Mental Health Community Coalition ACT Peak Body for Mental Health in the ACT

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Mental Health Community Coalition
ACTPeak Body for Mental Health in the ACT
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• The Mental Health Community Coalition (MHCC) ACT
  is the peak body representing consumers, carers
  and the not for profit community mental health
  sector in the Australian Capital Territory.
• MHCC serves to promote and represent the
  Community Mental Health sector in the ACT and
  works inclusively with all stakeholders to
  enhance consumer and carer participation and
  partnerships for better mental health.

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• Vision Statement
• To be a dynamic focus for better mental health
  and promote the advancement of the community
  mental health sector in the ACT.
• Governed by a Board of Management and Consumer
  and Carer Caucus MHCC aims to enhance
  partnerships, information sharing and sector
  development with stakeholders.

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• Objectives The organisations strategic plan
  includes the following key objectives
• Sector Development
• Promoting Partnerships
• Service and Policy development
• Workforce Development, Education Training
• Coordination and Capacity Building
• Capacity Building Networks
• Research and Information Sharing
• Engagement with ACT, Interstate and National
  stakeholders

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• Sector Promotion Information Services
• Communication
• Sector Promotion
• Membership
• Sustainability and Governance
• Extending Service Capacity
• Organisational Development
• Governance

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• History
• The Coalition commenced operation in 2004 with
  the funding assistance of ACT Health and support
  from the ACT Council of Social Services
  (ACTCOSS).
• The idea of the coalition or a peak body for
  mental health in the ACT began in the early
  1990s. Since then many people have worked hard
  and consistently to have the Mental Health
  Community Coalition become a reality.

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• Membership
• MHCC is a membership-based organisation that
  includes mental health consumers, carers and
  community organisations. Members of the MHCC are
  either individual (Associate Members) or
  community organisations (Full Members).
• Other membership is available to government
  agencies, institutions and professional bodies.

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• Consumer and Carer Caucus
• The Consumer and Carer Caucus (CCC) is an
  integral and unique part of the organisation
  feeding issues, concerns and ideas to the Board
  of Governance. The Coalitions constitution
  requires that two consumers and two carers are
  board members.
• The strength of the organisation lies in its
  close contact with the lived experience of
  mental illness. Caucus meets on the third Monday
  of each month and progresses its work through
  these monthly meetings and working groups

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• Promoting Partnerships Sector Development
• An integral function of MHCC is to promote and
  represent the Community Mental Health sector in
  the ACT. MHCC has engaged in the following tasks
  to enhance this process
• Defining the role and value of the ACT Community
  Mental Health sector with recommendations for
  service and policy development in consultation
  with key stakeholders.
• Promoting sector viability and advocating for
  increased support to provide innovative and well
  resourced non -clinical community based mental
  services.
• Engaging key stakeholders to develop a strategic
  plan and policy framework. community mental
  health sector Coordinating sector responses to
  relevant government policy.

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• Workforce Development, Education Training
• MHCC has recently established an Education and
  Workforce Development program for the community
  mental health sector. The program aims to offer
  education opportunities to community service
  providers as well as consumers and carers.
• Community Services
• MHCC has commenced hosting specialised
  non-clinical mental health education programs for
  community services in the ACT region in
  partnership with local and interstate providers.
  
• These programs focus on supporting workers to
  gain skills and knowledge in the areas of
  psychosocial rehabilitation, recovery and
  strengths based practice models. The future
  programs offered by MHCC will be informed by a
  comprehensive work force development survey which
  is to be undertaken on a biannual basis.

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• Consumer and Carer Education Programs
• Since 2004 the Consumer and Carer Caucus have
  also offered education and training programs with
  funding assistance from Healthpact and ACE. These
  programs have focused on supporting consumers and
  carers to learn more about the following topics
• overview of mental illness and mental health
  treatment and care
• communication skills
• establishing and running a community
  organisation
• obligations and role of board membership
• submission writing
• advocacy, lobbying and community development
• group facilitation
• handling difficult situations as a
  representative and
• self care.

