Mental Health Monthly Newsletter – July

Mental Health Monthly Newsletter – July

Foreword by Paula Stephenson

General Manager Mental Health and Wellbeing Services 

Welcome to the first edition of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Services newsletter. As we embark on the next phase of the Mental Health Transition and Integration, I am delighted to welcome you to Western Health and share some exciting updates with you.

First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every one of you for the work you have done over many months to achieve this transition, while continuing to providing high quality treatment, care and support to our consumers.
This newsletter highlights some of our recent activity as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Service in the past month, including July 1 walkarounds, and morning teas.

This newsletter will be a way to communicate upcoming activities, training and accreditation reminders, and a chance for you all to share any exciting news and wins of your team to our broader Mental Health and Wellbeing Services team.
Warm Regards,

Paula

1 July Walkarounds 

John Ferraro, Western Health Chief Operating Officer

On Saturday 1 July, I had the privilege of joining Paula Stephenson, General Manager Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, Naveen Thomas, Director Clinical Services Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, and Ryan Dube, Director of Nursing Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, as we officially welcomed our newest staff to Western Health.

During these visits, we met staff at various locations, including the Outer Community team,PARC, CCU, SAAPU, Women’s PARC, Sunshine and Footscray Hospital, and Harvester Clinic.

It was a great pleasure to personally meet you all and hear about your experiences leading up to transition, as well as assist with any issues that may have cropped up.

To express our appreciation, we distributed gift baskets containing delicious shortbread and cookies from Il Migliore, which we hope you all enjoyed and shared with your teams.

Morning Tea Celebrations

The Mental Health Transition and Integration Team 

In recognition of the dedication and huge efforts of staff during this transition period, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Services team at Western Health organised a celebratory morning tea, that was held across a number of locations, with thanks to Alfa Bakehouse in Seddon. The feedback we received regarding the food was very positive.

We sincerely hope that you were able to take a moment for yourself and enjoy a well-deserved break in your busy day. Thank you to the teams who sent through photos of your morning tea,it looked delish!

Local MHWS Tender 

Susan Wardle, Executive Director, Strategy & Partnerships

Western Health has submitted an application to deliver the new Melton Mental Health and Wellbeing Local Service.

Western Health is a member of a consortium which has submitted an application to the Victorian Department of Health to deliver this new service. Mind Australia is the lead service provider, and is in partnership with Western Health and IPC Health, and local specialist providers including Thorne Harbour Health, Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre, Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation and McAuley Community Services for Women.

A Mental Health and Wellbeing Local is a new service that supports Victorian adults to access mental health and wellbeing treatment, care and support closer to home. It is integrated and structured around a community-based model of care, importantly, people with lived experience of mental illness. Consumer and/or carer are central to the design and delivery of the new mental health and wellbeing system. Local Services are free, voluntary and delivered with a philosophy of ‘how can we help?’ and a ‘no wrong door approach’.

They will also provide integrated treatment, care and support for people with a mental illness and co-occurring substance use or addiction, co-existing disability and trauma.

The first six Locals are now open in the local government areas of Benalla-Wangaratta-Mansfield, Brimbank, Frankston, Greater Geelong-Queenscliff, Latrobe and Whittlesea. Melton is part of the second tranche of nine Local Services across Victoria.
Our consortium has been short-listed and the formal interview was held on Thursday 13 July.We anticipate a response to our submission in September 2023.

Wish us luck!

Top 10 Tips to Live ‘Best Care’

You will soon see these posters around your common areas focusing on the top 10 tips to Live’Best Care’.

Each week we’ll focus on a new touchpoint surrounding Western Health’s Quality Systems, including:

• Best Care Framework
• Risk Management
• PROMPT – PPGs
• Accreditation
• WeLearn
• Consumer Feedback
• Improvement – LifeQI
• Dashboards
• Knowing How We’re Doing Boards (KHWDB)
• Best Care Committee Structure

Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre (P144) Update

Daniel Darmanin, Program Manager, and Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre Project Team

Daniel and team recently toured the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre as it enters its final stages of construction. The Project Team walked through the new facility and gained a first look of the build (Picture 1), including the new collaboration hubs; which are described as centralised meeting spaces where consumers and members of the clinical and non-clinical team can meet to discuss care planning, provide support, and respond to consumer needs in a streamlined manner, (Picture 2).

The project team has also announced their transition “champions”, who will support the transition into the centre. The champions will commence training in August, and will gain high-level knowledge of the new facility and model of care to support training and orientation for their colleagues. The role will be supported by the project team and SAAPU Leadership group,including all current ANUMs.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 

The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (the Act) will commence 1 September 2023,replacing the Mental Health Act 2014.

The new Act is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, and supports the changes we’ve made so far as a newly designated Mental Health Service.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 eLearning platform is scheduled to be fit for release in the following 2 weeks under the guidance of Western health LMS and the commitment of the Department of Health, MHWA Sector Implementation Team.

The Department of Health have put together a document outlining some of the frequently asked questions relating to the changes in the Act.

All information on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 can be found on the Department’s website.

SUBMIT A STORY

Want to shout-out a fellow employee, a win for the week, or a fun initiative within your team?

Send the story, and any photos to MHtransitionproject@wh.org.au