AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
ABN 87 093 479 022

News in Brief - Issue #3.12 (06/07/2003)

AICAFMHA News / What's On? / Mental Health News / Resources / Back to E-News index

AICAFMHA News

AICAFMHA encourages you to take advantage of the benefits of financial membership of the association. This year, AICAFMHA members are entitled to a 10% discount on the purchase of any ACER Press publications. Simply quote your membership number (from your membership certificate). Membership application details and additional information are now available online or by contacting secretary@aicafmha.net.au . See below the first of several publications to be highlighted in the e-letter through the year.

Raising Real People: Creating Resilient Families
2nd Edition, Andrew Fuller, ACER Press 2002
The author identifies the parenting practices in well-functioning families that work with adolescents, as well as looking at practices that don't work. Andrew's awareness that adolescence is a time of delight, as well as being anxiety-provoking for parents, is humorously illustrated in the advice sheets around 38 typical, and some more difficult, parenting issues. Fuller's book is concerned with the emotional health and resilience of adolescents and their parents.
A964BK $26.95

Learning to Love: The developing relationships between mother, father and baby during the first year
Lorraine Rose, ACER Press 2000
Learning to Love reveals the emotional intensity of pregnancy, childbirth and first year of parenting. It brings alive the reality of the baby's emotional world. The author explains how relationship and love grow and how emotional growth can be felt and enjoyed.
Illustrated with line drawings.
A874BK $24.95

Order from http://www.acer.edu.au/acerpress/ and quote your AICAFMHA membership number to receive a 10% discount!

If you are a previous member who has not received their membership renewal in the mail, we may not have your current address. You can access the application form online at http://www.aicafmha.net.au/membership/ or have one sent to you by contacting secretary@aicafmha.net.au .

COPMI Project News
The online surveys for individuals and organisations regarding feedback about the Principles and Actions for Services and People working with Children of Parents with a Mental Illness are now available.
Details.

What?s On?

Opportunity for young people to get involved in the NSW Alcohol Summit
The Commission is inviting 60 young people to get involved in the NSW Alcohol Summit by having their say about alcohol use and abuse at a Forum on 25 August. Young people interested in getting involved in the Alcohol Forum and/or Summit can register their interest through the Commission's website at: http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/calendar/1055723496_14373.html
Information about the Summit can be found at: http://www.alcoholsummit.nsw.gov.au/

Preventing Conduct Disorders
Date: Friday 11th July 2003
Time: 9.30am - 3.30pm (registration begins at 9.15am)
Venue: Ella Latham Lecture Theatre, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville
Cost: $130.00 incl GST
Registration: Closing date Tuesday 8th July, 2003
Phone: 9345 4759 or email: bitej@murdoch.rch.unimelb.edu.au

The PHC RED Program in South Australia is currently planning a statewide conference for all primary health care professionals, students and consumers with and interest in primary health care research and evaluation.
"PHC RED" stands for Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development. The program was initiated by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing in 2000.
1st South Australian PHC RED Conference 2003
Growing Research in Primary Health Care
16-17 October 2003, Enterprise House, Adelaide
More information on the website: www.phcred-sa.org.au

The Family Therapy Association of South Australia & The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy present The 24th Australian Family Therapy Conference
Relationships, Reconciliation & Children
Monday 20th - Wednesday 22nd October 2003
Adelaide Town Hall, King William Street
Adelaide South Australia
mail@conventionwise.com.au    www.familytherapy.org.au

4th Annual Gold Coast International Mental Health Conference
B You are invited to the 4th Annual Gold Coast Mental Health Conference - which will be held over the weekend of October 18 - 19, 2003, at the Gold Coast International Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
Further information, registration details and a copy of the brochure are available on-line at www.astmanagement.com.au/psych2003.

Early Childhood conf: Weaving our Children's Voices
Crown Plaza Hotel, Darwin, NT
September 3-6 2003
View registration booklet and download registration form.

9th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect - The registration brochure for the Conference is now available.
Sydney Convention Centre from 24 - 27 November, 2003.
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/accan/

THE HIDDEN CARERS : Young Carer Issues
DATE: Thursday 7th August 2003
TIME: 10am-1pm
VENUE: Supper Room, basement level, Royal Women's Hospital, 132 Grattan St CARLTON, Victoria
COST: $17/$12 & Free to Teachers & Royal Women's Hospital Staff
http://www.rwh.org.au/wellwomens/news.cfm?doc_id=2280&id=58

Mental Health News

The World Organisation of General Practice (WONCA) has supported the development of a Special Interest Group in Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro, a general practitioner in the UK has been the driving force behind the SIG. An initial exploratory meeting was held in June last year and in September this year there will be the first formal meeting.
Details of the meeting are in the attached document. The meeting is open to anyone to attend. I will be representing Australasia and Oceania and if anyone has anything of interest they would like me to report please respond directly to me.
Regards
Ian ian.wilson@adelaide.edu.au
Dr Ian Wilson
Co-director Primary Care Mental Health Unit
Tel +61 8 8303 3460 Fax +61 8 8303 3511 Mob 0419 801 787
Document available.