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• Sector Coordination and Capacity Building
• MHCC also coordinates the community mental health
  sectors response to local and national issues.
  MHCC is currently in the process of establishing
  a discrete research and policy development
  program that aims to further enhance this
  function by
• Hosting regular public forums on specific mental
  health issues as identified.
• Providing advice and consultation to governments
  on identified issues and policy matters relevant
  to the community sector, consumers and carers.
• Providing timely and accurate information to the
  general public regarding community mental health
  services in the ACT.

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• Capacity Building Networks
• MHCC facilitates a range of networks to support
  the activities of the community mental health
  sector. This includes the following networks
  that are offered to members and stakeholders
• Community Mental Health Managers Coordinators
  Network.
• Mental Health Service Providers Network
• Consumer and Carer Community Forums
• MHCC Consumer and Carer Caucus.
• MHCC intends to establish more specialised forums
  in the near future for ACT service providers to
  collaborate on systems advocacy, quality
  monitoring and professional development and
  training issues

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• Information Services Promotion
• MHCC gathers and distributes a range of
  information to the community mental health sector
  regarding local, national and international
  events, projects and initiatives.
• E Bulletin
• MHCC produces a fortnightly E bulletin which is
  distributed to over 400 subscribers and provides
  a snapshot of current events, news and updates

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• MHCC Member Agencies
• ACT CISM ACT Mental Health Consumer Network
• Barnardos Canberra Belconnen Community Service
• Calwell Community Centre Canberra
  Queanbeyan ADD Support
• Carers ACT Centacare
• Community Connections FaBRiC
• GROW Inanna Inc
• Mental Health Foundation Mental Illness
  Education ACT
• Mental Illness Fellowship ACT Northside
  Community Service
• Respite Care ACT Richmond Fellowship ACT
• Skills for Carers CIT Southside Community
  Services Inc
• Toora Women Inc Woden Community Services Inc
• Womens Centre For Health Matters Inc
• Workways

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• Non Clinical Community Mental Health Sector
• The non-clinical community mental health sector
  is an integral component of Australias mental
  health service system. (Time for Service MHCA
  ,2006)
• Over the last 25 years the capacity of the
  not-for-profit community sector has grown
  significantly, with all states and territories
  providing valuable non-clinical services options.
  (This service sector is most commonly known as
  the NGO sector and while independent and
  autonomous works closely with government funded
  clinical acute and health services .

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• Community Mental Health Service Types
• Today a diverse and sophisticated range of
  service types are offered across the country with
  an emerging evidence base to support their
  efficacy and cost effectiveness.
• These models include home-based outreach,
  psycho-social day programs (assistance and
  recovery centres), planned respite services,
  residential rehabilitation, mutual support and
  self help. There are also new and emerging
  service types, such as Prevention and Recovery
  Centres (PARC), Project 300 and the Housing and
  Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI).

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• While the Community MH sector was never
  systematically funded since deinstitutionalisation
  , it has developed unique service responses that
  are flexible, cost effective and provide
  essential supports to people recovering from a
  mental illness in the community.
• This sector also provides valuable services to
  individuals and families when there are no
  clinical or primary health services in place.

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• Even though the capacity and range of services
  has increased in the last 10 years, the sector
  overall has faced ongoing challenges. The main
  issues being the variability in investment and
  minimal support offered to formulate clear
  service and policy development frameworks.
• However, new opportunities have been presented
  following the recent Council of Australian
  Governments (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental
  Health 200611.

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• Recovery Support Workers (Personal Helpers and
  Mentors) (284.8 million) FACSIA
• More Respite Care Places to help Families and
  Carers (224.7 million) FACSIA
• Community Based Programmes to help Families
  Coping with Mental Illness (45.2 million)
  FACSIA
• Support for Day-to-Day living in the Community
  (46.0 million)
• DoHA

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• MHCC Contact Information
• MHCC staff members
• Mr Barry PetrovskiExecutive Officer
  barry.petrovski_at_mhcc.net.au
• Mrs Denise Burton Administration
  Officerdenise.burton_at_mhcc.net.au
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• Leanne Craze Coordinator Consumer and Carer
  Caucusleanne.craze_at_mhcc.net.au
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• Street Address  
• Level 1 Griffin Centre, Genge St, Canberra City 
  
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• Phone
• [phone]
• Web Site
• www.mhcact.org.au