Act now: Apply for a grant to support community mental health

Looking to make a positive impact on mental health in your community? Do you have a great idea for a Queensland Mental Health Week event?

To assist communities in getting their ideas up and running there are one-off grants of up to $3000 now available through the Queensland Mental Health Week Community Events Grant Program. But you need to hurry because applications to this program, funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Mental Health Commission, close next week at 5pm on Friday 26 May 2023.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said Queensland Mental Health Week events can provide a safe and supportive environment for people to come together, share experiences and learn about mental health and wellbeing.

“Through awareness and education, these events can help break down stigma surrounding mental health challenges and encourage people to seek help when they need it,” he said.

“Queensland Mental Health Week events foster a sense of community connection and inclusion, helping people feel supported and less alone—which can be especially important during times of increased community distress.”

Mr Frkovic emphasised the importance of prevention and early intervention to reduce the incidence and impact of mental illness in Queensland.

“Making time each day to focus on the building blocks of mental wellbeing—getting healthy, continue learning, show kindness, connect more, take notice and embrace nature—build healthy habits that help you stay well,” he said.

CheckUP administers the Queensland Mental Health Week Community Events Grant Program on behalf of the Queensland Mental Health Commission and in 2023 there will be a total funding pool of over $100,000 available for distribution.

CheckUP CEO Ann Maree Liddy explained that the grants offset event expenses, such as engaging specialists for workshops or seminars, so people are getting quality information about looking after their mental wellbeing.

“Many Queensland Mental Health Week events link with local mental health services and focus on wellbeing education and mental health first-aid, while community events emphasise inclusion and diverse opportunities to get involved,” Ms Liddy said.

“The whole community can benefit from discussions about good mental health, so we hope to see grant applications come in from every corner of Queensland.”

Queensland Mental Health Week will be held from 7-15 October, encompassing World Mental Health Day on 10 October, with the theme ‘Awareness, Belonging, Connection’.

For more information, including grant program guidelines and application information, visit www.qldmentalhealthweek.org.au.

For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000.

-ENDS-

Media enquiries:

Lisa Maynard, Marketing and Communications Manager, CheckUP
P. 07 3105 8308 E. lmaynard@checkup.org.au

Communications and Engagement team,  Queensland Mental Health Commission

P. 07 3244 9253 E. media@qmhc.qld.gov.au

Six building blocks of mental wellbeing

• Get healthy: Be active, eat well and get enough sleep.
• Keep learning: Challenge your mind and seek out new things.
• Show kindness: Giving brings joy to other people and strengthens your own mental wellbeing.
• Connect more: Develop relationships, stay connected and care for each other.
• Take notice: Be mindful. Stay in the moment. Experience the world around you.
• Embrace nature: Step outside and connect with the natural world.

Safe media reporting

Visit the Mindframe website at www.mindframe.org.au for advice on how to support safe media reporting, portrayal and communication about suicide, mental ill-health, and problematic alcohol and other drug use.

Sponsor Queensland Mental Health Week 2023 and make a meaningful impact

Queensland Mental Health Week is an annual initiative dedicated to promoting positive mental health, reducing stigma, and recognizing the invaluable contributions of the mental health and community sectors. As we gear up for this year’s event, we invite you to partner with us and help make Queensland Mental Health Week 2023 a resounding success. By becoming a sponsor, your organisation can play a crucial role in increasing mental health awareness, fostering a sense of belonging, and facilitating connections across communities throughout Queensland.

Sponsorship opportunities

Our prospectus for 2023 outlines a variety of sponsorship opportunities to suit different budgets and objectives.

• Major Sponsor – $20,000 per annum (ex GST)
• Mental Health Supporter – $5,000 per annum (ex GST)
• Prize Sponsor – $1,000 per annum (ex GST)

Download the prospectus here.

We understand that every organisation is unique, so we are more than willing to work with you to customise a package that aligns with your specific needs and goals. This allows you to maximise your brand exposure while making a genuine difference in the lives of Queenslanders.

The benefits of sponsorship

By partnering with Queensland Mental Health Week, your organisation demonstrates its commitment to supporting mental health and wellbeing, a cause of increasing significance in today’s world. With almost half of all Australians experiencing a mental health condition at some point in their lives, sponsoring this initiative enables you to showcase your social responsibility while reaching a diverse audience. This audience includes mental health professionals, advocates, individuals seeking support, community group volunteers, teachers, and professionals from various sectors.

