Community Update Quarter 1: Mar - May 2023 : simplebooklet.com

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and sky. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We are committed to working together to address the health inequalities within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We accept the invitation to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

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6WelcomeWelcome to the Community Update and our quarterly model of operating. Combined with our research forums, the Centre Update will be released each quarter too ahead of our Quarterly Research Forum.The Quarterly Research Forums now bring all investigators, partners, co-leads and co-chairs across the Centre and its networks to come together and share progress on our exciting studies and activities. See the Quarterly Research Forum Timetable on page 26.The March 2023 Symposium in the Top End on Larrakia Country (Darwin) was a huge success. There were 112 people engaged for the first day and 95 people for the second day. Thank you for being a part of the days.On the Saturday we were honoured to host the Uti Kulintjaku workshop as part of The ALIVE National Centre and Big Anxiety Research Centre partnership event.The symposium question was Holistic Terrains—How do we get there in Mental Health Research? We traversed the local landscape to hear about models of innovation and what's happening in ALIVE National.There were excellent presentations that highlighted research to address Phase 1 Short Horizon Consensus Statements and the Implementation Actions a part of our National Roadmap for Mental Health Research Translation research goals and strategies.The Annual E-Networking event hosted by the Next Generation Researcher Network and Lived-Experience Research Collective kick started the Symposium with the new Pitchaton trialed out.Thank you to our opening speaker Joe Williams who shared his powerful story "Nurturing the Enemy Within", Joe's storytelling set the scene for connection.

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7Day 2 focused on research progress for establishing our impact framework to evaluate progress on our roadmap annually. So we can track progress through the Holistic Terrains.The Symposium featured the launch of our successful MRFF flagship: PEACE - a Citizen Science Project to co-create ‘BigaagARri’ a Preventive Experiential, Arts, Cultural Evidence (PEACE) model for implementing at-scale in primary care and community. This new flagship project is led by the Stream A research program in Priority Populations.. Congratulations to the team led by the three Co-Directors and CIs Kesley Hegarty and Jill Bennett.Post-Symposium evaluations indicated that more than 90% of attendees found their main objectives to learn more about ALIVE National Centre goals and activities, were met. Dates for 2024 have been set – check them out in page 26. You canCatch Debbie Wood's graphic recording of the Symposium 2023 here.In other news, 32 members of Mental Health Australia attended the presentation on the ALIVE National Centre Consensus Statements Phase 1 2023 Short Horizon in February.April saw Berlin-based Sandra Naumann, present about the initiative to promote mental health awareness and resources for early career researchers (ECRs). May saw Nicola Lautenschlager and the team share a physical activity model of care for older people experiencing cognitive decline at the Ready, Set, Translate: Virtual Café Series. Check out the Virtual Café Calendar we look forward to the next set of presentations.Welcome to all new members of The ALIVE National Centre Teams! Enjoy a short journey back through holistic terrains in the coming pages and hear how we can adjust our course for the journey. See you at the June quarterly meeting.The ALIVE National Co-DirectorsProfessor Victoria J Palmer A/Professor Michelle Banfield Professor Sandra Eades (AO)

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8The 2023 ALIVE National Annual Symposium theme was "Holistic Terrains-how do we get there in mental health research translation?"Supported cultural advisor and Larrakia man Elder Richard Fejo and co-hosts James Smith and Donna Stephens a Murran/Iwaidja woman, over two days we explored community-led models and current work in the Centre. Co-leads of the co-design network attended many sessions and have provided short summaries of key parts of the day for this Update. Day One had a focus on social and emotional wellbeing models of care led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.Following Wiradjuri /Wolgalu man Joe Williams opening we heard about the mob co-design pathways by Phillip Orcher and Wendy Hermeston for the ALIVE National Centre’s roadmap for research translation.We heard from our ALIVE National partners at Flinders University rural and remote discipline on their community-led innovations and learned more about the impact evaluation and social return on investment planned for the National Centre’s work. The day concluded with a Saltwater Ceremony by Uncle Richard Fejo. This is featured on our cover page.The Annual Symposium 2023 -

