MEDIA MONITORING: June and July 2010
New CEO for beyondblue 13 August 2010
The Chairman of beyondblue the Hon Jeff Kennett AC today announced the appointment of Ms Dawn O’Neil AM as the next CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative, effective from 4 January 2011.
Mr Kennett said Ms O’Neil becomes the third CEO of beyondblue, and will succeed the very successful period of leadership rendered by the current CEO, Ms Leonie Young.
Ms O’Neil is currently serving as CEO of the national organisation Lifeline, where after 10 years of leadership, she has reshaped Lifeline into an efficient, not-for-profit community service that delivers important support to thousands of Australians every year.
Mr Kennett said: “beyondblue has just embarked on its third five-year term, and Ms O’Neil will bring her own style of leadership and enthusiasm as we not only continue our work with the community on matters relating to depression, but, at the request of our two major sponsors, the Federal and Victorian Governments, extend our work to include anxiety disorders.
“The Board of beyondblue looks forward to working with Ms O’Neil who will take over the leadership of a highly professional staff, dedicated to delivering beyondblue’s charter.”
“beyondblue is a crucial part of the mental health sector,” Ms O’Neil said. “Its important work, particularly around stigma reduction, research, education and community awareness of depression and anxiety has helped countless Australians and their carers. I look forward to being a part of the beyondblue team and continuing this vital work.”
Mr Kennett said: “Leonie Young leaves us at the end of the year after seven years at the helm of beyondblue, and the Board and the community will be forever grateful for the professionalism of her tenure. After the enthusiastic start of the organisation she has overseen high standards of administration, and extended through our community partnerships a reach that is unprecedented.
“The Board wishes Leonie Young well for the next phase of her career, and thanks her for her considerable contribution to addressing depression and mental health issues throughout Australia.”
Media Contact – beyondblue 03 9810 6100 – Shelley Blake/ 0428 333 917 Kimberley Nichols/ 0438 810 233
Julia Gillard on Mental Health 8 July 2010
This is an excerpt from an interview with Julia Gillard on the 7th July 2010: the full interview is here: GO TO INTERVIEW
EXCERPT:
CHRISTENSEN: David's on the line from Gray. Good morning, David.
CALLER: Good morning. I'd just ask Julia - just tell her I love redheads. I'm a redhead fan from way back.
PM: A man of great taste.
CALLER: Yeah, redheads rock, OK? Yeah, I was just wondering, if I vote for you - I suffer from mental illness - I'm just wondering, will that be one of your priorities? Or when, in your governing style, or not?
PM: Well, what I can say is I think I grew up with some understanding of the challenges of mental illness. My father was a psychiatric nurse at Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Adelaide for, you know, most of his working life, for more than 20 years of his working life. Nicola Roxon, the Minister for Health, has indicated that in our big suite of health reforms - and we're focusing on making our health system sustainable for the future, getting people the doctors and nurses they need, training more GPs, 1,300 of them, training more nurses - but in the big suite of health reforms she wants to work on and have something more to say about the question of mental health. So, I'm going to agree with you that more needs to be done, and we will be working in this area, and I hope I bring some understanding of it from my family background.
Evaluation of beyondblue – NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines for Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults 7 July 2010
Health Professionals and school counsellors who are working with young people are invited to participate in the national study to evaluate the relevance and usefulness of guidelines and information currently available to assist in the treatment and management of depression in adolescents and young adults. The survey will provide a baseline from which to assess the usefulness and uptake of the Guidelines when they are approved. Link to more information about the Guidelines and the survey HERE
National Consensus Statement released 5 July 2010
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has just released a National Consensus Statement on essential elements for recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. Read more
Opposition Mental Health Plan released July 2010
View PDF of Coalition MH Plan
Read the ACMHN Media Release
Prime Minister Julia Gillard takes the reins
Read the ACMHN Media Release
John Mendoza resigns as Chair of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health 18/6/10
John Mendoza recently resigned as chairman of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health. He is Adjunct Professor of Health Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney. There was a lot of media comment, particularly because Mendoza cited the Rudd-government's lack of vision or adequate funding for systematic reform of the mental health sector as being the motivating factor for his resignation.
The Australian Newspaper June 22 Read more
Crikey.com Read more
John Mendoza's Resignation Letter dated 18 June, to Minister Nicola Roxon, posted on the web by The Sunday Age:
Dear Minister
It is with deep sense of disappointment that I tender my resignation from the National Advisory Council on Mental Health. Whilst the discussions between you and the Council on 27 May in Canberra were frank and open, I feel that the future efforts of the Council will be enhanced if I now step down as Chair. It was clear from your comments that you have lost confidence in the Council under my stewardship. Further the Council’s correspondence to you following the 27 May meeting seeking a way forward has not been answered. Therefore, as Chair I must act accordingly.
Undertaking the role of Chair without an institutional basis of support and the continuation of secretariat support from within Mental Health Division of the Department of Health and Ageing make it extremely difficult to be effective in the role. As I and the other members of Council have repeatedly indicated to you, the Council is seriously compromised in its stated mandate to provide timely, independent advice to the Government.
Two years ago when we first met to develop the work plan for the Council you requested we develop a vision for mental health, a framework for accountability, proposals to improve the Commonwealth’s current mental health investments and specific proposals for new investments based on evidence and (with emphasis) consumer and carer views. The Council has also responded to the requests for advice on the revised National Mental Health Policy,the 4th National Mental Health Plan, the revised National Mental Health Service Standards, the Better Access Program and the ATAPS program. All those requests were met.
However, it is now abundantly clear that there is no vision or commitment from the Rudd Government to mental health. While significant improvements have been made in disability employment policy and to a lesser extent in housing and community services, there is no evidence of a change in policy or investment in mental health. The Rudd Government is publicly claiming credit for the increased investment in mental health when almost all of this is a consequence of the work of the Howard Government.
As the report released yesterday by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and the report released two weeks ago by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlight ‘Australia’s prisons are the repositories of the mentally ill, the drug and alcohol-addicted and the under-educated’. This is not new information but yet another confirmation of the failure of government policy in relation to the provision of mental health services.
The AIHW hospital data released this week also shows that unlike almost every other area of health, the number of hospital beds for mental health are declining by an average of almost 4% a year.
People from lower income groups experience higher rates of suicide, have even poorer access to any mental health care, are imprisoned (often repeatedly) rather than provided mental health care and face far greater social exclusion than other Australians. People with serious mental illness are among the most vulnerable of all Australians. Yet the Rudd Labor Government has ignored their need for investment in services now.
I regarded my appointment as chair of NACMH as the most important public service responsibility of my life. However, I have now formed the view that my efforts to influence the development of improved mental health services and end the shameful neglect of those with a mental health disorders will be better served in other roles.
My resignation is effective immediately.
Yours faithfully
John Mendoza
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