Nidjalla Waangan Mia (NWM) started a 6-week walking program for their clients to encourage activity and getting outdoors.  There are so many lovely walking paths and trails around Mandurah, they decided to make the most of them.  Each week a different location was selected and everyone who participated received something each week.  Both as an incentive and reward.
 
The students undertaking work experience at NWM stepped in and designed the information flyers for each week. 
 
Each week, participants were given the meeting place and if needed, the NWM was used to help with transport.  Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before starting the walk asking about their regular planned physical activity, if they had a goal for the number of steps they wanting to reach each day and what they wanted to get out of their walk.
 
Each week, the team from NWM walked along with the participants, including NWM Outreach workers, Care Coordinator and Sexual Health Nurse.  The walks provide an environment for conversation and sharing ideas and it has been great to see children coming along to enjoy the great outdoors and explore Mandurah.
 
Week One
The first walk was along the Mandurah Foreshore to the visitors centre to view the , Yaburgurt Art Work and the Contemporary Art Space, finishing with cuppa at TODs café. 
Everyone who came along for the walk was given a Smart Fitness Tracker which is worn on wrist and can be paired to their smart phones to help track steps.  Participants were encouraged to come back for subsequent walks and their steps were recorded after each walk. 
 
Week Two
The second walk was held on the Osprey Waters walk path. Participants were given a pair of socks at the end of the walk along with a picnic morning tea.  The weather started getting a bit unpredictable this week so we had fewer participants.
 
Week Three
The third walk began at Mandurah Museum.  We walked under the new bridge to the bike hire shop near the visitors centre to have wheel chair tyres pumped up by the very kind bike hire man. The group finished at Bay café for coffee.  This week participants were given a NWM cap and water bottle at the end of walk.
 
Week Four
The group took in the lovely Joseph and Dulcie Nannup trial this week.  To spice things up we played  walking bingo – first to spot a park bench, rubbish bin , pelican – to challenge participants and add some fun.  We shared a picnic on the path amidst stunning scenery.  Participants were given a copy of “More Deadly Tucker Cook Book “ Deadly!
 
Week Five
This week we met at the Novara foreshore to take the Falcon Estuary Walk.  Again, we shared a picnic on the path to enjoy the surroundings.  Everyone got a NWM lunch box and cover.
8 participants
 
 
There is one more walk planned before the end of the six week program, which has been rescheduled due to the continued rain.
 
At the last walk, to be held at the Henry Sutton Reserve , we will finish with a raffle and BBQ and will ask if the participants to complete a survey to ask if they found the walks valuable, places for future walks, if other activities should be considered and ideas for improvement. 
 
The intention is for the walks to continue once the participants surveys are collated and with further planning about activities and locations.  If you are interested in joining.  Get in touch with the team at NWM.

Launched in 2019, Hearing Australia’s ongoing ‘Hearing Assessment Program — Early Ears’ or HAPEE, aims to engage communities and healthcare professionals with a focus on encouraging early and regular assessments for children before they reach school age.
Through the HAPEE Program, Hearing Australia now work with communities across metro, regional, and remote Australia to tackle hearing loss and the long term affects of ear disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in order to give them the best chance at fully participating in school and in life.
All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children not yet attending full time school are eligible for a free hearing check. This service is now available across the country, as the program has expanded to care for more communities in urban, regional and metro areas.
Since the launch of HAPEE, over 6,000 assessments have taken place for some 5,000 children in 180 communities nationally. To date, Hearing Australia has identified over 1,100 children with undiagnosed hearing loss and helped them to get the care they need.
Gumbaynggirr, Dhungatti, Yamatji and Bibbulman musician, Emma Donovan is urging other parents and carers to have their children’s ears checked regularly. Emma’s youngest child’s hearing loss was detected early.
“From birth, my daughter has had regular appointments with Hearing Australia,” she said. 
“I had a lot of questions. I was a little bit frightened and I was unsure about things. What Hearing Australia did for me and my daughter was help us to understand more about her deafness and what kind of deafness it was.”
“My biggest concern was always worrying about my daughter’s learning ability with hearing loss and the impact it might have on things that I want to teach her. I want to teach her traditional songs in language. That’s important for me to pass down to my kids”
Emma highlighted that the regular appointments and check-ups have helped her to feel more secure.