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9Apurte Utnenge Rlterrke (Togetherness Strong Spirit): Culturally Responsive Trauma Informed PracticeOur Day Two opening presentation was by Aunty Sabella KngwarrayeTurner, senior Arrernte woman, and Rosie Schubert (AMSANT). They presented on Apurte Utnenge Ritterke.Our Co-Design Lead Ann found Apurte Utnenge Riterrke to be an interesting discussion about combining traditional culture with introduced Western ways. Ann said that we all need to show respect for different cultures. It is important to listen properly, keep an open heart, clear the air and then speak from your heart. “The more materialistic we become, the worse the mental health problem.”LESSONS FROM TOGETHERNESS STRONG SPIRIT FOR THE NATIONAL ROADMAP?Aunty Sabella's message reminded the audience about Co-Director Victoria Palmer’s message on the concept of at-scale. In the opening presentation, Professor Palmer suggested that in translational research we can often spend a lot of time talking about things like scaling-up and the need to scale without consideration of where we are scaling to. The definition of at-scale delivery of mental health care she shared was “the right amount of people, or solution for the problem at hand”. This talk reinforced the importance of implementation of trauma-informed models of care that are translated into ways of understanding by communities . The presentation reinforced the importance of the translational gaps called T3 and T4 in the literature, relational approaches and an expanded notion of trauma for Centre research activities called Compound Trauma.Holistic Terrains – Getting There?

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Joe attributed the key to his turn around being his early childhood experience and his reconnection with his First Nations culture and traditional spiritual healing. Joe acknowledged his successful utilization of the profile he established as a national rugby league player to leverage his work in mental health. Joe's personal account of his rehabilitation consisted of developing his spiritual side through engaging with his traditional culture, as well as helping himself through helping others.Joe believes that the key to mental health recovery is holistic care and maintaining relationships as a form of belonging.Joes sees that in contemporary times many people’s spirits have been impacted through the influences of drugs, alcohol, racism, trauma, and dysfunctional relationships.He cited his journey to recovery through becoming involved with community groups on country.We learned from Wiradjuri / Wolgalu man Joe Williams how the experiences that shaped his life growing up and his career as a professional sports person, led to mental ill-health and use of alcohol and other drugs.Joe completed his presentation identifying the turning points within his life which contributed to his lived-experience of recovery and a drive to utilise his experience to assist others. These personal experiences assist Joe to guide others who may be going through a similar experience of mental ill-health or thoughts of dying.10Written by Gregor McDonald, an ALIVE National CentreCo-Design Living Labs Network Co-LeadNurturing the Enemy Within by opening speaker Joe Williams, Wiradjuri/Wolgalu manHolistic Terrains – The journey

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11Joe spoke of the importance of story to Aboriginal peoples in assisting them make sense of the world around them. He also believes that young Aboriginal people no longer have story to provide explanation of who they are or where they come from, leading to a confusion of identity and feeling excluded from the dominant Australian community. Joe is also an advocate for the use of traditional Aboriginal practice as a guide to well-being for Aboriginal people, concluding that traditional practice, through connection to country and community through utilising traditional communication styles through storytelling, dance, and a sense of belonging, will relieve the sense of being scared, lost or insecure.References:Hari, J. (2018). Lost connections: Uncovering the real causes of depression-and the unexpected solutions. London: Bloomsbury Circus.Williams, J. (2018). Defying the Enemy Within, ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited.Winfrey, O., & Perry, B. (2021). What happened to you? Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing. Boxtree.LESSONS FROM NUTURING THE ENEMY, MOB PATHWAYS AND SUICIDE STORY FOR THE NATIONAL ROADMAP?Joe's opening presentation reinforced research goals for the National Centre around cultural security in what might be termed the mainstream systems of care and cultural practices as being accessible for healing pathways. This presentation, the mob co-design and Suicide Story illustrated the important work of the new flagship funded study PEACE for the development of preventive, experiential, arts and cultural evidence models for the delivery of holistic health conversations. Elise Dettmann a lived-experience researcher said, “from these two presentations, the word that’s standing out to me is “Story”. Share your story learn from other’s stories, be careful to share in a meaningful way that includes positive pathways out of negative places. These two projects focus on story at their Centre. Stories have the power to build others up and encourage them. The more we listen from the heart to others' stories, the more we learn about life from different perspectives.”into the landscape

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12Co-Design Pathways in the National Centre Roadmap for Mental Health Research TranslationWritten by Elise Dettmann and Josie, Co-Design Living Labs Network Co-LeadsPhil Orcher and Wendy Hermeston spoke about co-design yarns with mob. Wendy and Phil shared the importance of protocol, process, systems, values in mob work. If it doesn’t align to values of community, you won’t get any buy-in. Professor Darryl Maybery (Monash University) shared the importance of the ‘Children and Families Pathways’. With 21-23% of children growing up in a family with a parent with mental ill-health we are seeing that children are twice as likely to experience a mental health challenge in adulthood (continued over page…)Co-designed Pathways in the

