Search

Objectives: The present paper aims to: (i) describe how the Mental Health Commission in New Zealand works and has contributed to the substantial enhancement of mental health resources and services; (ii) determine whether mental health reform policies will ever be implemented properly without an independent monitor with official influence at the highest levels of government; and (iii) demonstrate how variants on this model work in other Western countries and how it can be adapted to the Federated system in Australia.Conclusions: It is recommended that the Australian National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008 should be complemented by a long-standing national mental health commission (or similarly constituted body), which is also able to report independently from and to the government, with direct access to the Prime Minister, Premiers and Australian Health Ministers. Its aims would be to monitor service effectiveness and identify gaps in service provision, training and performance of the work force, management and government. It would be informed by consumer, carer and provider experience, and by reviews of evidence-based research regarding health needs and cost-effective services. It should accurately cost such service gaps, and advise government on a strategy for implementing them. It could also promote and advise formally on enhancing community awareness, decreasing stigma and discrimination and improving workforce recruitment and retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports that a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) discussion paper has identified a number of strategies to address the shortage of psychiatrists and the recruitment of trainee psychiatrists. Paper presented by RANZCP to the Australian Department of Health and Aging; Commitment of the RANZCP to developing effective partnerships with a range of mental health professions.

The paper considers empirical data drawn from reform of a large Australian public sector organization in the context of debate about reform of public sector organizations. It provides an ethnographic account of new public management that confounds propositions drawn from literatures both sympathetic and antithetical to this reform process. Empirically, we find that sedimented bureaucratic principles and innovative 'enterprising' freedom produce new power games around contradictory and unresolved dualisms. Neither reform hopes nor liberal anxieties are supported: instead, we identify continuing points for pressure in the organizational politics of bureaucratic reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant role of the community in the lives of children and youth at-risk has become increasingly clear to social work academics and professionals over the last three decades. Alongside the more traditional individual and family responses, community interventions have been designed to catalyze change in the environment of children and youth at-risk and supply holistic and sustainable responses to their needs. Ten such community intervention programs were identified from the United States, Australia, Canada, and Israel. Most employed the community development model, focused on developing leadership and social capital (improving community networking) and advancing coordination between the organizations and sectors in the field of risk among children and youth. The diverse programs reviewed focused both on at-risk children and youth in general or specifically on child abuse and neglect. The programs originated from different health, education, and welfare disciplines and sponsoring authorities. The majority were funded originally by private foundations; however, government involvement was significant, particularly in the adoption and support of initiatives after their development. The current analysis of the programs refers to core issues that arose from the review: professional orientation, main target unit, main initiator, and research and evaluation. Analysis of program characteristics enables identifying relevant aspects of these programs for use by policy, governmental, and nonprofit sector stakeholders seeking to develop similar programs. Conclusions and recommendations to advance the field are suggested considering the current context of government cuts in welfare funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article profiles pastor and missionary Vinay Kumar Samuel. It states that the pastor was deeply taught to love Bible study by Christian missionaries from Australia during his early Christian years. According to the author, Samuel's friendship with Christian colleagues from other countries has led him to establish the fellowship called Partnership in Mission-Asia.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to present a model of working with a community controlled health organization to develop an evidence base that will be used to inform program development and delivery. Results: Through the examination of this and other models health professionals can find answers to questions around how to gather evidence of how interventions work (or do not work), for whom and in what circumstances. Using evidence of this kind to inform planning processes and decision making will facilitate improved, sustained health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an exploratory examination of the projected sustainability of more than 100 projects funded by the Australian government. Using data collected by the body that evaluated the projects and data from a government database, it examines the predictors of various forms of sustainability. Findings show that some two thirds of the project leaders who expected their programs to continue after the expiration of the initial funding expected them to continue with the same activities and target population; almost half envisioned them diversifying to new activities, target groups, or locations. Auspice organization involvement increased the expectation that the project would be continued, project effectiveness decreased that expectation, and diversity of initial funding became less important as other sources of support and sustainability were taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the political economy of one of Australia's prominent football codes: Rugby League. A Marxist-influenced political economy approach is used to emphasize processes of domination, subordination, and resistance in the production and reproduction of power relations within capitalist sporting relations and structures. Analysis, framed around the concepts of MediaSport and the media sport cultural complex, shows how Rugby League is bound up in both national and global media processes. Key areas under examination include the historical development of the commodification of Rugby League, the growth of the media sport cultural complex, the role of pay television and the control of Rugby League vested in the transnational company News Corporation, and the supporter resistance to corporate media control in the sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the issues facing the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). Need to deal with the parlous state of mental health services in Australia and New Zealand; Shortage of beds for the acutely disturbed patients; Inadequate community-based services; Difficulties in gaining access to services for people with psychiatric disorders.

Presents a summary of the decisions of the General Council of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) at its meeting in Melbourne, Australia in October 2004. Strategic issues; Education and training; College affairs; Financial affairs; Professional affairs.