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Last Updated: 14/05/2010

Mental Health Support for Drought-affected communities

The Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities initiative  enabled the employment of  community support workers (CSW)  to provide community outreach and crisis counselling services for distressed individuals, families and communities in drought affected rural and remote areas. This service is locally based and meets local needs.  The Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities Initiative provides funding for three key activities, these being
  • Provision of community outreach and crisis counselling
  • Raising community awareness, and
  • Education and training for health workers

The MDGP's CSW is Marita Sleep. Marita is based at the Mildura Private Hospital on 13th St., Mildura and may be contacted at 5023 8633, 0429 866 025 or mailto:drought@malleedgp.com.au for counselling, drought information and assistance. Marita is part of a large network of CSWs employed by participating Divisions all over Victoria, NSW, SA and Queensland. This network regularly shares knowledge and resources to come up with innovative ideas on how to better serve the community.

Recent Activities

Craft & Laugh

 

Since its inception in August 2009, this monthly gathering of the Nangiloc-Colignan womenfolk is being utilised as the ideal venue for introducing new ideas and services to the local community. The March meeting had Fiona Blair introduce the LEAP initiative funded by Vic Health and the Mildura Rural City Council. Nangiloc has been chosen as the first community in Mildura to benefit from this three-year grant. LEAP stands for “Localities Enhancing Arts Participation”. This is a good segue for the Nangiloc-Colignan community to greatly enhance their wellbeing. Participating in the arts contributes directly to individual and community health and wellbeing by improving social inclusion and connectedness and individual self-esteem, the very aim of the drought project. Participation in groups is linked with less psychological distress, better mental health and higher levels of self-reported personal and neighbourhood wellbeing. The ability to access support and resources from our community acts as a buffer that moderates adverse life events or stress (from LEAP website). 'The [Aussie Rules] Taming of the Shrew' will be Nangiloc’s version of this Shakespeare classic---four quarters of big kicking, hard tackling, fast handballing Theatre, performed in April by an all-star cast of community members, including the CSW. It's Shakespeare, Live at the Oval!

 

 

SQUARE Update

 

SQUARE training continues to be rolled out following last year’s ten community workshops. Already this year, two workshops were held for workplace personnel at the MRCC and another at Mallee Family Care. Training up frontliners in service agencies is key to the success of this collaborative model in suicide assessment and intervention. SQUARE has been included in the three-year strategic plan of the mental health working group of the Northern Mallee Primary Care Partnership. Work is underway to present it to adult students of TAFE and to local fire brigades of the CFA. Marita has also facilitated the “Training for Trainers” to Community Support Workers in Melbourne on 25th-26th March 2010. Marita shared her collaborative model for rolling out the SQUARE in local communities.

 Mental Health First Aid

As a follow-through on SQUARE, Marita organised the delivery of the Mental Health First Aid workshop for Nangiloc’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) 4th, 11th, 18th of February at the Colignan Mud Hut. Although it ran in the evening from six to ten o’clock to accommodate the work schedules of this busy farming community, fourteen dedicated members actively participated and received certificates from accredited MHFA facilitator Chris Hermans. The skills gained from the workshop would be invaluable to the group as they continue to face challenges wrought about by the changing times.

  

CERT members attentively tune in to Chris.

  

Light moment while Bernie and Marg struggle to catch the ball whilst wearing graded goggles.

 

Resources in the Mallee

Mildura Mental Health Local Services Directory. A straightforward, easy-to-read map of who to call in case of crises, emergencies, support and information

Lists of Resources complete with local contacts and websites where available.

"Living with Changing Times" drought information booklet. A listing of useful numbers in the  Mildura LGA and helpful tips for managing life changes.