Your sponsorship not only expands the reach and impact of Queensland Mental Health Week, but can (if you choose to become a Major Sponsor) demonstrate tangible support for vulnerable and at-risk communities through contributions to the Grant Program.

By aligning your brand with this highly recognised and celebrated mental health initiative, you not only make a positive impact but also enhance your brand exposure through extensive marketing channels. These channels include social media, print and online advertising, and email newsletters.

Collaboration and tailored initiatives

As a sponsor, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with CheckUP to develop tailored content and initiatives that align with your company’s values and mission.

Join us in making a difference!

Don’t miss the chance to support this important cause and showcase your brand’s commitment to mental health and wellbeing. By sponsoring Queensland Mental Health Week 2023, you contribute to a greater awareness of mental health issues and help break down barriers in communities across Queensland.

Contact us today to discuss sponsorship options and be a part of this impactful event. Together, we can create healthier communities!

Queensland Mental Health Week grants available to connect communities and strengthen mental wellbeing

More than $100,000 worth of grants are being made available to help organisations across the state host Queensland Mental Health Week events that raise awareness of mental health, bolster belonging, and create connections.

Funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Mental Health Commission and administered by CheckUP, the Queensland Mental Health Week Community Events Grant Program provides the opportunity for eligible organisations to apply for up to $3000 to assist with event costs. Applications to the program opened today (26 April) and will close on Friday 26 May 2023.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said it was important for everyone to take steps every day to look after their mental health and wellbeing.

“Good mental health and wellbeing boosts our resilience, helps us manage the everyday stresses of life, and benefits individuals, families and communities—but it’s something we all have to work to maintain,” Mr Frkovic said.

“The grant program enables organisations to improve mental health and wellbeing through community awareness and engagement, education and understanding, and inclusion of people living with mental health challenges along with those who support them.

“The Commission has been proud to support communities to run events during Queensland Mental Health Week over many years, and we look forward to another round of engaging activities that help people participate in, and feel connected to their communities all across Queensland.”

CheckUP CEO Ann Maree Liddy said she hoped to see grant applications come in from every corner of the state, urging non-profits, businesses and local councils in regional, rural, and remote communities to apply.

“It is also important for us to embrace diversity through valuing and supporting people with different experiences, backgrounds and cultures, so the grant program considers the needs of groups vulnerable to great risk of mental health challenges,” she said.

In 2023 Queensland Mental Health Week will be held from 7-15 October with the theme ‘Awareness, Belonging, Connection’.

Ms Liddy said the theme had resonated strongly with Queenslanders last year and that she hoped to see many organisations once again embrace the “ABCs of mental wellbeing” when planning Queensland Mental Health Week activities.

“‘Awareness, Belonging, Connection’ is simple but it covers so many of the important factors that contribute to good mental health and wellbeing. It speaks to the importance of understanding the things we need to maintain and boost our mental wellbeing, why we need to look out for one another, and the vital role connections and community play,” Ms Liddy said.

For more information, including grant program guidelines and application information, visit www.qldmentalhealthweek.org.au.

For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000.

-ENDS-

Media enquiries:

Lisa Maynard, Marketing and Communications Manager, CheckUP
P. 07 3105 8308 E. lmaynard@checkup.org.au

Communications and Engagement team, Queensland Mental Health Commission

P. 07 3244 9253 E. media@qmhc.qld.gov.au

About the theme

Awareness is about understanding the things we need to maintain and boost our mental wellbeing and knowing when we need to reach out for help and where to get it.

Belonging is about looking out for each other, ensuring we feel safe and supported, and understanding that however we feel, we’re not alone, and that there are others going through the same thing.

Connection is about our relationships with our friends, families, and those that we care about, as well as the groups, clubs, and networks around us that we rely on to help keep us happy and healthy, wherever we live, work, or play.

Safe media reporting

Visit the Mindframe website at www.mindframe.org.au for advice on how to support safe media reporting, portrayal and communication about suicide, mental ill-health, and problematic alcohol and other drug use.