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13Early intervention for children’s mental, emotional and social well-being in families where parents experience mental ill-health is vital. Easier and earlier access to support services will ensure prevention and far better health outcomes for children, parents and their families.Professor Maybery also highlighted the importance of school attendance for children. Children need connectivity and schools can provide a nurturing space. By applying a holistic approach to the mental health and well-being of children by utilising support from a broad range of areas, this will ensure the best possible health outcomes for not only individuals but also for parents and families.The second talk in the Co-Design Pathways Session was from Dorothea Wesley and Chance Bonney-Dixon and it was about Suicide Story - a pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people to work within their own communities.The program has been running 12 years. Suicide Story began with a group of Elders going to amental health forum and mental health training, and realising the training wouldn’t meet their communities’ needs.So, they started Suicide Story, which has now won national awards and has international recognition. The impact within the communities is amazing. Roadmap for Translation

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14Phillip Orcher was able to share the good news regarding important new work funded in The ALIVE National Centre by a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Consumer-Led Research grant for the project: A Citizen Science Project to co-create ‘BigaagARri’ a Preventive Experiential, Arts, Cultural Evidence (PEACE) model for implementing at-scale in primary care and community (2023-2026).The PEACE project brings six exciting innovations in citizen science together to co-create new health knowledge essential for turning the tide in inequities of physical, mental and social health and wellbeing in Australia. The costs of these inequities are known, and the impacts are most profound in priority populations where physical health problems intersect with gender inequalities, family violence, mental ill-health, suicide, and ongoing trauma persist.Phil explained that the word Bigaagarri in Gumbaynggirr language ‘ is similar in meaning to danger. He said,“When the paper bark trees are flowering there may well be sharks in the water and you need to know to stay out of the rivers.” The idea behind PEACE and developing the Bigaagarri platform is for people to share what keeps them out of danger and to use this to create immersive media for holistic health conversations. Overall, this project pushes the prevention boundaries and models of care currently in place and will over the next three years lead to1) co-designed virtual and augmented reality immersive media that works to address trauma, violence and social disconnection AND to prevent downstream poor physical health outcomes and the multitude of ill-health – using crowdsourcing and co-design;Flagship launched - PEACE

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15Co-creating 'BigaagARri'2) co-created holistic measurement framework to address current gaps in trauma-violence informed measures – led by people with lived-experience for exploring the impacts of the use of the bigaagarri platform and adoption of PEACE;3) An Implementation Kit to support platform use in health and community settings – generating citizen science evidence and a plan for scalability.See the research team for this project here:https://alivenetwork.com.au/a-citizen-science-project-to-co-create-bigaagarri/

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16Next Generation Researcher NetThe Annual e-Networking Event was held pre-symposium on Wednesday 29thMarch 2023. E-networking provided the opportunity for members to interact and share in discussions about ideas and innovations in their fields.This year the e-networking included break out room conversations and a “Pitchathon”.The Pitchaton entailed members delivering a future grant pitch in 3 minutes with attendees voting for what they thought the best presentation was. There were five pitchathon presentations shown in column two.Thank you Pitchathoners:• Melanie Rolfe: "Wild Hearts; Community, connection, and the natural world in perinatal mental health care."• Heather Bridgman: "Rural suicide postvention – the need for peer support"• Kerri Jackson: "Using peer mediation in schools to resolve conflict and combat bullying"• Kath Reid: "Mapping and exploring the experiences of family/carer lived experience workers in Queensland."• Jaimie Northam: Parental as anything: Maintaining and enhancing treatment gains from behavioural parent training with a peer support network.

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17Congratulations to the winners, Heather Bridgman and Katherine Reid who have been matched with an ALIVE National Chief or Associate Investigator mentor to guide 2023 Seed Funding Applications.NGRN Symposium talksFollowing the e-networking event Dana Jazayeri and Caley Tapp presented for the NGRN co-leads the ALIVE National capacity building strategy. This was followed by talks from the 2022 Seed Funding awardees - Caitlin Fehily, Amelia Gulliver, Alyssa Milton and Alysa Morse.Five new NGRN Co-Leads have also been appointedWelcome to Amy Coe, Jaimie Northam, Melanie Rolfe, Heather Bridgman and Kate Stodart! They join long serving co-leads Caley Tapp, Terence Chong and Victoria Stewart. Read more about the Co-Leads and register as a member if you’re an interdisciplinary mental health researcher here:https://nextgen.alivenetwork.com.au/about-us/work Pre-Symposium Update

