Engage Aotearoa

Category Archives: Community Participation

Opportunities to participate in your community.

Mental Health Commissioner Seeks Service-User and Whanau Feedback: Survey Online Now

February 1, 2013 1:51 pm ⋅

The Mental Health Commission are running a service-user feedback survey, which can be found at:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3HCNGRQ

This survey is for consumers only, and is totally anonymous.  People who are family members or supporters of people using services are also able to complete the survey.

It will provide feedback to the Commissioner prior to their community meetings which begin in Auckland on the 15th of February.

If you can’t make it to the community meetings, this survey is your chance to make sure your experiences as a person using mental-health and addictions services are heard by our national policy-makers and funding bodies.

Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Community Participation, Disability Issues, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Maori Communities, Men, Parents and Parenting, Pasifika Communities, People with Disabilities, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Women, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , ,

Community Resources Directory Updates

January 28, 2013 1:17 pm ⋅

The Community Resources Directory was updated on Christmas Eve and again on the 27th of January.

What’s new in the Community Resources Directory? 

  • Sub-sections for National, Upper North Island, Lower North Island and South Island services have been added where information is available. Future updates will continue to expand these regional sub-sections until the Directory becomes a nation-wide resource.
  • A new combined Child, Youth and Family/Whanau section
  • New psychotherapy, counselling and psychologist services added for Christchurch and Auckland

Coming Soon

  • Crisis Lines section
  • Anger Management section
  • Resources from the Gisborne region added to each section (thanks to pamphlets collected on a recent trip to the area).

Make the resource work for you and your people! 

  • Tell us about the mental-health resources in your region!
  • Tell us about your service and the resources you use!

Email Engage Aotearoa and we will include the info in our next update.

The Community Resources Directory makes it easy for people to find the recovery resources they need.

It is designed to be freely downloaded and shared.

If you are a service provider, you can help empower your service-users by making a printed copy of The Directory available in your waiting room.

Posted in: Community Participation, Engage Updates, Online Resources, People with Disabilities, Service-User Movement, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: ,

Mangere Community Law Centre Says “This Is Relevant to YOU”

January 25, 2013 2:08 pm ⋅

A message from Mangere Community Law Centre:

The Family Court is under review. This IS relevant to you! The Family Court deals with a range of things that seriously affect our community, including: domestic violence, parenting, adoptions, wills and divorce. The proposed changes are significant and now is the time to speak out if you don’t agree with them – in part or full. Submissions close 13 February 2013 so don’t put it off.      

The 5 major changes that the Mangere Community Law Centre are concerned about are:

  1. Cost of $897 for mandatory dispute resolution will have to be paid for by the parties – this will be compulsory before a matter can go to Court.
  2. NO lawyers allowed unless the matter involves violence, urgency etc.
  3. Lawyer for child will rarely be appointed.
  4. Free Court counselling will be limited.
  5. No interim orders – parties won’t have a chance to trial arrangements to see if they can work.

Submissions can be in any format – even a simple letter. Click the link below to open the template from Mangere Community Law Centre that you can use to get started and get your thoughts heard!

Family Court Review Submission Template from Mangere Community Law Centre

You can also check out these websites for more information: http://childrenneedavoice.com/ and http://www.familylaw.org.nz/

You can read the Bill at: http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Legislation/Bills/5/4/2/00DBHOH_BILL11914_1-Family-Court-Proceedings-Reform-Bill.htm 

 

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Older People and Aging, Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , ,

WINZ Reviewing How They Work with People with Disabilities and Health Conditions

January 25, 2013 12:14 pm ⋅

WINZ is seeking your views on how to assist disabled people and people with health conditions into work.

As part of the Government’s wider review of the welfare system, Work and Income is developing proposals for changing the way it works with disabled clients and clients with a health condition or mental-health condition.

To ensure the new approach is well-grounded we want people to share their views about what it will take to assist these jobseekers into work. Please go to www.msd.govt.nz/healthanddisability to share your views. This survey will be open to 5pm on Thursday 31 January.

