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TAG CLOUD
July 20, 2012
OUR HEALING WAYS: DUAL DIAGNOSIS RESOURCES FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH WORKERS
"Our Healing Ways" was a project of the Victorian Dual Diagnosis Initiative, which looked specifically at building capacity around Indigenous dual diagnosis issues. The project has just launched three key resources which many workers in Queensland will find useful. This includes "Our Healing Ways Manual: Putting Wisdom into Practice", a manual which describes best practice Aboriginal perspectives on dual diagnosis issues; "A resource book for Aboriginal workers on the relationship between alcohol and drugs and mental health" which provides general information on holistic assessment, recovery planning, stages of change and interventions; and "Supervision: A culturally appropriate model for Aboriginal workers" developed to meet the needs of Indigenous Health Workers working in AOD, mental health or related fields.
Download the resources from Dual Diagnosis Australia and New Zealand Website
Posted in: Treatment Tools
February 10, 2012
SUICIDAL INTENT AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE
The Queensland Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (CCYPCG) published a report in November 2011 which is worth re-visiting. The paper titled "Child Deaths: Suicide Intent" looks at the circumstances surrounding children who commit suicide. The paper looks at data from the Child Death Register from 2004 - 2011. Over this period, 131 deaths of young people were considered suicide. The report found that in many of these cases, the children had communicated their suicidal intentions weeks, months or in some cases years in advance.
Child Deaths: Suicidal Intent (470KB PDF)
Posted in: Research
November 25, 2011
STIMULANT USE DISORDER IN AUSTRALIA
The Medical Journal of Australia has published a study drawing on data from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. A population sample of 8841was surveyed in order to estimate the lifetime and past year prevalence of stimulant use disorder using DSM-IV criteria. 3.3% of the sample we found to have had a stimulant use disorder at some time in their life, the twelve month prevalence rate was 0.6%. Over 8% of men aged 16-29 years of age met the criteria for a stimulant use disorder at some time in their lives.
Posted in: Research
November 18, 2011
NEW RESOURCES ON SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) have developed a range of new resources explaining the links between mental health conditions and substance use. The resources cover anxiety, mood and personality disorders, as well as psychosis and trauma. Each guide is approximately 20 pages long, and contains comprehensive information explaining the various disorders, their relationship with substance use and tips for staying well. Hard copies can be ordered from NDARC for $1.75 each, or $8.50 for a pack of 5. Electronic copies can be downloaded free from the NDARC website.
NDARC Website: Mental Health and Substance Use Explained
Posted in: Resources for Young People
November 11, 2011
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
We've linked to this resource before, however it's definitely one worth revisiting. Designed by Orygen Research Centre at the University of Melbourne and beyondblue, the guidelines consider culturally appropriate communication as well as guidelines for assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing a range of mental health problems. This includes problematic alcohol and drug use, as well as depression, suicidal thinking, psychosis and trauma and loss.
Mental Health First Aid Guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (1MB PDF)
Posted in: Treatment Tools
July 25, 2011
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR INDIGENOUS YOUNG PEOPLE
The Mental Health Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Service have published a new series of brochures for Indigenous young people on specific mental health issues. Following on from their successful range of alcohol and other drug resources from a few years back, these brochures are low literacy, youth friendly and have been designed in consultation with Indigenous young people. Copies are free of charge, and available from the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 177 833. Dovetail are hosting electronic copies on our website, so check them out below.
Self harm and suicide (1.7MB pdf)
Adjustment Disorders (1.7MB pdf)
Posted in: Resources for Young People
July 15, 2011
MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 2011: GRANTS OPEN
The 2011 Mental Health Week will be held across Australia from the 9th to the 15th of October. Grants are available from the Mental Health Association Queensland (MHAQ) to assist community organisations in holding community events throughout the week. Grants from $500 to $2000 are available, so get together with other services in your local area and create an event to help raise awareness about mental illness.
Mental Health Association Queensland Website.
Posted in: Training & Events
July 1, 2011
MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD PROTECTION
The South Australian Department of Families and Communities have published a report titled "Keeping the Child in Mind: Child Protection Practice and Parental Mental Health". The report provides an overview of the issue and goes on to describe a study conducted in South Australia, which looked at the ways that child protection workers assess risk in cases involving parental mental health problems. The report contains stories from workers, illustrating the challenges brought up by this issue and some ways forward for improving practice.
Click here to download the full report.
Posted in: Treatment Tools
June 23, 2011
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON YOUNG PEOPLES' HEALTH AND WELLBEING
In a developed country such as Australia, it's often taken for granted that overall health and wellbeing is improving, as medical science advances and life expectancy increases. Researcher and writer Richard Eckersley challenges these assumptions with regards to young people, in a piece he wrote for Croaky, Crikey's health blog. The author argues that the significance of material and structural determinants of health has been declining, while there has been growing importance of existential and relationship factors like a sense of identity, belonging and purpose. He describes a shift from economic deprivation to a problem of excess. He believes that these changes are evidenced by a shift from physical health problems to mental health problems: problems which aren't as easily defined by social determinants.
Posted in: Research
April 21, 2011
QUEENSLAND HEALTH DUAL DIAGNOSIS GUIDELINES PUBLISHED
Queensland Health has published the Dual Diagnosis Clinical Guidelines and Clinicians Toolkit. While the guides are published specifically for Queensland Health staff, they contain a range of useful contacts and information about good practice for people with coexisting mental health and AOD problems. These guidelines provide a way forward following the release of the Queensland Health Dual Diagnosis Policy, developed in 2008. These guidelines explain the ways that the "No wrong door" policy should be implemented at the local level.
Read the Clinicians Guidelines
Posted in: Treatment Tools
