About Auseinet
Who We Are
The key focus of the Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet) is to assist a range of sectors to implement mental health promotion and illness prevention approaches in their respective settings. These settings include, but are not limited to:
- mental health and health services,
- community organisations,
- schools,
- NGO's,
- educational institutions (such as TAFE and universities), and
- general practice.
Auseinet also works across all population groups.
Auseinet is a national organisation located at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.
Our Role
Our role is to:
- Provide up to date information and resources on policy, research, projects and activities in relation to promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) for mental health
- Facilitate exchange of information nationally across jurisdictions and sectors
- Translate the evidence and policy into practical tools
- Facilitate workforce development opportunities to upskill workers with the knowledge and skills to implement promotion and prevention approaches
- Contribute to building the evidence base for PPEI for mental health
- Advocate for policy, funding and investment by government in PPEI approaches
- Provide leadership nationally in supporting the implementation of PPEI approaches.
What We Do
Auseinet provides the following:
- Comprehensive website including a clearinghouse on PPEI
- Email alert service listing all updates to the website
- Auseinetter newsletter
- Practical resources online (such as factsheets and toolkits) for a range of sectors
- The Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (AeJAMH) - an online open access peer reviewed journal
- Network support and state and territory forums
- Workforce development module on PPEI relevant for a range of sectors and settings
- Presentations at conferences, forums, network meetings at the local, national and international level
- Print and online publications (such as literature reviews, reports, training programs)
- Network development and partnerships to ensure sustainability
- Participation on a range of national and international project committees and boards.
Our Approach
All of the work we do is based on the following principles:
Working in partnership: In order to achieve our goals and ensure sustainability, we work in partnership with a range of key stakeholders. Promotion and prevention approaches in any sector or setting cannot be advanced without collaborative effort. Some of our key partnerships are
- VicHealth
- Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)
- Hunter Institute of Mental Health
- Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council (APAPDC) in relation to the MindMatters and KidsMatter initiatives
- beyondblue: the national depression initiative
- State and territory jurisdictions
- Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association (AICAFMHA)
- Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)
- Clifford Beers Foundation, UK.
Capacity building: An important guiding principle in our approach is value adding. Our desire is to assist and support organisations and sectors to build their capacity to implement PPEI approaches, not to direct them. It involves understanding the context in which they work, current activity and the support required.
Facilitation: We see our role as a facilitator or broker of information and knowledge. This means we are active in developing and supporting networks and mechanisms that foster exchange of information and learnings which are respectful of diversity.
Practice oriented: Our approach is focussed on implementation and therefore very practice focussed. This involves the development of practical resources, access to information, presentation of information in user friendly formats, translational research and developing good practice examples. In focussing on practice, we also acknowledge the need to contextualise and customise information and resources to be relevant to different settings and population groups.
Respectful of diversity: One of the most important principles underpinning our approach is the need to be respectful of diversity. This includes culture, language, geographical location, age, gender and disability.
Funding
Auseinet's core funding is currently shared between the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Flinders University and state and territory jurisdictions. Auseinet is currently in a transitional phase, moving from a project fully funded by the Australian Government to an organisation with a diversified funding base.
- State and territory funding: supports the website, clearinghouse and alert services
- Australian Government (DOHA) funding: supports AeJAMH and workforce development
- Flinders University funding: supports the management and operational functions.
Our Governance
As Auseinet is in a transitional phase, a new governance structure is being established. More information will be made available on this page.
Our History
Auseinet commenced in 1997 and has undergone 3 phases. We are now in the 4th Phase.
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Phase 1
(1997-2000): Early intervention in the mental health of children and young people
Auseinet commenced in 1997 as a joint project of the Flinders University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide. It was funded by the Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing. It was developed as a multifaceted program aimed at raising the awareness of early intervention (EI) issues throughout mental health services for young people in Australia, and reorienting these services to an EI focus. The first phase of Auseinet had 3 distinct streams of activity:
- Stream 1: Development of a national network, website and communication strategy for early intervention in mental health for young people.
- Stream 2: Reorientation of Services Projects (8 projects funded across Australia).
- Stream 3: Development of a series of clinical approaches publications outlining good practice approaches to a range of disorders.
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Phase 2 (2000-2003): Promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) for all population groups, across the lifespan
This phase was again funded by DoHA but provided to Flinders University only. The aim of the second phase of Auseinet was to build on the outcomes and learnings of the first phase. The focus of Auseinet in the second phase broadened to include promotion, prevention and early intervention as well as all population groups across the lifespan. In addition, there was a requirement to ensure that consumers, carers and Indigenous Australians were engaged with the project, consistent with the National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for mental health. As Auseinet was being funded through both the National Mental Health Strategy and National Suicide Prevention Strategy( Life Framework),suicide prevention was also an additional area of focus.
There were 4 main components to the project in Phase 2:
- Communications and information management
- Network development and support
- Capacity building
- Education and dissemination of good practice.
