Category Archives: News

Talking Point Free Seminar Series

Gender differences in substance use disorders:
Implications for treatment
presented by Dr Shelly Greenfield, MD, MPH

For details of presentation & to register click here

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Talking Point 30th April 2025

Drug use trajectories in Melbourne:
How longitudinal studies can help us better understand people who use drugs
presented by Peter Higgs (PhD, BSW) is a Burnet Principal Research Fellow and Honorary in the Department of Public Health at La Trobe University

For details of presentation & to register click here

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Inner South Family and Friends monthly meetings and social events March/April 2025

 

Please note the new address for our office and venue for our March Meeting. 

607 St Kilda Road is on the same side of St Kilda Road as for our previous meetings but closer the junction. Our monthly meetings will generally be held at 607 (not 549 as previously). However, for our April meeting we have received acceptances from local candidates for the 2025 Federal Election. Accordingly, our meeting planned for Tuesday 8 April will held in the Pavilion in Caulfield Park. Politicians need voters. Politicians respond to numbers. All are welcome to our April meeting, whether carers or otherwise. Please bring your family, friends (or even enemies!) who may be interested to meet the local candidates informally and to put their views and questions. Politicians may respond more favourably when they see those impacted by mental health are a large group of lovely individuals faced by challenges with which the government can help. Democracy provides power to numbers. 

ISFAF MONTHLY MEETING 7pm for 7.30pm TUESDAY 11 MARCH 2025 

GUEST SPEAKER: Dr Parsons is a Medical GP who has practised Integrative Medicine (IM) for as long as I can recall. IM enables the mind and body to work in an integrated way to focus on the body’s ability to heal itself. IM has success in a wide range of issues including mental health. In 2004, Sandy gained an award from the National Institute of Integrative Medicine (NIIM https://niim.com.au/about) for her outstanding contribution to Integrative Medicine. 

TOPIC: Integrative perspective on stress and mood management 

All Carers, family and friends of individuals are welcome to attend. We especially welcome Team Members of AMAH. 

A light supper provided by our committee is served from 7.05 pm, enabling mingling among individuals sharing similar challenging journeys. ISFAF monthly meetings are free. No need to book. 

However, a small contribution is always extremely welcome. 

VENUE: LEVEL 1, 607 ST KILDA ROAD, MELBOURNE – a little to the St Kilda side of Wesley College. Lots of free parking in the centre lanes of St Kilda Road, with many trams stopping at the door. If you are having trouble with transport, seek further information or just need a chat, about ISFAF, the ‘mental health world’ and/or issues you are facing,  please phone Judi on 0425 723 746 or Eleni on 0412 018 722.  Please come early to chat and to enjoy delicious snacks which will be available from 7.05pm 

For security, we are required to pay a concierge at the door of the building. Latecomers may not be able to enter. 

ELWOOD BEACH WALK ‘N CHAT ON THE 1ST, 3RD AND FIFTH (WHERE APPLICABLE) TUESDAY OF THE MONTH 

PLEASE NOTE that by demand – it has been decided that Walk n Chats are so enjoyable that we will include the fifth Tuesday of the month (when there is one!) Family members, including canines are very welcome. Walkers generally meet at 1pm, with non-walkers joining us at 2.15pm for a drink provided by ISFAF. 

Please book on the day prior to walk or by 10am on the day of the walk: Ph: Alexis 0423 939 949 

Meeting place will be advised when you book. Bookings are essential – times and starting points may vary, 

Some 2025 Tuesday Walk ‘n Chat dates to diarise: 4, 18 March, 1, 15, 29 April. 

If you need help with transport or have other questions, please do not hesitate to contact Judi at  judi.burstyner@gmail.com or home on 0425 723 746. 

Events are planned for fun and an important opportunity to chat with and influence local candidates in the coming federal election. Democracy is precious. Tuesday 8 April is your opportunity to make good use of this gift.

PRE-ELECTION FORUM: Tuesday 8 April 7.30pm (following 7.00pm light supper): Caulfield Park Pavilion 

We have invited local candidates from ALP, Liberals, Greens and an Independent. Tim Wilson from the electorate of Goldstein and Sonya Semmens from Macnamara have accepted. We await responses from Josh Burns, of Macnamara and from Zoe Daniels of Goldstein. 