QPHCN event will focus on building a strong and sustainable health workforce

If you’re passionate about the health industry and interested in learning more about the state of the health workforce, you won’t want to miss CheckUP’s first Queensland Primary Health Care Network (QPHCN) event for 2023. The event aims to bring together healthcare professionals to explore ways to work collaboratively toward a strong and sustainable health sector.

Scheduled for Thursday 9 March 2023 from 10am-12pm, the event will be held at the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) training rooms, Level 1/36 Russell Street, South Brisbane. Attendees can join either in-person or online, depending on their preference.

The event will feature a fantastic line-up of speakers, including Joe Occhino, Assistant Deputy Director-General, Workforce Strategy, Clinical Planning and Service Strategy Division, Queensland Health; Giovanna Castellani, A/Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Division, Queensland Health; Brett Hall, A/Executive Director – Workforce Strategy, Department of Trade, Employment and Training; Karen Lavery, Employer Liaison Officer (ELO), Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations; Anastasia Woolmer, Business Relationship Manager, HESTA; Sabrina Kerr, Health Gateway Schools Manager, CheckUP; Vicky Meyer, Industry Workforce Advisor – Health, CheckUP; Andrew Legg, Industry Workforce Advisor – First Nations healthcare and social assistance, CheckUP; and Amanda Griffiths, Industry Skills Advisor (ISA) for Health, CheckUP.

This event is sponsored by HESTA and provides an excellent opportunity for healthcare professionals to learn about the latest programs focused on promoting careers in the health industry, funding opportunities to help maximise workforce participation, and more!

David Millichap, General Manager of Engagement and Workforce at CheckUP, will serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Auslan interpreters will be on hand to assist with the translation of speaker presentations.

Following the event, attendees will have the opportunity to network and connect with other healthcare professionals while enjoying light refreshments.

Register now via Eventbrite to secure your spot! CheckUP members and Outreach health service providers can attend for free. Non-members can attend face-to-face for $50 or virtually for just $20.

Amanda Griffiths joins CheckUP as Health Industry Skills Advisor

We are pleased to have welcomed Amanda Griffiths back to CheckUP in the role of Health Industry Skills Advisor in Queensland. Amanda brings a wealth of experience in health industry consultation to the role, particularly in regard to Vocational Education and Training (VET) to employment pathways in Queensland. With a background as a clinical optometrist, Amanda has had the opportunity to work in locations across Queensland, including both metropolitan and very remote communities, giving her a unique perspective on workforce issues throughout the state. Amanda is eager to collaborate with industry and is looking forward to the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in her position.

Here she answers some questions about her career and what she is most looking forward to in her new role.

How long have you worked in the health sector?
I have worked in the health sector for around 20 years. Immediately prior to coming to CheckUP I was in the higher education sector for 3 years, which did have a health flavour as it was in a medical school. Before that, my entire career was in health, and this covered clinical optometry, sessional academia, research assistance, and working in industry consultation.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
Engaging with organisations and individuals who are making a real difference.

What are 3 words you would use to describe CheckUP?
How can I limit it to just 3?!?! Caring, engaged, enthusiastic, impactful, nimble, open…. the list goes on.

What activities do you enjoy when you’re not working?
Swimming, camping (only since 2022 – I was persuaded to go for the first time in 25 years and loved it), week-long silent meditation retreats, spending time with family and friends.

Who did you last listen to when you drove/flew somewhere?
ABC Grandstand’s coverage of the Australian summer of test match cricket.

Industry Workforce Advisors appointed

CheckUP has been contracted by the Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET, previously known as the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training, DESBT) to deliver the Industry Workforce Advisors initiative for the health industry. Industry Workforce Advisors help employers:

• identify solutions to their workforce challenges
• connect with relevant programs and funding, industry-based initiatives and grant funding, and Australian Government wage subsidies and employer incentives.

Your Industry Workforce Advisors

• First Nations Industry Workforce Advisor (Health Care and Social Assistance)
• Health Industry Workforce Advisor.

Vicky Meyer, who previously coordinated our Health Industry Skills Advisor program at CheckUP will now be managing the Health Industry Workforce Advisor program.

What is an Industry Workforce Advisor?

The aim of the Industry Workforce Advisor program is to provide workforce planning assistance to small to medium employers enabling them to address workforce challenges, diversify their workforces, and support workforce growth.Maximising workforce participation enables employers to draw on a larger talent pool, ensuring all Queenslanders have access to employment opportunities, particularly people who have previously been underrepresented in the workplace.