Sons and Daughters of Vietnam Veterans
A national publication gathering voices, stories and images of sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans is under way. This book is a collection of writing and pictures by sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans from all over Australia. The book will describe how sons and daughters have met challenges and adversity in their lives. Sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans are invited to contribute. Articles by health professionals about issues of interest to sons and daughters will also be included.
Deadline is July 14 2003. Word limit is 750 words.
Call Louise on 02 66224479 or email louise.duchesne@dva.gov.au for more information.
This is a project by the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service, through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
View information sheet.

As of the 1st July 2003 the Australian Early Childhood Association Inc. (AECA) will change its name to Early Childhood Australia Inc. (ECA)

Resources

Website: http://www.search-institute.org/
Search Institute's vision is...A world where all young people are valued and thrive.
Search Institute's mission is...To provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities.
Also listed in AICAFMHA links section.

University Of Minnesota President Launches Initiative On Children, Youth And Families During Children's Summit
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=news&id=36143
MINNEAPOLIS, May 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- One in 10 young people in Minnesota experiences mental disorders and fewer than 20 percent of them receive the help they need.

From ABC Health Updates:
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH MAP
This week sees the launch of the new Health Map, a comprehensive look at health in Australia, state by state. With vital health statistics for each state and territory, information about where to find health resources like hospitals and community services, and links to ABC local radio health stories, the Health Map will become a valuable resource for all Australians. The site is packed with useful links and interesting information...take a peek today.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/healthmap/default.htm

Holding asylum children 'illegal'
By Gosia Kaszubska
20jun03, The Australian
THE Family Court has dealt itself into the asylum-seeker controversy with a ruling that the federal Government is acting illegally by indefinitely detaining children in camps.
In a landmark majority decision, the full bench of the Family Court yesterday found it had jurisdiction over the welfare of the 108 asylum-seeker children being held in detention centres around Australia.
Welcoming the judgment as a step towards the end of the "abusive" and "negligent" detention of children, refugee advocates and child welfare experts said the ruling had undermined the legitimacy of the Government's mandatory detention policy.
But Children's Minister Larry Anthony said the Government was committed to its policies on asylum-seekers and was considering a High Court appeal against the ruling.
Mr Anthony said detention centres provided adequate services for children, who should remain with their parents.
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said the decision would send the wrong message to people-smugglers and that the Government believed the Family Court had no jurisdiction in immigration law.
"The Family Court deals with family law matters and this is the Family Court saying it has a role in relation to people who are held in immigration detention," he said.
The judgment related to an appeal brought on behalf of two brothers, aged 14 and 12, by their mother, that was later extended to the boys' three younger sisters.
The brothers had asked the Family Court to order Mr Ruddock to release them because their detention was harmful to their welfare.
Family Court Chief Justice Alastair Nicholson and Justice Stephen O'Ryan found that the indefinite detention of children was a "serious breach" of Australia's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Justice Nicholson and Justice O'Ryan, with Justice John Ellis dissenting, said if a trial judge ruled that the children were being held indefinitely, their detention would be "unlawful".
The majority judges rejected the federal Government's argument that detention could be brought to an end either by parents seeking to be sent home or children becoming mature enough to make such an application themselves.
"Such an interpretation of the legislation raises the very real possibility of these children spending their entire childhood in detention," they said.
Justice Nicholson and Justice O'Ryan overturned an earlier ruling that the Family Court did not have jurisdiction to be involved in the welfare of children living in detention centres.
The full court yesterday ordered the matter be returned for trial by a Family Court judge, who must either order the children's release or dictate the conditions of their detention. All members of the family concerned are in Baxter detention centre in South Australia.
Chris Goddard, head of Monash University's child abuse and family violence research unit, said the Government should now arrange for the release of all children held in detention, rather than force them to apply to the Family Court individually.
"Months of legal process might not be very long in terms of an adult but in the life of a child, it can be extraordinarily developmentally damaging," he said.

Partnership Self- Assessment Tool on-line
This easy-to-use, reliable, web-based Tool gives partnerships an exciting new way to assess how well their collaborative process is working and to identify specific areas they can focus on to make the process work better. The Tool is being provided to partnerships at no charge by the Center for the Advancement of Collaborative Strategies in Health at The New York Academy of Medicine with funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
http://www.partnershiptool.net/abouttool.htm

Building Strong Families: Insights from Research
The Building Strong Families poll found that parents often "go it alone." That is, they do not regularly seek support from family, friends, or community resources. However, research shows that having a network of support helps to strengthen families, and having support from others is associated with positive outcomes for both parents and children.
http://www.search-institute.org/families/insights.html

AICAFMHA News / What's On? / Mental Health News / Resources / Back to E-News index

Last Modified: 06-07-2003 13:46:41