UPDATES AND EVENTS
February 2012:
Manaaki House Family/Whanau Support Group
Contacts: Evelyn 378 9134 or Alan Kipling (Manaaki House) on 570 6519
Panmure support group still runs the same time from 5pm to 6:30pm the first Tuesday of the month. The location is 1 Pilkington Road, Panmure in Panmure Community Hall. Doors are open from 4:45pm and everyone who is supporting someone experiencing mental health problems is welcome.
2012 is a good year to come together and share our experiences with people with the same goal/s and who understand the experiences that individuals go through in their journeys.
Yan Oi Sei Chinese Family Support Group will start on 6 March 2012. You will find the group at East Health Trust 260 Botany Road Howick, on the first Tuesday of the month, 10am-12 noon. For more information contact Wendy on 378 9134
December 2011:
This month I attended for the first time, the Regional Consumer Network’s (Auckland) monthly forum which is held at the Western Springs Garden Community Hall. The RCN Consumer Forum is an open forum that provides opportunities for the sharing of information from the mental health and addictions sectors.
The four presenters at the recent July forum did a brilliant job. They were; Julian and Sandi from Mahitahi Trust presenting T.O.K.A. (which is an acronym for Toku Ora Kei Ahau - translation “My Wellness is Mine”) and the A.K.I.N.A. Peer Support programme, Dr Robert Miller from NZ Schizophrenia Research Group, speaking about service-user friendly research, and Miriam Barr from ENGAGE NZ launching their new website and celebrating the first anniversary of their online resource “The Coping Kete” which has loads of info and idea’s that can be used to enhance your wellbeing (see www.engagenz.co.nz).
It was a really interesting, informing, and inspiring forum and I’m looking forward to the next one in August. For further information, please contact staff at the Regional Consumer Network on 623 1762 or office@rcnet.co.nz
~ David Murray (SFMI Central Family/Whanau Fieldworker)
The Asian community perceives mental health and mental illness differently and that may delay the people who experience mental illness to access appropriate services. As the Asian Family Fieldworker for SFMI, Wendy has been working in collaboration with the Asian Service Development Co-ordinator-Mental Health (from Counties Manukau District Health Board) and the Mental Health Promoter from the Like Minds, Like Mine program, to promote positive perspectives of mental well-being to the Asian community.
So far they have already held three booths throughout the first half of 2011 at the following events:
1. “Botany’s Meet the Community Street Party” held at Botany Town Shopping Centre on 12 March 2011. There were about 45 community organisations and services stalls from diverse sectors coming together.
2. “Mental Well-being” seminar held by Hong Kong University Alumni Association NZ at Sewlyn Theatre on 17 April 2011.
3. “Chinese Women’s Health Expo” held at Alexandra Park on 11 June 2011. There were 21 stalls and around 100 people came to these events.
At the “Mental Well-being” seminar, the consultant psychiatrist Dr. Sai Wong, the clinical psychologist Ms. Meggan Lam and Associate Professor Elsie Ho were the guest speakers covering three mental wellbeing topics to over 120 Chinese in the audience.
At “Chinese Women’s Health Expo”, Wendy promoted positive concept of mental wellbeing and introduced SFMI services to an audience of 50 people. There were 127 people who approached the booths and participated in the Quiz and Prizes draw at these events. The Quiz and Prizes aimed to help the participants to understand mental health services and the services provided by SFMI, Mental Health Foundation and Counties Manukau DHB.
Helping the Asian community to have better understanding of mental well-being and mental illness definitely will empower the family/whanau and their loved one to seek help without delay.
