From the CEO
Hello everyone
May was another jam-packed month for One Door! On World Schizophrenia Awareness Day on 24 May we welcomed over 230 people to our Symposium in Parramatta and online. We were joined by Stephanie Gunn from the NDIS Review team and we invited our guests to work in groups to provide feedback to the Review and on what good supports look like for people with psychosocial disability. Thank you to all who attended and to our speakers: Catherine Lourey (NSW Mental Health Commission), Meredith Coote (Your Connections Matter), Mark Heeney (Mind Australia), Margo Ward (KidsXpress), Elise Dettman and Dr Matthew Lewis (ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation), Carla Haroutonian and Professor Anthony Harris (University of Sydney), and Dr Richard Schweizer, Luke Eldridge, Rachael Johnstone, Janine Kabir, and Christopher Brunia (One Door Mental Health).
We also launched our new, easier to navigate website at the Symposium and I encourage you to take a look here. Our website also features new videos where we walk alongside carer Andi, Peer Worker Adam, and clubhouse member Max on their recovery journeys.
The second big event in May was our All Staff Day. Due to the COVID pandemic, this was the first opportunity we have had since 2019 to safely bring together in one room our 200+ staff from across NSW. As well as hearing from our Board, our Recovery 2gether Institute Principal Vivien Tait, and guest speakers including Kirli Saunders OAM and Nerissa Trindade, our teams participated in individual and group activities to strengthen our understanding of One Door’s values, way of working, and the services provided by our teams. We also had fun with trivia, team photos, and mindful colouring, and celebrated the hard work and dedication of our longest serving staff members, including eight who have been with us for between 10-15 years. It was also wonderful to meet some new faces and be able to spend the day together as a whole team.
On Tuesday 20 June, One Door will join people across the globe in acknowledging the courage, contributions, and unique needs of refugees on United Nations World Refugee Day. To find out about mental health supports for migrants and refugees, I encourage you to call the Transcultural Mental Health Line on 1800 648 911. Men’s Health Week is also in June, and you can read more about loneliness and men’s mental health in this article. If you are interested in mental health research and social determinants of health and wellbeing, you may be interested in the Australian Psychosis Conference, hosted by Psychosis Australia. Early bird tickets are available on their website until 30 June, with the Conference being held in Sydney in September.
Until next month…
Kathi