ISFAF has a strong commitment to advocating for better assistance to individuals caught in the mental health sector, both our loved ones and we as carers. Reminding candidates that we are a large number who may influence their success or otherwise at the coming polls provides every one of us with a true means to make use of democratic process. The onus is on YOU. Democracy is the best form of government among many other not so good and very bad forms. Please make use of the process that many have given their lives to protect for us. Don’t waste the opportunity. Diarize the event and circulate it among everyone you know. Ask them to join us – we need LOTS of people in the audience. It is not essential that they be carers. By coming along, they show that they care about the election and that they are among the millions of voters who are connected to someone challenged directly or less directly by mental health issues. 

Inner South Family and Friends Social Function

SATURDAY 15 MARCH Subsidised Lunch in the City and visit to Art Exhibition: Works by Alexandra Lewisohn

Alexandra Lewisohn

Still
4 March – 15 March 2025

hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 12pm – 7pm
Saturdays: 12pm – 4pm
admission: Free
…what started as a series of quick, robust still lives in oil became more involved…

 

https://fortyfivedownstairs.com/event/still-2/

Midday: Private Tour 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne and/or revisit or visit the exhibition after lunch till 4pm or at any time that suits you during the exhibition.  See above link for details.

Please note there is a long, very steep staircase with 28 steps leading down to the exhibition.  If you have mobility/ balance /falls challenges, the risk is too great for you to attend this exhibition.

After achieving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics, Alexander gained a Post Graduate Diploma of Teaching Visual Art from the University of Melbourne.  She has held a number of exhibitions and gained prestigious awards for her work. We are fortunate that we have the opportunity for a private tour of her gorgeous,  current work.

1pm: Subsidised lunch at Fonda Mexican Cantina.    https://fondamexican.com.au/menu/

Please note: Our lunch venue is adjacent to fortyfivedownstairs and also has some stairs. Not as many as fortyfivedownstairs but please refer to the picture on Fonda’s website to judge whether you are safe in joining us for lunch. You are very welcome to attend lunch even if you can’t make it to the gallery. If you have any questions, please phone Penny on 0400 979 976 but bookings must be made to her email at pmal@catullus.com.au

To Book: Please:

  1. choose your lunch orders from the menu attached. ISFAF will subsidise up to $31 per person (excluding alcohol). At lunch, there will be an honesty jar for orders above $31,
  2. Per person – pay $8 pensioners / $16 non-pensioners to: Westpac ISFAF Community One Account BSB 033-169 A/c No: 258307
  3.  Send:
    • proof of payment and
    • your lunch order to: pmal@catullus.com.au by noon Wednesday 12 March and
    • advise the names of all individuals for whom you have booked.Lunch orders and proof of payment must be received by Penny by noon Wednesday 12 March.

Alfred Health Carer Services January – March 2025 Events Program

AHCS January – March 2025 events

This program covers events scheduled from January – March 2025. In the program you will find all the information you need to know about the events, and how to join in.Remember all our events are FREE!Lots of our events have availability, but some of our events have limited places.  Where places are limited, please register to express your interest and we will email you if we are able to offer you a place.  As a subscriber to our e-Newsletter you can find out about new events, updates or changes to the events program.Make sure you also keep an eye on the “What’s On” section of our website for any updates to the calendar (changes to the program or added events).If you have any further questions call us on 9076 6644.
To view the program or to register your interest, click below
January – March 2025 events program

Turning Point Research Roundup Newsletter

 

Research Roundup

Welcome to the February edition
of Turning Point’s Research Roundup newsletter.
In this edition:
Subscribe here

Katherine Whetton Chief Officer Mental Health and Wellbeing – Mobile Pill Testing Service Update 30 January 2025

Mobile pill testing service update
Image shows a festival stage and crowd dancing
Victoria’s pill testing service commenced at Beyond The Valley festival in December. During the four day festival, staff tested more than 600 samples and spoke to more than 700 festival goers.
Of these, 70 per cent said that it was the first discussion they have had with a health professional about drug and alcohol safety. About 40 per cent of those using the service said they planned to use a smaller amount of drugs after using the service.
The mobile drug checking service will attend up to 10 festivals and events throughout the 18-month implementation trial.
The Victorian Government has announced the next festivals and events to have pill testing during the 2024-25 music festival season. The service will operate at:
  • Hardmission at Werribee Racecourse on 8 February 2025
  • Pitch Music & Arts Festival in Moyston from 7 to 11 March 2025
  • Ultra at Flemington Racecourse on 12 April 2025
  • The Warehouse Project at Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts (PICA) on 25 April 2025.
Pill testing helps people make more informed choices by showing them what’s really in their drugs. Understanding the risks helps them make safer choices, significantly reducing the chance of accidental overdoses – the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Victoria.
A fixed site service is due to open in mid-2025 and operate from inner Melbourne, close to nightlife and transport.
Read more on the Better Health Channel.

Inner South Family and Friends Carer Support Group Meeting 11 February 2025

Please note our new office address and venue for our February Meeting, 607 St Kilda Road is just a little closer to St Kilda junction. Our monthly meetings will generally be held at 607 (not 549 as previously). However for our March or April meetings we may invite individuals who are local candidates for the 2025 Federal Election. If so, that meeting may be held in a venue other than 607 St Kilda Road. Please diarise the dates of our meetings – always the 2nd Tuesday of the month – eg 11 March, 8 April, 13 June. Please remember – politicians need voters, so if we do hold a forum with candidates, please bring your family, friends and anyone who may be interested to meet the local candidates. They will be able to meet local candidates informally and the mental health world may respond more favourably when they see those impacted by mental health are a large group. Politics is a power in numbers. 

ISFAF MONTHLY MEETING 7pm for 7.30pm TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2025 

GUEST SPEAKER:  MICHAEL WHITE, Carer Engagement Team, Alfred Health Carer Services (AHCS).
TOPIC: CARER GATEWAY AND CARER SELF CARE
All Carers, family and friends of individuals are welcome to attend, as are all members of Staff (‘Team AMAH’)  A  light supper provided by our committee is served from 7.05pm, enabling mingling among individuals sharing similar challenging journeys. ISFAF monthly meetings are free. No need to book. However, a small contribution is always extremely welcome. 

VENUE: Level 1, 607 St Kilda Road, Melbourne – a little to the St Kilda side of Wesley College. Lots of free parking in the centre lanes of St Kilda Road and in High Street, with many trams stopping at the door. If you are having trouble with transport, seek further information or just need a chat, about ISFAF. The ‘mental health world’ and/or issues faced by carers please phone: Judi mobile 0425 723 746 or Eleni mobile 0412 018 722  For security, we are required to pay a concierge at the door of the building. Latecomers may not be able to enter. 

 We are grateful to Alfred Mental and Addiction Health (AMAH) for their continued generous support, Including providing us with a lovely office, office facilities and venue for our meetings. 

Turning Point Free Seminar Series

 

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy has shown promising safety and efficacy in treating depression, substance use disorders, and end-of-life distress. Although many trials report reductions in anxiety symptoms, no study to date has directly tested psilocybin’s effectiveness in treating a primary anxiety disorder. Relatedly, while both psychedelic therapists often claim that prior personal experience with psychedelics is crucial for developing therapeutic competence, no study has assessed this before.
We conducted two world-first studies with psilocybin: one focused on therapist training and the other on treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). In the therapist training study, 14 therapist volunteers underwent a structured protocol involving preparation, psilocybin dosing (25 mg), and integration, with changes in self-reported professional competencies assessed. The GAD trial was a randomized active-placebo-controlled study with 73 participants, assessing the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a brief treatment protocol involving nine psychotherapy sessions and two psilocybin sessions (25 mg and 30 mg). Additional measures included quality of life, depression, and substance use.
This talk will provide an overview of the rationale, design, key outcomes, and lessons learned from both studies, and flag new and innovative research on psilocybin from our group.
Dr Paul Liknaitzky is Head of the Clinical Psychedelic Lab, and Senior Research Fellow within the Dept of Psychiatry at Monash University. He has played a central role in establishing the field of clinical psychedelic research in Australia, and is the Principal Investigator on a program of psychedelic trials.
Liknaitzky leads the country’s largest and most experienced group of psychedelic researchers and clinicians, and collaborates with numerous psychedelic groups nationally and internationally. In Australia, Liknaitzky established the first psychedelic lab, coordinated the first applied psychedelic therapist training program, obtained the first industry funding for psychedelic research, and co-convenes the Australasian Research Group on Psychedelic Science. Liknaitzky’s work is focused on investigating novel applications for psychedelic therapies, translating evidence into best clinical practice, exploring under-examined risks, delivering next-generation therapist training, and improving access and affordability.
Date: Wednesday 26th February 2025
Venue: Online
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST
Cost: Free
Register: click here to register
If you have enquiries regarding registration please call (03) 8413 8413.