News and Events

Neami has recently begun a series of new Optimal Health Program groups in North Brisbane aimed at supporting LGBTIQ, CALD, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and corrections communities.  

With all the activity happening around the country, I welcome you to this edition of Clear Thinking as a chance to catch up with the latest news at Neami.

Our annual staff engagement survey has shown a wide-ranging increase in positive sentiment in working at Neami across our services. 

​In Australia, from 2011 to 2015, an average of 2, 687 people died from suicide each year, which is nearly 8 people per day. The suicide rate amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is more than double the national rate.  Neami has launched two new initiatives in this area.

On Friday, Neami CEO Arthur Papakotsias and our Research and Evaluation Consumer Co-Chair Dave Peters presented at the public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for the provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition.

The graduation ceremony recognised the achievements of WorkWell participants from five Neami services who have gained employment, volunteer work or enrolled in study and training courses. Jobs gained varied from Landscape Gardener, to Teacher, to Packer.

In partnership with Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Neami is undertaking an exciting research project to identify what's important to young people and other key stakeholders who have a direct interest in the operation of the Youth Residential Services.

Following a full due diligence process June O'Connor Centre and Neami National have decided to proceed with a merger and it has been agreed that JOC will become a part of Neami. Continuity of care to JOC clients will be maintained with current support staff.

Last year service delivery sites across Victoria and New South Wales engaged in an exciting, innovative and empowering co-production project. Staff and consumers at some outreach service sites came together with equal representation to develop a 12-month Consumer Participation Site Plan. 

Neami is undertaking an exciting transformational project, the Great Consumer Experience, to align our quality system to achieve great consumer experiences for every consumer every time. 

As another year draws to a close, it's a good moment to reflect on the year that was and acknowledge those who supported and worked collaboratively with Neami National to achieve full citizenship for people with mental illness.

In this edition of Clear Thinking, you'll find articles including Paula's story of recovery, an announcement about Neami's NDIS service provisions, an evaluation of Neami's Prevention and Recovery Care services, and the expansion of our Peer Health Coaching program. 

The June O’Connor Centre Inc. (JOC) and Neami National (Neami) would like to announce a shared agreement to explore a merger between both organisations. 

Neami is a major partner in an exciting research project run by Monash University and University of Melbourne Australian Research Council. The joint interdisciplinary project investigated and supported the rights, agency and self-determination of people in the mental health system.

Neami staff from around the country came together in Melbourne at the Neami National Leadership Conference (NLC) from 16th – 18th November. The NLC provided an opportunity to learn from each other and industry leading keynote speakers, and to continue to equip Neami leaders to respond to changes in the mental health landscape. 

VICSERV recently held an NDIS Forum titled ‘Mental Health in the NDIS World’, on October 26th. The forum brought together key stakeholders from national, state and local levels to discuss issues and developments relevant to mental health providers, consumers and carers in Victoria during the current roll-out of the NDIS.

During Mental Health Week (October 9 – 15, 2016), Neami National will focus on creating awareness about the important relationship between mental health and physical health, and highlight services available to support mental and physical wellbeing.  

TheMHS Conference was held in 'Te Pou o Te Whakaaro Nui' in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 23-26. Several Neami staff  delivered presentations and were able to share in the experience. 

Congratulations to our MHCSS intake service on two years of providing easier access to Victorian community mental health services.

Neami Way2Home was recently part of the City of Sydney street count which recorded 394 people sleeping rough across the City’s local area. 

Our Victorian Intake Assessment Service (MHCSS) and Wadamba Wilam (Renew Shelter) teams were delighted to be part of this video about mental health services in VIC

We are looking forward to working with The University of Melbourne on a new project, ‘Building the Evidence Base for Prevention and Recovery Care Services’. This project is the result of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Projects grant.

'Float With It' is an exhibition of artworks by South Australians who attend the Neami 'Comet', 'Digits' and 'Drawn Together' art groups.

“Our people absolutely see a reduction in hospital admissions,” Neami Maitland Service Manager Christie Hodge speaking about the success of local HASI services.

A new music program at Darebin Men’s Shed is using the power of music to help combat social isolation and mental illness among local men. 

Neami Health Promotions has established a partnership with the Melbourne Dental School with the aim of building an approach for Neami’s support workers to assist consumers to improve their oral health.

 This week Neami added their name to the list of organisations who formally support marriage equality in Australia.

Tamara, Service Manager at Neami Way2Home, recently spoke to The Huffington Post about how extreme weather is a critical time for homeless services to step up. 

A holistic program aimed at tackling homelessness and improving Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) within Melbourne’s Aboriginal population has won a Victorian Homelessness Achievement Award.
 

Neami Arts Coordinator, Vaso Hay and consumer and artist, Betty, recently spoke to Radio Adelaide about the Sentimental Journey Art Exhibition and the role of art in recovery.

Far Northerners will today get a chance to see the new $10 million facility, Cairns Community Care Unit (CCU), that will support some of the region’s most vulnerable and at risk residents.