The feedback will contribute to the development of proposals to be in place from 15 July 2013, and to a longer term work programme to assist disabled people and people with a health condition who can work, to have the opportunity to achieve that.

WINZ have held two public meetings and six sector workshops in November and December 2012.

There will also be an additional public workshop in Wellington on Thursday 31 January 2013 at St John’s Church hall (cnr Willis and Dixon Streets), 9.30 am to midday.  If you are interested in attending this meeting, please RSVP to msd_events@msd.govt.nz, and also advise any assistance you may need to enable you to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact Anne Hawker on 04 978 4142 or Sacha O’Dea on 04 916 3883. Alternatively you can email Anne.Hawker011@msd.govt.nz or Sacha.ODea001@msd.govt.nz

Posted in: Community Participation, Disability Issues, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Physical Health, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Seeks Community Input

January 23, 2013 2:40 pm ⋅

In July last year Owen Glenn announced that he would fund an independent inquiry to establish why domestic violence and child abuse remains such a major problem in New Zealand and to identify what needs to be done to address this issue.

If you have personal experience of child abuse or domestic violence or work with those who do the Glenn Inquiry team would like to hear from you!

Visit their newly launched website for more information at www.glenninquiry.org.nz

Follow the link below to check out the first newsletter from the Glenn Inquiry https://glenninquiry.org.nz/uploads/files/TheGlennInquiry_Newsletter.pdf

 

 

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Hikoi Seeks National Big reTHiNK about Mental-Health Services

December 16, 2012 1:18 pm ⋅

Media Release: 11/Dec/2012.


Annie Chapman, a former support worker for a mental-health trust in Porirua, is on a mission to reduce reliance on “medical mental healthcare” which she says can result in dependence and disempowerment, in a bid to promote healthier mental healthcare.

This summer, Chapman will spend five months walking the length of the North Island to advocate “change and choice in mental-health care“.

Annie Chapman’s One Woman Walking: Hikoi for a Big reTHiNK of Mental Healthcare Choices begins in Cape Reinga on December 12th and finishes five months later in Wellington. From December to May Annie will be stopping at towns along the Te Araroa Trail for community meetings to screen short stigma-busting films, discuss what a truly empowering mental-health system would look like and support the Petition for Better Mental-Healthcare Choices, which Annie will present at The Beehive in Wellington in May. Donations to cover costs are gratefully received. Any additional funds raised will be donated to Hearing Voices Network Aotearoa NZ, which provides information and support for people who experience voice hearing.

“I have witnessed life long dependence, drug withdrawal problems and the limited effectiveness of some psychiatric medications,” Ms Chapman says. “Research suggests positive and empowering alternatives exist for better long term outcomes,” she continues.

Chapman advocates a reduced systemic reliance on medications as the first-line treatment for mental-health problems. Ms Chapman wants to see funded access to psycho-social interventions and treatment options for people with mental-health problems to reduce long-term dependence on pharmaceutical interventions and compulsory models of treatment. “We need personal advocacy and psychotherapeutic help promoted and more tailored advice about diet and exercise provided,” says Chapman, “Walking can be one of the most effective anti-depressants there is,” she adds.

Miriam Larsen-Barr, from the Like Minds team at Mind and Body Consultants who coordinate the ongoing Like Minds Big reTHiNK Festival, comments, “We are proud to include One Woman Walking as part of the official Big reTHiNK calendar of events. The message that people with mental-health problems need whole-person approaches to empower their recovery is an important one.”

“It is time our society did some serious analysis. Let’s use our legendary Kiwi kindness and ingenuity to create mental-health services that offer hope of real recovery,” comments Chapman.