CheckUP’s Industry Workforce Advisors will work directly with employers to:

• Create an individual workforce plan which identifies and addresses workforce challenges
• Access funded HR support/solutions for their business
• Diversify and support workforce growth
• Assist in developing recruitment strategies
• Access accredited and non-accredited industry training
• Develop plans to assist with workforce attraction and retention
• Connect with relevant programs and funding, industry-based initiatives and grant funding, and Australian Government wage subsidies and employer incentives.

How to connect with your Industry Workforce Advisor

We are inviting Expressions of Interest from small to medium health employers across Queensland to access workforce planning assistance and services, through the Industry Workforce Advisors.

To complete an Expression of Interest and have one of our Industry Workforce Advisors contact you please click here. To speak directly to an Industry Workforce Advisor you can contact them on the details listed below.

First Nations Industry Workforce Advisor (Health Care and Social Assistance), Andrew Legg, E: alegg@checkup.org.au M: 0498 801 004

Health Industry Workforce Advisor, Vicky Meyer, E: vmeyer@checkup.org.au M: 0436 814 501

More information about the Industry Workforce Advisor program is available on our website.

Launch of Annual Report and IMPACT magazine

It gives us great pleasure to advise that both CheckUP’s Annual Report for 2021-2022 and the 9th edition of IMPACT magazine were officially launched at our Annual General Meeting on Friday 25 November. These publications are now available for you to view online.

You’ll see within the Annual Report – and its companion IMPACT magazine – an insight into what has been achieved during the past financial year. This work was made possible through the support of our valued funders, partners, members, and providers.

Our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your contribution to our vision of better health for people and communities that need it most. Collectively, we have been able to ensure communities, particularly our most vulnerable, received much-needed access to health services.

We hope you take the time to read these publications and learn more about our work!

• Read the Annual Report
• Read IMPACT magazine

Director Elections 2022: Results

The CheckUP Board is pleased to advise that Dr Tina Janamian and Ms Jennifer Pouwer have been re-elected as Directors of the Company, each for a three-year term starting at the close of the 2022 Annual General Meeting on Friday 25 November.

Dr Janamian is the CEO of Client Focussed Evaluation Program Surveys and Care Opinion. She has considerable experience in business development and commercialisation across a range of industries, as well as an active academic load as a reviewer for reputable journals and a member of editorial boards.

Ms Pouwer consults in health and community services. She has extensive Chief Executive experience in a range of organisations and sectors, and has led several successful organisations transformation projects.

Thank you to those members who voted in the CheckUP 2022 Director Election; your active participation in the company’s governance practices is very valuable.

Meet our team: Conor

Meet our Multiprogram Support Business Officer, Conor! Conor is a valued member of the Communications and Engagement team. He originally joined CheckUP back in 2018, playing a crucial role in supporting the coordination of Queensland Mental Health Week. This year Conor has taken on a broader role at CheckUP, working across several different projects. While he continues to work on QMHW, he also supports our Access for All and Genomics for GPs projects.

What does a typical day look like for you?
There is no typical day at CheckUP! Lately I’ve been very busy with Queensland Mental Health Week which happens in October. For QMHW, I have mostly been responding to inquiries, publishing events on the website, and managing the merchandise. In the months leading up to the week, there’s a lot of planning, collaboration, and direct outreach that has to happen to make things run smoothly.

What do you enjoy about working for CheckUP?
CheckUP does a lot of good, important work and I like being a small part of that. It’s also a very friendly and flexible place to work which is great.

What are 3 words you would use to describe CheckUP?
Caring, Friendly, Collaborative.

What activities do you enjoy when you’re not working?
I like to go indoor bouldering as often as I can. I also enjoy trivia and I’m working on my (very poor) chess game.

Who did you last listen to when you drove/flew somewhere?
Probably Nick Cave.

2022 Annual General Meeting

CheckUP’s 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 25 November 2022, at 4.30pm (AEST).
Members may attend in person at the CheckUP offices or via a video conference link. All meeting details appear in the formal Notice of Meeting available at the link below.

Also linked below are a proxy appointment form and the audited financial statements for year ended 30 June 2022.

• Notice of AGM
• Proxy Appointment Form
• Audited Financial Statements FY