At the start of the 2022 National Reconciliation Week (NRW) , we have been given a chance to reflect on all this means for GP down south, our staff, clients and community.

The National Reconciliation Week theme, “Be Brave. Make Change” is a challenge to all Australians— individuals, families, communities, organisations and government—to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians.
It is encouraging to see participation in local events grow every year.  The Bridge walk in Bunbury had over 2000 participants this year and there are events scheduled for around the Peel and South West regions over the coming week.  The City of Busselton held it’s inaugural walk today along the Foreshore with a strong turnout.

Our vision for reconciliation is;
“Mutual trust, respect and understanding between local communities and GPds that results in continual and successful action to address local inequalities in the health status and life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

We are making a start on the path to healing and hope we can gather everyone along in the journey.

If you are looking for ways to get involved here are some events:
Bunbury
Noongar Country opens tonight at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.
This is an annual exhibition featuring artworks from established and emerging Indigenous artists living and working on Noongar Boodja. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../opening-ceremony-i...
BREC will be screening Off Country at a free movie night on Wednesday 1 June - details here: https://www.bunburyentertainment.com/whats-on/off-country/
Head over to the South West Sports Centre for a game of mixed volleyball on Wednesday 1 June.
A family barbecue will be held on Friday 3 June at Koombana Bay - for details please visit Yaka Dandjoo Events.
 
Mandurah
MARC
Visit our information board about Reconciliation Week and this year’s theme: Be Brave. Make Change. 
Activities will include:

• Little Hands decorating in the foyer. Add your Reconciliation hands to our Reconciliation Week display board
• Colouring ins and pencil packs to take home
• Reconciliation activities for children in the Creche

Lakelands Drop-In

• Dot painting and colouring artwork 

Young Yorgas 

• As well as clay pot work and the Deadly Chef Program

Thrive Young Women’s Program

• Bush walk, quiz and self reflection

BDYC Drop-In

• Making damper and dot painting

Reconciliation Week 2022 | City of Mandurah

Exercise Right Week is an annual awareness campaign held in the last full week of May every year. This year it is 23 – 27 May.  Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has aimed to highlight the benefits of exercise for health and well-being, and to help Australians to understand where to get the “right” advice for their individual needs.
The campaign is brought to you by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). ESSA is the peak body for exercise and sports science professionals in Australia and is dedicated to helping Australians live healthier and more active lives.
Despite knowing exercise is good for us, half of all Aussie adults aren’t moving enough. A lot of the conversation around exercise turns it into a chore or punishment, creating a negative relationship between our minds and movement. We want to change that.
It’s not about weight loss. It’s not a punishment. Exercise is a celebration of your body. We’re designed to move!
This Exercise Right Week, we want to highlight some of the incredible physical, mental and social benefits of exercise (that have NOTHING to do with the number on the scale!).  Our Exercise Physiologist, Olivia is here to help and has some great tips for you.
 
What is an Exercise Physiologist? - An Accredited Exercise Physiologist specialises in clinical interventions for people with a broad range of health issues.
These include;

• Cardiovascular disease (hypertension etc.)
• Metabolic disease (diabetes etc.)
• Neurological disease (stroke etc.)
• Musculoskeletal
• Respiratory / pulmonary disease
• Mental health

The aims of exercise physiology interventions are to prevent or manage acute or chronic disease and/or injury and assist in restoring optimal physical function, health or wellness.
Our top 5 tips for exercise:

1. Do something you enjoy, but don’t always expect to enjoy it;
2. Do it for you and not others – see it as an investment in your health;
3. Its not only about the gym – you can be active in lots of different ways;
4. See it as quality time, away from work, family, phones, laptops;
5. Make it a priority, but it doesn’t have to be the main one.

Head over to the GP down south Facebook page for more hints and tips every day of Exercise Right Week. 

