Mental Health Commission of Western Australia

Yesterday, our Commissioner Maureen Lewis attended the official opening of WA’s first Gidget House, in Harrisdale. The Gidget Foundation Australia is a not-for-profit that provides perinatal mental health support to expectant, new and potential parents. Its expansion to WA is welcome news for Western Australian families needing support. For more information about Gidget Foundation Australia, visit https://lnkd.in/gRRAtMy

Today on #InternationalDayofPeoplewithDisabilities, we are raising awareness about the #HiddenDisabilities Sunflower. The sunflower is a tool for people to voluntarily share they have a disability or condition others may not be able to see. Hidden disabilities can be neurological, cognitive and neurodevelopmental, as well as physical, visual and auditory. If a person with an invisible disability wears the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower symbol, it communicates they may need a helping hand, understanding or more time in public spaces. For more information visit www.hdsunflower.com/au/ Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand #BeSeenWithSunflower #MakingTheInvisibleVisible

Today is International Day of People with Disability. 💚 💙 🧡 The 2024 theme is ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’. There are 5.5 million people with disability in Australia, and today shines a light on the importance of creating an inclusive and diverse community. For more information, visit www.idpwd.com.au International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) #IDPwD #IDPwD2024

What a successful day at the Osborne Park Show over the weekend! Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a chat. We had lots of interesting conversations with local residents, many of whom shared fantastic feedback about the proposed Youth Step Up/Step Down service. To find out more about this service visit https://lnkd.in/gFPgDnCU Thanks to the City of Stirling (Western Australia) for having us!

Last chance to have your say! There’s still time to contribute your thoughts on the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2025-2030 (the Strategy)! We want to hear from people who have a lived or living experience of mental health and/or alcohol and/or other drugs, including families and significant others, as well as professionals, organisations, service providers and the wider community. Submissions close today at 5pm. To find out how you can share your feedback visit https://lnkd.in/gctN2emq.

Thanks to everyone who attended our regional workshops! Your feedback has been invaluable and will help us ensure the new Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2025-2030 (the Strategy) meets the needs of individuals, families, communities and services across the state. We have also been working with some amazing organisations to hear from specific population groups about the Strategy, including @Alcohol and Other Drug Consumer & Community Coalition, @Consumers of Mental Health WA, @HelpingMinds, @AHCWA (Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia), @Multicultural Services Centre of WA, @Living Proud, and People With Disabilities WA. If you are still interested in providing feedback, please visit https://lnkd.in/gctN2emq to find out how. Submissions close Monday 2 December 2024 at 5pm.

This morning we hosted our last regional workshop in Port Hedland, where community members and service providers provided valuable contributions to inform the development of our new Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs 2025-2030 Strategy. If you’d also like to share your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you! Visit https://lnkd.in/gctN2emq to find out how you can provide feedback. Submissions close Monday 2 December at 5pm.

We are recruiting members for the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board (AODAB)! The AODAB provides advice to the Mental Health Commissioner on anything related to Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) and ensures decision-making is informed by contemporary and expert advice. Expressions of Interest are now open and can be found via https://lnkd.in/gTatzBpw If you have relevant expertise, please take a moment to consider applying. Applications will close at 5pm on Friday 13 December 2024.

Day one of the Mental Health Conference was a success! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit us. Our team will be here again today for guests to come visit – be sure to take some of our free merch home! #WAMentalHealthConference #PerthConventionCentre

Eleven people and organisations were awarded for their outstanding contributions to WA’s mental health sector at the WA Mental Health Awards on Monday night. Our Executive Director of Governance and Corporate Services, Matt Richardson, presented the Lived Experience Impact and Inspiration Award, sponsored by the Mental Health Commission, to deserving winner Joanne Khan. To see the full list of award winners, visit https://lnkd.in/gHwpGnQ7. 📷 credit Western Australian Association for Mental Health