Career development opportunity at VICSERV

The Training team at Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria (VICSERV) seek a skilled and experienced Senior Trainer to join our team. Reporting to the Training Manager and consulting with the PDRS sector, the focus of this position includes:
• developing and delivering training programs to members and clients including Certificate IV in Mental Health (non clinical) and our Keyworker program,
• coordination of the Certificate IV program, including registration, enrolment and assessment in partnership with Wodonga TAFE, and
• identifying training needs and opportunities in the sector, including flexible and online learning.

This position is full-time (38 hrs), one year contract. A competitive salary package applies. For further information and a Position Description please email Sue Durham or phone 03 9519 7000 (Tue-Fri). Please send applications including a CV addressing the Selection Criteria to:

Ms Sue Durham, Training Manager,
Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria VICSERV,
PO BOX 1117, Elsternwick, Vic, 3185 or Sue at the above email link.

Arafemi Employment Opportunity - Manager Family Services

click here for the position description

Mind releases Newsletter "Open Mind"

Mind have released a new edition of their Newsletter, "Open Mind"

It is available online at their website here.

Vicserv Sector Training Needs Analysis

Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria (VICSERV) have commenced a Training Needs Analysis to identify the training needs of the PDRSS sector at the Practitioner / Keyworker and Manager / Program Manager levels. The duration of this project is six months with the final report due in October 2009. We have engaged the services of Community Services and Health Industry Training Advisory Board to identify and develop the skills and competencies, develop the online questionnaire and undertake the training needs survey.
The aims of this Training Needs Analysis are to:
1. Identify the current skills and competencies of the PDRSS sector for the two levels identified,
2. Assess the current PDRSS workforce against these skills and competencies to gain baseline data; this is especially important with the recent release of the “Because Mental Health Matters – Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009 – 2019, and the launch of the Community Services 08 Training Package
3. Provide evidence to assist in the planned redevelopment of the current VICSERV training packages and sector workforce development initiatives.
4. Be able to repeat the needs analysis to measure trends in training development needs, the effectiveness of our training over time and workforce qualifications and learning
VICSERV will be engaging with the Sector to help identify the current skills and competencies in the very near future. If you have an interest to be involved please don’t hesitate to call or email John Katsourakis, Development Manager – Training on 03 9519 7000 or j.katsourakis@vicserv.org.au

SANE Australia's Helpline Report

'SANE Helpline 2009: A report on SANE Australia's national mental illness helpline' reveals an increasing number of calls are being received from people who have not been diagnosed or are not receiving treatment.

Download the SANE Helpline Report 2009 (PDF, 336Kb)

More information is available from SANE's website

SANE News - new edition released

SANE Australia have released a new edition of their newsletter SANE News. Information from SANE's Website: Every issue of SANE News brings more information about mental illness and how it is treated, with feature articles, news on research and details on innovative projects. Become a Friend of SANE to receive regular copies. The latest issue of SANE News is a special issue on helping kids when there's mental illness in the family. The previous issue featured an article which examined the impact of mental illness on intimacy, sexuality and relationships.

"Our Community": Communities in Control Conference

ourcommunity.com.au announce their annual conference:

CRISIS, CATASTROPHE, COMMUNITY: REBUILD, RENEW, RECHARGE

Monday & Tuesday 15-16 June 2009 - Melbourne, Australia
Moonee Valley Racing Club, Members Gate 1, McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds, Victoria

In times of physical, environmental and economic hardship, community organisations become more important than ever, providing a safety net for the injured, the grieving, the traumatised, the jobless, the homeless, the vulnerable; giving people a place to recover, to belong, to heal: providing help, support, hope, empathy and light relief.

As Australia reels from the shock of calamities from bushfires to floods to global economic turmoil, a new world is emerging. There will be challenges for many people and for community organisations – but also opportunities.

Come together with the leaders of communities across Australia, along with local, state and federal government officials, business leaders and all those who think about or care about Australian communities.

Speakers Include: 2009 Australian of Year Prof Mick Dodson, Wendy Harmer, Eddie McGuire, Prof Len Syme, Major David Eldgridge, Richard Watson, The Hon Joan Kirner AM, Clare Martin and more... [Full details available in the 2009 Conference Program - PDF 1.5mb]

More information and registration available on their website here.

Mental Illness Fellowship (MiF) release Newsletter miVoice

Mental Illness Fellowship have released a new edition of their member newsletter MiVoice.

An online copy is published on their website here.

Women's Health West's WHW News

Women's Health West have published a newsletter, Available Here.

Women's Health West is committed to improving the health, safety and wellbeing of women in Melbourne's diverse Western Region. They support individual women and communities, and work collaboratively with government and other agencies across the West and statewide.