Find out when One Woman Walking is visiting a town near you

www.rethink.org.nz/?page_id=1692

> KAITAIA KICK OFF MEETING
>>>Wednesday 20th December
>>>11am to 1pm
>>>at Te Ahu Community Centre

www.facebook.com/events/317503728358665/

For more information contact: Annie Chapman | 0221739954 | anniechapman@actrix.co.nz

One Woman Walking Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hikoi-for-healthy-choices-in-Mental-Health/150792058391076?ref=ts

One Woman Walking Blog:
http://hikoiforhealthychoices.wordpress.com/

Follow this link to find out more about The Hearing Voices Network Aotearoa NZ  www.hearingvoices.org.nz 

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Social Change, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Facebook Campaign for Positive Change in Families

December 16, 2012 12:16 pm ⋅

Eliminate Cling-ons (Disqualifiers)

Whanau Marama’s Facebook Campaign

Eunmi from Whanau Marama writes, “I was pretty bad at saying cling-on’s to others including my child. When my child showed me her drawing or homework or writing, I used to say “Well done or good, but it doesn’t look like your best.” Or “I can see you have tried hard, but I don’t think it is very good.” Some times I’ve even added “I think you should find something you are better at.”

I did not realize what I said was hurting my child’s feelings. She was only trying to show me what she had done. How I responded prevented my child from connecting with me. I thought I was giving her good advice. I just wanted her to do better. I was wrong. It had the effect on my child that she did not want to show me what she had done any more.

Sometimes we inadvertently punish good behaviour like I did. This can lead to our child feeling discounted and often quite angry. In our parenting course, we call this a “cling-on”. So let’s eliminate cling-ons out of our vocabulary. Let us become more aware of the times we are saying cling-on’s and then try not to say them again. We can make our children smile. We can make a positive change in our family.”

Please share the group with your friends on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/351148201563452/

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Men, Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, Personal Development Tools, Social Change, Women ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

The Great NZ Science Project: What Areas of Research Are Important to You?

December 2, 2012 4:16 pm ⋅

Now’s your chance to get behind science and help New Zealand decide how we use it to invest in our future. Explore areas of interest and join the debate. The future of science in New Zealand is in your hands.

Science is not just beakers and Bunsen burners, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry of state-of-the-art research and invention. That’s why we’re partnering some of our top scientific minds with a few of the best open-minded, free-thinkers we know: our children. Result? A chance for all of us to shape our own future.

Register to give your views!! [Get mental-health research on the agenda!]

https://www.thegreatnzscienceproject.co.nz/home

Posted in: Community Participation, Online Resources, Research ⋅ Tagged:

Petition to Save Auckland’s Rape Crisis Line – Again!

December 2, 2012 2:52 pm ⋅

Auckland’s 24 hour rape crisis line is again under threat of closure — less than 12 months since 7,000 people signed the petition that forced PM Key to promise its survival.

2 000 people signed the new petition in the first 24 hours – but it’s not over yet.

The 24 hour rape crisis line is integral to our community. It’s the service that Auckland’s sexual violence survivors can turn to for help. For thirty years, it’s taken a call every hour of every day.

A year ago, PM Key said he’d do his part to help rape survivors by funding the crisis line. But, we always said we’d need to stay vigilant and hold the government to their word. And now that the spotlight has dropped off, the Government thinks it can get away with slashing funding for this essential service. 

The service needs just $116,000 from the government to survive. And we know we can get that commitment again if we continue the pressure. Sign and then share the petition with at least 5 of your friends and have them add their names to support a vital service. An immediate and overwhelming response will show the Prime Minister that we’re still watching.

This service will close unless we act now. The service’s board will soon start offering redundancies to counselling staff — the exact people rape survivors rely on for support and advice in their time of need.

Volunteers and staff are planning some media events and are trying hard to get the word out. But take a moment to share the petition with at least 5 of your friends and do your part to help an essential service that many rely on.

Posted in: Community Participation, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement ⋅ Tagged: , ,

Medical Council Reviewing its Standards of Clinical Competence and Ethical Conduct

November 27, 2012 4:30 pm ⋅

GOOD MEDICAL PRACTICE

The Medical Council of New Zealand is reviewing its standards of clinical competence, cultural competence and ethical conduct for doctors.

Have your say about ‘good medical practice’ in Aotearoa.

To find out more go to http://consumercollaboration.org.nz/news/good-medical-practice

Posted in: Asian Communities, Community Participation, Maori Communities, Men, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, Pasifika Communities, People with Disabilities, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Women, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,