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 #4.13 (07/08/2004)

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

AICAFMHA News

AICAFMHA has produced a draft Position Paper regarding infant, child, adolescent and family mental health services in Australia for eventual distribution to federal politicians etc in this election year. We invite subscribers to participate in the final shaping of this document by reviewing and sending us comments/suggestions/opinions and participating in discussion via the AICAFMHA Discussion list (subscription information at or email secretary@aicafmha.net.au to request subscription).
The draft Position Paper is available to download in PDF format from http://www.aicafmha.net.au/resources/index.html. Submissions and comments should be forwarded to secretary@aicafmha.net.au by Friday 20th August 2004. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

*** Only 3 weeks to go***
Don't miss the 5th AICAFMHA/14th TheMHS conference on the Gold Coast, 1-3 Sept 2004 and the pre-conference workshops on 31st August 2004.
Registration brochure, draft program and the Primary Care workshop flyer can be downloaded from http://www.aicafmha.net.au/conferences/goldcoast2004/index.html . You can also register online at http://www.themhs.org/conferences/main.htm.

Another COPMI Project update is available online at http://www.aicafmha.net.au/copmi/project/updates/index.htm.

From Strength to Strength A Manual for Professionals who Facilitate Diverse Parent Groups Pat Jewell and Prue Blackmore ACER 2004 0 86431 5317 $49.95 From Strength to Strength is a practical resource for facilitators of parenting groups. This manual will be invaluable for facilitators who take a positive and optimistic approach, and want to build on the strengths parents bring to their role. It aims to enhance emotional wellbeing in all family members and to build a sense of community.
From Strength to Strength is organised into sections providing information for use with mainstream parent groups, as well as groups in which other factors impact on participants' capacity to parent effectively. Core modules cover the most commonly requested parenting topics: child development, behaviour and discipline, communication and emotional wellbeing. Specialist modules provide background information for facilitating groups of parents who share similar, specific characteristics. Filled with the wisdom of practice, From Strength to Strength is a user-friendly, relevant and optimistic parenting manual essential for anyone working with today's parents in a group situation.
Strength Cards St Luke's Innovative Resources 1993 Strength Cards (48 laminated cards) 990ID $46.75 Strength Card Stickers (240 stickers) 100ID $ 9.90 Strength Cards combine simple, positive, affirming concepts with light-hearted graphics to create a versatile tool that reinforces the important principle that we all have strengths. They are used by family workers, teachers, counsellors, trainers and parent educators throughout Australia and overseas. This set of 48 laminated cards, each of which illustrates a positive quality, can be used to identify the strengths and inner resources available to an individual, to a family, or to a group. All 48 Strength Cards are also available as individual stickers.
Strength Cards for Kids St Luke's Innovative Resources 1996 Strength Cards for Kids (40 laminated cards) 990SC $49.50 Strength Cards for Kids Stickers (200 stickers) 100SC $16.95 Strength Cards for Kids is a delightful, strengths-based resource aimed at primary school aged children. This set of 40 full colour cards combines positive, affirming sentences with engaging animal graphics. Strength Cards for Kids are ideal to build self-esteem, to discover buried strengths, to set goals, to describe siblings and peers, as ice-breakers, and to mobilise strengths to tackle issues All 40 Strength Cards for Kids are also available as stickers.

What?s On?

National Child Protection Week organized by NAPCAN (National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) from Sunday 5th to the 11th of September 2004.
http://www.napcan.org.au

5th AICAFMHA/14th TheMHS Conference
1-3 September 2004, pre-conference workshops 31 August
Gold Coast Convention Centre
http://www.aicafmha.net.au/conferences/goldcoast2004/index.html

Mental Health News

The July 2004 issue of PARC Update, this time with a focus on Access to Psychiatrists, is available here.

NSW Commission for Children and Young People - new online information available including:
**New fact sheets**
The Commission has published three new fact sheets to summarise the findings of key research by the NSW Child Death Review Team into suicide and risk-taking deaths, fatal assault and information from the Child Deaths Register 1996-2002. Follow the link to view the fact sheets at:
http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/publications/factsheets.html

The Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) is now known as Early Childhood Australia. The new web address is www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au and the general email address is eca@earlychildhood.org.au.

New Director of Australian Institute of Family Studies Appointed 29/07/2004
The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson, today announced that the Government will recommend to the Governor-General that Professor Alan Hayes be appointed to the position of Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).

Resources

rtcUpdates for July 2004
rtcUpdates are brought to you by the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health in Portland, Oregon.
Subscribers to rtcUpdates receive occasional email messages from the RTC containing information about the RTC's recent research, publications, and other activities, as well as information about developments in the field of Children's Mental Health.
CONTENTS OF THIS UPDATE:
** FOCAL POINT--Summer Issue Now Available
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently Produced & Newly Available Downloads
** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries
** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest
View July Issue here.

From ABC Health Updates:
THE HEALTH REPORT: Bipolar Disorder
Monday 9 August, 8:30am, Radio National
Australian researchers recently published the results of a study looking at the prevalence and disability of bipolar disorder in Australia. This large national survey highlights the marked functional impairment caused by the condition. Professor Philip Mitchell from the School of Psychiatry at the University of NSW talks to Norman Swan about the findings.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/healthrpt/

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

Last Modified: 07-08-2004 14:52:03