Phase 2 of Auseinet invested in building capacity of the following sectors to implement sustainable PPEI strategies and to facilitate implementation of the National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention, 2000:
- State and territory governments
- Consumers and carers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
As well as the scope of the project broadening in this phase, the approach also shifted to a capacity building one based on a partnership model.
During Phase 2, Auseinet was successful in obtaining two further grants through its involvement as a partner in the CommunityLife and Mindframe national projects. Essentially, Auseinet's role in Phase 2 was to support the implementation of 2 key national policies:
National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health; and
LIFE (Living is for everyone): A Framework for prevention of suicide and self harm in Australia.
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Phase 3
(2003-2007): Building capacity to implement PPEI approaches and expansion of work to support the National Suicide Prevention Strategy
Auseinet was funded for a further phase by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Phase 3 built on the work of Phase 2 with greater expansion of the work in suicide prevention. In particular, Auseinet supported a number of activities in relation to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. These included:
- Development and hosting of the national suicide prevention website
- Conducting a national consultation on the national suicide prevention policy framework, the 'LIFE Framework'
- Analysis of the learnings from community projects funded under Phase 1 of the NSPS.
Auseinet's work in PPEI continued to focus on implementation and building capacity in the following sectors:
- State and territory jurisdictions
- Mental health consumers and carers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- General practice
In Phase 3, there were 2 distinct streams of activity: PPEI and suicide prevention. Although distinct, they were inextricably linked.
An external evaluation was undertaken of the Project in 2005/2006 by the Australian Institute of Primary Care at Latrobe University. Auseinet continued to work on the Mindframe: National Media and Mental Health project in partnership with the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, Multicultural Mental health Australia and SANE Australia.
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Phase 4 (2007 -2009): Strengthening the processes that support the implementation of PPEI across a range of sectors
The current phase represents a transitional phase which is characterised by a significant shift in funding and governance arrangements. Auseinet is no longer fully funded by the Australian Government (DOHA) and during this phase will have core funding shared by DOHA, states and territories and Flinders University. The vision is to create a sustainable organisation with a diversified funding base.
In the current phase, Auseinet will continue to facilitate processes that support implementation of PPEI approaches to mental health across the lifespan and in a range of sectors. While suicide prevention will not be a specific stream of activity, it will be integrated as part of the overall prevention agenda with a focus on risk and protective factors and less on clinical assessment and service delivery. Key areas of core business and strengthening will include:
- Communications, information management and resource development
- Workforce development
- Research and evaluation.
Auseinet Submissions and Position Papers
Auseinet Response to the
4th National Mental Health Plan Discussion Paper 2009
This response articulates concerns about a shift in
emphasis away from a broader view of health that includes a
positive concept of mental health and wellbeing to a Plan that is
predominantly for the ‘at risk’ or ‘ill’ population.
Auseinet 2008-2009 Federal Pre-Budget
Submission
Auseinet proposes a series of
recommendations that have the potention to re-position Australia as a world
leader in the prevention of mental disorder. The recommendations indicate the
need for sharing the responsibility and investment for mental health much more
broadly than the mental health and health sector.
Auseinet
Response to the 'Revised National Standards for Mental Health Services'
2007
In reviewing the Revised National Standards Auseinet is concerned about
the absence of some of the fundamental principles, theoretical inderpinnings and
approaches as outlined in the National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008.
Auseinet Submission to the Senate Select Committee
on Mental Health 2005.
The
Senate Select Committee on Mental Health was appointed to inquire into the
provision of mental health services in Australia. This document is Auseinet's
submission to the committee with a focus on promotion, prevention and early
intervention for mental health and suicide prevention.
Key Auseinet Resources
- Auseinetter
- AeJAMH
- Factsheets:
For a complete list of all Auseinet publications click here
Auseinet Subscription Services
Please complete the downloadable form (including email contact details) and post/fax back to us if you wish to receive:
- Print copies of the Auseinetter; and
- Fortnightly email alert services
Our National Team
General Postal Address:
Auseinet
C/- Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Tel: (08) 8201 7670
Fax: (08) 8201 7673
Email Auseinet
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Jennie Parham Provides day to day management of the project. Implements the national and international engagement aspects of the project by engaging a wide range of sectors and liaising with the States and Territories' committees for the Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention in Mental Health |
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Jill Knappstein Provides office management and administration coordination across all Auseinet projects. |
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Gwyn Elson Provides administration support and project assistance across all Auseinet projects. |
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Abbie Patterson Takes overall coordination responsibility for communications aspects of the project including additional collaborative and partnership projects. |
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Joy Sims Develops PPEI resource and information collections, maintains the Auseinet website, and supports informational needs across a number of projects. |
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Anne O'Hanlon Coordinates a number of research projects including the reorientation of services and mental health in general practice. Edits Auseinet's peer reviewed e-journal AeJAMH. |
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Steve Trickey Provides support and advice on IT and Web based facilities within all Auseinet collaborative projects. |