
Description/Information: Please use third person when describing your events and activities to make the source of the information clear (i.e. avoid using ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘my’ or ‘our’ unless it is part of a quote or an opinion piece). Have a look at some existing posts if you are unsure.
Date/Time:
Location/Address:
Contact Details: Organisation/Group, Person, Email, Phone Number.
Link for Further Information:  Facebook page, website etc

You may want to include images or attachments in your post.

  • Poster/Flyer/Logo Images: jpeg or GIF format, file-size of 200 KB or less
  • Attachments: pdf or doc format, file-size of 1 MB or less

Submit your items at least one month before you need them to be published online.

Posted in: Engage Updates ⋅ Tagged: , ,

Canterbury Mental Health Directory and Guide

February 23, 2015 5:14 pm ⋅

Engage Aotearoa recommends the Canterbury Mental Health Directory as a great place to start if you would like to seek help with an emotional, relational or mental health issue. It lists a number of support groups in Canterbury.

If you are asking yourself questions like these: “What sort of help do I need? Who should I go to? What will it cost? How private will it be? Will I have to wait?” this directory attempts to answer these and other questions in understandable language and with your best interests at heart. The directory can be found here. (Note from Engage: You could also try out our Community Resources Directory, which has some South Island entries.)

The website also features a superb guide for starting out seeking help, found here.

Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Community Participation, Disability Issues, Online Resources, People with Disabilities, Personal Development Tools, Professional Development, Support ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Engage Facebook Highlights

November 24, 2014 10:34 pm ⋅

Here are a half a dozen recent highlights from our Facebook page. Please LIKE US!

Nuggets
Kiwi tastes a golden nugget. It’s delicious. Superb animated film about addiction.

Writing from the Toi Ora Creative Writers in the ArtWeek zine
Toi Ora writers make a splash: writing from Matthew Savage, Liz Higgins, Andrew Holdaway and more.

Nine Things Every Parent with an Anxious Child Should Try
Your child turns to you and says, “I don’t want to take the bus. My stomach hurts. Please don’t make me go.” A discussion

Public lecture by Professor Rosalind Gill: Sexting, sexualisation and sexism
Modern youth sexuality, sexting and the sexy selfie. 27 November 2014, 6pm.

Finding the Treatment Options that Suck Less
The Crazymeds Manifesto: to help you find treatment options that suck less.

Worst Things to Say to a Person With Bipolar Disorder
When your friend or loved one has bipolar disorder, here are the worst things you can tell them.

Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Engage Updates, Rainbow / LGBTQI+ Community, Social Change, Trauma, Women, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , ,