Category Archives: Support

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
VenueOnline
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST
Cost: Free
Register: click here to register
If you have enquiries regarding registration please call (03) 8413 8413.

Urgent Care Clinics

Urgent Care during the holiday season 

If your patients require urgent but non-life-threatening care during the holiday closure period, direct them to Victoria’s Urgent Care Services for faster help.

Patients can get the right care at the right time with Victorian’s range of Urgent Care Services, which are available across Victoria.

Benefits

  • Free and open to all, no Medicare card needed
  • No appointment or GP referral required
  • Staffed by urgent care doctors and nurses
  • Faster care with no waiting in a hospital emergency department

Available services

Extracts from Mental Health Australia CEO Weekly Update 13 November 2024

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Inner South Family and Friends Support Group Meeting and Social Events

ISFAF MONTHLY MEETING:  7pm Tuesday 12 November 2024

GUEST SPEAKER:  Associate Professor Simon Stafrace, Programme Director, Alfred Mental and Addiction Health (AMAH)

TOPIC:  Continuing Implementation of the Royal Commission into Mental Health. Growth of AMAH services and what it means to you  

All carers, family and friends of individuals are welcome to attend, as are members of Staff (Team AMAH).  A light supper provided by our committee is served from 7.05 pm, enabling mingling among individuals. No need to book for our monthly meetings. They are free, however, a small contribution is always extremely welcome.

VENUE:  Level 4, 549 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, a little to the city side of Wesley College, 549 is easily recognisable by white umbrellas in the forecourt. Lots of free parking in the centre lanes of St Kilda Road, with trams stopping at the door. If you are having trouble with transport, seek further information or just need a chat, about ISFAF and/or issues faced by carers please phone Judi on 0425 723 746 or Eleni on 0412 018 722.  For security, we are required to pay a concierge at the door of the building.

Sunday 24 November (subsidised) Lunch and Theatre: 11.30am at Parkers Café 79 Parkers Rd Parkdale (110m from station, free street parking nearby)

DAHLIN! IT’S THE JEANNE LITTLE SHOW at Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd Parkdale

Dahlin! It’s the Jeanne Little Show moves seamlessly between story and song. Jeanne’s humble beginnings, her years in London, successful marriage the many famous people she met along the way and her attempts to be both mother and TV star are all delightfully covered. With a fantastic batch of hit songs from many eras. Shirley Bassey, Marlene Dietrich, Anne Murray, Lulu, the stories are wrapped in warmth and Jeanne’s own brand of zany, irrepressible humour.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY KIERAN CARROLL   Kieren, son of our beloved member Frank is a prestigious playwright with many international and local productions to his credit:  https://kierancarroll.com/    Starring Caroline Ferguson.

Booking Details: Booking includes the theatre and your choice of up to $25 from the menu of Parkers Café on the day. There will be an ‘honesty jar’ for choices above $25. There is no need to make your menu choice ahead but you must arrive 11.30am sharp to enable the kitchen to have meals ready in time for you to enjoy the food before the show.  The menu is available at: https://parkerscafe.com.au/menu-2

The theatre is small, already heavily booked. Book asap to ensure your seat.

To Book

  1. Deposit donation $18 pensioners, $30 non-pensioners to Westpac ISFAF Community One Account BSB 033-169  A/c No: 258307. 

2.  Make sure your deposit shows your name

3.  Email  judi.burstyner@gmail.com  with proof of booking and names of all individuals in your booking

  1. expect a confirmation via email on Wednesday 20 November. If you don’t receive a confirmation by 8pm please email  judi.burstyner@gmail.com urgently.

Bookings will close when sold out or by 5pm Tuesday 19 November, whichever occurs first.  Seating IS limited.

*We are very grateful to Alfred Mental and Addiction Health for their financial support, making this and other heavily subsidised ISFAF events possible.

Excerpts from Mental Health Foundation Weekly Update 30 October 2024

 

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Talking Point Free Seminar Series 27 November 2024

Talking Point – 27th November 2024, 1pm – 2pm – ONLINE

Family Drug Treatment Court: Improving outcomes for parents experiencing addiction and their children in child protection proceedings, presented by
Matt Wilson – Statewide Program Manager, Family Drug Treatment Court – Children’s Court of Victoria

This presentation will showcase the Children’s Court of Victoria’s Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC). The FDTC is a 12 month judicially monitored, solution-focussed court approach that seeks to engage parents whose children have been removed from the care due to parental substance misuse of dependence with the aim of achieving safe and sustainable family reunification.Through an exploration of the Family Drug Treatment Court, the webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to:

  • Understand the operations of the Family Drug Treatment Court in the Children’s Court of Victoria
  • Understand how solution-focused court-based approaches lead to significantly higher and more sustainable rates of family reunification for parents who have experienced addiction.

Matt Wilson is the Statewide Program Manager of the Family Drug Treatment Court in the Children’s Court of Victoria and led the court to be awarded the 2019 Victorian Protecting Children Awards prestigious Robin Clark ‘Making A Difference’ Award. Matt has an almost 30 year history working in a range of statutory, clinical, leadership and managerial roles across the children, youth and families sector. Matt’s academic qualifications lie in Social Work, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health, Child and Family Practice Leadership, and Addiction science.Matt is 2020 Churchill Fellow, and a 2023 Policy Impact Fellow through the University of Queensland’s Centre for Policy Futures and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Date: Wednesday 27th November 2024
VenueOnline
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST
Cost: Free
Register: click here to register


If you have enquiries regarding registration please call (03) 8413 8413.

Inner South Family and Friends Support Group Meeting and World Mental Health Day Social Function

ISFAF MONTHLY MEETING  7pm for 7.30 pm TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER 2024

GUEST SPEAKER  Robbert Roos, Victorian Legal Aid
TOPIC  Effective Legal Help and how to Get It

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 7.05 pm, enabling chatting and mingling.  Learn from individuals sharing similar challenging journeys.  No need to book for our monthly meetings. They are free.  However, a small contribution is always extremely welcome.
VENUE  Level 4, 549 St Kilda Road, Melbourne  a little to the city side of Wesley College, 549 is easily recognisable by white umbrellas in the forecourt. 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 and/or issues faced by carers please phone: Judi 0425 723 746 or Eleni 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.

World Mental Health Day Lunch Thursday 10 October 2024

There is something called a ‘Free Lunch’  (though it comes after  much hard work) In appreciation of the work by team members of AMAH, please join Inner South Family and Friends at a buffet lunch on World Mental Health Day Thursday 10 October 12.30pm – 2.30pm  at 549 St Kilda Rd Melbourne.

For catering purposes, please RSVP to isfaf@alfred.org.au  by Monday 7 October.  You are very welcome to assist by bringing a plate, but please do not feel obliged to do so

If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact Judi directly on 0425 723 746 or judi.burstyner@gmail.com