For the 5th year, the Pinjarra and Waroona Football & Netball Clubs are holding the annual Mental Health Clash.
 
The Pinjarra FNC and Waroona FNC are coming together once again along with the PFNL Umpires, to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health whilst supporting and raising funds for Peel Youth Medical Services.
 
This year; the club who records the most wins from Netball and Football will be rewarded the Mental Health Clash Cup. A medal will be presented to the Best on Ground (BOG) decided by the umpires.
 
The Peel Mobile Health Service van will be at the Netball match on Friday night and at the game on Saturday.
 
Donation tins will be around or simply purchase a raffle ticket as all funds raised will go directly to PYMS. Auto One Pinjarra the major sponsor for the day, have a FREE raffle to enter, you’ll receive your raffle slip at the gate on Saturday. please fill it out and pop it in the box at the bar/canteen or Auto One table
 
Please head down and support the day, and take advantage of all the Mental Health Services available and ask any of your burning questions.
 
We are extremely proud of how far our community have come with this day and can’t wait for the weekend to battle it out on the netball court/ football oval.   It is always exciting and we are grateful for the continued support from both the Waroona and Pinjarra Football and Netball Clubs.

NETBALL
Friday 13th May
Waroona Rec Centre
Ressies & 23/U - 6.30pm
League - 8.00pm
 
FOOTBALL
Saturday 14th May
Sir Ross McLarty Oval
Womens - 10am (V Nth Mandurah)
Ressies - 12pm
League - 2pm
Colts - 4.30pm

GP down south has been successfully audited to achieve accreditation against the NMHS 2010.

The National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS) Standards, owned by the Australian Government Department of Health, were developed in 2010 as part of the National Mental Health Strategy. The NSMHS Standards are outcome-oriented and reflect a strong values base, related to human rights, dignity and empowerment.

The NSMHS Standards focus on mental health service delivery, policy direction compliance, communication and consent, and monitoring and governance procedures. The NSMHS Standards constantly support service providers to improve by focusing on areas such as service delivery, policies, standards, communication and consent, as well as consumer safety and privacy.

The auditors were very positive about the review and commented on the exemplary service services provided to clients at the closing session; the passion, commitment and knowledge of staff; and the positive culture of the organisation with a focus on continuous quality improvement.

GP down south is quite complex because of our geographic spread and the number and range of programs we provide.  The systems and policies we have in place to run the organisation smoothly impressed the auditors, who were complimentary about the outstanding service provided to clients, and that the services integrate well across the organisation. She said, “every clinician that was spoken to was able to explain the complex environment in which they worked and provided services.” This then made it very easy for her to understand the complexities of the services delivered by GPds.

We now need to develop a structured plan to support the policies and procedures to bring all the services ‘together’. Each policy needed to explain how and why each service worked, and they needed to link in with each other to support the collaborative approach we have to client care.
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The auditors went on to say that the passion and commitment of all staff was to be commended. All of the clients she spoke to gave ‘overwhelmingly glowing reports’ on the services we provide and the differences we were making in their life. 

When we talk about diversity and inclusion we pretty much mean everyone, everywhere of all abilities, skin colours, beliefs, languages, sexuality, age and gender. 

There is no doubt we live in a multicultural State.  Nearly 30% of our population was born overseas.  And for the most part we no longer blink an eye.  We have accepted and embraced multiculturalism in all areas of our community.

The most common countries of birth were England 5.9%, New Zealand 3.4%, South Africa 1.9%, Philippines 1.1% and India 0.7% and we have residents literally from all across the world throughout the Peel and South West.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the LGBTQA+ members of our community.  We have been working with the team at the Telethon Kids Institute who have provided us with some resources to help support Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities during the federal election.  
 
The federal election has been called for May 21st and we have already seen an increase in anti-trans discussion among politicians, most recently in discussion around trans women in sport.  Imagine not being recognised for you who you identify as.
 
There has also been an increase in hurtful talk around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues such as debate over our Voice in parliament.
Walkern Katatdjin is a national research project that aims to understand and promote the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Asexual + young people, and to work with services to develop appropriate interventions.