Sentimental Journey, an art exhibition running in November at John Harvey Gallery, will showcase the work of a group of South Australian artists who live with a mental illness. 

 Neami will be involved in a range of events and activities throughout Mental Health Week, a week  to build awareness, educate, and activate people about mental health

West Australians with mental illness are being offered the chance to take control of their own wellbeing thanks to a new step-up step-down sub-acute service in Joondalup.

Talented local artist Joanne Braddy will present a solo exhibition at the Strathpine Community Centre next week as part of the 2015 Mental Health Community Resource Expo.

In partnership with Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHS) Neami will be providing a new Community Care Unit in Cairns.

Neami Frankston invites artists affected by mental illness to submit expressions of interest for the annual Mental Health Week Peninsula Art Exhibition.

Eastern Sydney PIR in partnership with OneWave and Lets Go Surfing have been working on The OneWave Surfing Experience which has been featured in some media of late.

The final evaluation report for the Neami Macarthur Youth Mental Health and Housing Project (MYP) is now available on our website. The evaluation report describes the outcomes for young people during the project regarding housing, personal wellbeing, and social connectedness.

Team members share the story of our partnership with Sunrise Health Service establishing a mental health service in Ngukurr in Arnhem Land

Run for the last three years by Carrington Health in partnership with Neami, the Healthier Lifestyles program recognises that people with mental illness may experience unwanted weight gain due to their medications and the wider health ramifications of their illness.

Neami National CEO Arthur Papakotsias has announced changes to services in South Australia as a result of recent state funding decisions.

Neami National will be a Gold Sponsor of the TheMHS Conference in Canberra from 25-28 August 2015.

Our much-loved Splash Art Studio is set to close at the end of the month due to state funding cuts. Harrison from the Preston Leader dropped by to talk to us and Marnie Woods, one of the talented artists currently exhibiting at Splash.

Neami staff and consumers clock up as many ‘steps’ they can take over 2 weeks  (18 May –31 May) and challenge both themselves and other Neami service teams to take the most steps. 10,000 steps per day is the ultimate goal!
 

Neami was at the Tackle Smoking Tour 2015 organised by Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS) in Wellington.

Rough sleepers were left helpless and exposed to the elements as extreme weather hits Sydney. Staff from the City’s homelessness unit worked with the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, Neami, Missionbeat, NSW Health and NSW Police to assist rough sleepers in the city.

The Supported Decision Making Project investigates and support the rights, agency and self-determination of people in the mental health system.

Spend some time with Neami Support Worker Darren Slockee on ABC Newcastle's Meet the Mob program.

We have launched our first social media channels; you can now find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.

Neami Frankston is joining with a number of other service providers from the Peninsula Region to run an event to support people from the Hastings area to access support services. 

The work of Neami Homelessness service, Way2Home was mentioned in an Inner West Courier piece on people sleeping rough on Sydney's streets.  The article reports on how the February 2015 numbers are higher than last year and spotlights Way2Home and it's patrols of Sydney's Homelessness hot spots.  

Neami National, Greater Metro South Brisbane Partners in Recovery Program and the Brisbane Hoarding and Squalor Working Group are hosting a forum for organisations and individuals working with or concerned for people experiencing hoarding and/or squalor.

The forum features sessions of presenters and guest speakers covering a range of topics to create an open discussion and build a collaborative response to hoarding and squalor within the Greater Metro South Brisbane Region

The WALK A MILE in my shoes exhibition opens this Thursday 4th December and showcases the work of our South Australian artists who live with a mental illness.

This morning we launched our new website. It has been developed from the ground up in collaboration with staff and consumers across the country.

We’re proud to have crafted a site with both style and substance, that strongly reflects our organisational values and our approach to recovery and positive change.
 

 

Consumers, carers and key stakeholders present the top issues of concern from across Victoria’s Mental Health Sector.

The exhibition offers a rare insight into the history of two significant programs and an opportunity to see captivating work produced by the participants over the course of time.

Consumers, carers and key stakeholders present the top issues of concern from across Victoria’s Mental Health Sector.

 The Annual Report marks the highlights and achievements of the organisation in the last financial year. The Neami National Service Improvement Report outlines the role support services can play in the lives of those accessing them and the growth and change that can occur with a collaborative, individually focussed mental health support relationship.

At least 25 specialist mental health organisations helping the homeless, domestic violence victims and young people face an uncertain future after the Napthine government stripped them of funding.

Way2Home, an assertive outreach service operated by Neami and St Vincents Hospital that is co-funded by the City, has supported 189 people who were previously chronically homeless in the inner city into permanent housing.

Premier Colin Barnett opened WA's first home-style mental health facility yesterday in the third major announcement in the portfolio this week.

Platform 70, a program helping people living rough to get into their own accommodation, has managed to get 100 people in inner Sydney into sustained housing tenancies in the space of three years.