MHFA in the Spotlight
June 2010
‘Radical efficiency’ is about different, better and lower cost public services. It is about innovation that delivers much better public outcomes for much lower cost. A research report, launched in the UK in June, discusses ten case studies of radical efficiency in action in different places across the world. The MHFA Program has been chosen as one of these ten discussed. This report can be downloaded here: Report (PDF)
January 2008
On Australia Day Betty Kitchener received an OAM for her work developing the MHFA Program
September 2006
NSW MHFA Instructor Narelle Heywood in newspaper article about delivering a MHFA course in Wagga, NSW
Article (PDF)
April 2006
The Senate Select Committee on Mental Health has released its final report: "A national approach to mental health - from crisis to community".
This enquiry is one of the largest and most comprehensive investigations into the state of mental health in Australia. The MHFA course is included in 2 of its recommendations:
Recommendation 4 (p7-8)
"The committee recommends that Australian Health Ministers agree to….
- Establish and fund a National Mental Health Advisory Committee made up of consumers, carers and service providers to:…
- promote and manage MHFA programs aiming for 6% of the population to be trained and accredited, targeting those with the greatest probability of coming in contact with mental health issues - terachers, police, welfare workers and family carers.
Recommendation 88 (24)
- "…ensure that rural police and ambulance services are a high priority for MHFA training".
31 March 2006
Betty Kitchener interviewed by the Alberta Mental health Board, Canada about the introduction of the MHFA Program to Canada. http://www.amhb.ab.ca/Publications/publications/openMinds/Pages/default.aspx
13 July 2005
Julie McCrossin from the Life Matters Program on ABC National Radio talks with Betty Kitchener & Tony Jorm about Mental Health Literacy.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/stories/s1412629.htm
18th November 2004
Paula Goodyer from the Sydney Morning Herald interviewed Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm about the Mental Health First Aid program. The resulting article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald's Health section on the 18th November 2004. The text from that article can be found here:
smh_181104.doc
30th August 2004
When the successful evaluation trial of the MHFA Program in the workplace
was published, Dr Norman Swan interviewed Prof Tony Jorm & Betty Kitchener
on ABC Radio National for the Health Report Program. The script can be read
here:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s1186674.htm
16 May 2003
There is also a report of the Mental Health First Aid Program written up in the Psychiatric News:
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/38/10/32
2 October 2001
The MHFA Program was first in the media on ABC TV on the Health Dimensions
Program. The script of the interview between Dr Norman Swan and Betty Kitchener
can be read here:
http://www.abc.net.au/dimensions/health/transcripts/s381353.htm
Last updated: 9-July-2010