There is very little locally-specific information and guidance available for services that work with young people on how best to support someone who is both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Asexual (LGBTQA+). This means that young people (14-25 years) who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+ may not receive the same level of social support and health care as other members of the community.  Walkern Katatdjin means rainbow knowledge and their website has a host of information, useful and supportive resources.  We will be sharing these in the coming weeks, but head over there as well to see all that is on offer.

Links for some support are:
https://blackrainbow.org.au/
https://qlife.org.au/
https://www.transhub.org.au/vitality
https://headspace.org.au/
https://www.transfolkofwa.org/

​​In March 2022, the 3 Tier Youth Mental Health Program (3TYMHP) delivered an informative session on stress to the Year 11 cohort of students at Frederick Irwin Anglican School. This was facilitated by MS Teams, streaming into 5 classrooms simultaneously.

Our 3TYMHP Counsellor Jen presented on the causes of stress, the effects of stress on the body and tips on how to manage and reduce stress.

​Although the 3TYMHP was postponed due to Covid 19 measures, put in place in February 2022, we continue our commitment to support schools in the Peel region.

In early March, the Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones visited the Peel region to meet with, and hear from, young people about their concerns and what matters to them.  She visited schools, Billy Dower Youth Centre, the City of Mandurah and Mandurah Youth Advisory Group, Nidjalla Waangan Mia and the Peel Health Hub.
 
Young people consistently raised concerns about safety in the community and on public transport; the environment; mental health; bullying - both at school and online; and the need for more opportunities in training and employment.
 
The concerns raised by young people throughout the visit supported the information gathered through the Commissioner’s Speaking Out Survey in 2021 and demonstrates that there is a need for a cohesive, holistic approach to service delivery to support children and young people in accessing appropriate supports at the right time.  Homelessness, poverty, wellbeing and mental health are key concerns across all cohorts with whom the Commissioner met during the visit.
 
Young people regularly commented on how much they loved the natural environment of Mandurah and the Peel region.  The Peel area is a beautiful place to live, and the Council has done very well to
ensure natural spaces and trees have been preserved in all parts of the region.  The built environment is also very respectful of the natural spaces.  The arts and cultural aspects of Mandurah are great and the community activities such as the CrabFest and Mandjar Markets.
 
The comments around improvement were improving young people’s mental health and reducing the stigma.  More events are needed to promote positive mental health to young people and educate them to get help.  More funding is required for mental health services which are very limited with long waiting times.  More employment opportunities for young people as they often leave the area to pursue higher education and then don’t return as there are fewer jobs available to them locally.

The independent Ministerial Taskforce into Public Mental Health Services for Infants, Children and Adolescents  aged 0-18 years in Western Australia (ICA Taskforce) was created in response to the tragic death of 13-year-old Kate Savage in 2020.

The ICA Taskforce was charged with investigating the pressures and demands on the state’s mental health system and reporting to Government on how to ensure children receive the treatment and care they need, when they need it.
The final report was handed down in March this year, identifying eight key actions with 32 recommendations.  Members of the Taskforce acknowledged that services need to be better integrated for a cohesive system to operate at optimal levels.

Key actions three and four describe what we are currently delivering at the Peel Health Hub – primarily collaborative services under a unique model of care.  And it goes on to say that this kind of service integration is needed state-wide.

Both the Peel Health Hub and proposed Bunbury Health Hub speak to the vision of an integrated system where children & families have timely, enduring and equal access to quality care.  The 0-18 population and demand from this demography has increased significantly in the past few years, however, funding has not kept up with the demand. 

As needs go unmet, the demand continues as the individual get older creating a vicious cycle of need and unmet demand.  The report has highlighted the Peel Health Hub as a case study (p98) of an effective model of care taking the ‘no wrong door’ approach, which is currently lacking.

GP down south has demonstrated the success of a collaborative Model of Care and looks forward to working with the Mental Health Commission and state Government to keep delivering innovative services which support the needs of the community. 

The State Government has committed to implementing all 32 recommendations.  We welcome this state-wide reform and look forward to the increased service efficiency it can deliver.

You can read the full report here. 
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