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20Research in The ALIVE National CentreWritten by Elise Dettmann, The ALIVE National Centre'sCo-Design Living Labs Network Co-LeadOn Friday morning we heard from four speakers -Michelle Banfield, Steve Kisely, Patsy Di Prinzio and Jennifer Bibb. Michelle talked about the national priority survey work, Steve talked about the take up of covid vaccinations in populations with severe mental ill-health, Patsy talked about the risk estimator for people with severe mental ill-health and cardiovascular disease, andJennifer talked about a project with Monash Health to co-design a new model of care for infant, child, family health and wellbeing hubs.It was great to see the breadth of research being undertaken in the ALIVE National Centre. Keeping lived-experience at the heart of The ALIVE Centre is key, and I am encouraged that these projects really do have lived-experience at the centre.The Annual Symposium 2023

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21Research in ALIVE NationalThe Alive National Symposium 2023 implementation and translation research and flagships showed us that there are multiple approaches to addressing mental health research translation. Matthew Lewis from ALIVE National shared insights of co-evaluation with Head to Health and Urgent Mental Health Care run by Neami National across five locations.Key factors that contribute to successful implementation include clinical and lived-experience that ensure quality embedded services from the beginning and address and improve barriers as they arise. Co-learning and a positive person-centered approach create linkages across the five services where data collection and language are critical.Live4LIfe Community Prevention presented by Monika Raniti shared the need to improve connection and mental health in regional and rural communities. The project focuses on many people in the critical stage of adolescence in which many experience mental ill-health. Live4Life hopes to improve school connectiveness and positive relationships involving parents and teachers in prevention efforts. It is encouraging to see the emphasis on positive lived-experience role models, which can help to reduce stigma and promote mental health awareness in these communities. A key question raised was do schools connect with each other to share their learning?ALIVE National Centre Implementation and Translation Research and FlagshipsWritten by Rose, The ALIVE National Centre's Co-Design Living Labs Network Alex McLeod Trainee

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22The Annual Symposium 2023ALIVE National Centre Implementation and Translation Research and FlagshipsThe Translation of Research into Primary Health Initiative (TROPHI) presentation by Lena Sanci and Cath Kaylor-Hughes explained the collaboration with ALIVE National was to facilitate the translation of high-quality research into practice to increase the health and wellbeing of individuals in the outer eastern region of Melbourne, especially in low socioeconomic and semi-rural areas.The Link Me tool presents as an online quiz that supplies a systems approach to triage people of mental ill health into low, medium, and high need. The tool aims to provide tailored treatment pathways through co-design and collaboration with GP networks. The TROPHI project shows the importance of collaboration, shared decision-making, and communication to implement effective and scalable models of care in primary health care.Written by Rose, The ALIVE National Centre's Co-Design Living Labs Network Alex McLeod Trainee

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23The Long Conversation presented by Michelle Banfield described the process of integrating lived-experience into research and leadership within ALIVE. The symbolistic diagram of a bridge refers to the lived-experience collective, including the individual, carer, family and kinship and the scaffolding demonstrates the connections that embed lived-experience in all aspects of research.The Long Conversation refers to ongoing discussions with lived-experience communities and researchers to find best practices and develop a model for incorporating lived-experience into all aspects of research.This involves mapping out lived-experience research models and processes and creating a network of individuals with lived-experience to contribute to the conversation. Josh Moorhouse asked, “who might you know that can share their ideas about lived-experience?” and explained how they can use a crowd sourcing platform on the ALIVE National website to submit their ideas.The reflections highlight the importance of involving individuals with lived-experience in all aspects of mental health care, including research and leadership to ensure services are designed to meet the needs of those who use them.

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The Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council group shared a special story that has been described in culture’s song and dance about a specific tree and the worker ants that live around it. The tree is a provider of tools and resources, every part of it has a purpose, from the roots to the trunk, to the branches. It supplies digging sticks, shelter, and fire.When the tree blossoms, the ants work together as a team to transport the nectar underground into a network of hollows to create honey in their bellies. Just like the ants the NPY Women’s Council uses their knowledge and resources in the Uti Kulintjaku project to address trauma within their communities of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Lands. Their deep and poignant advice on suicide prevention encourages people to embrace and hold someone who is low and sad, they will feel healing from that embrace.24The Annual Symposium 2023Creative Engagement Program - Special Presentation Uti Kulintjaku, An innovative, Aboriginal-led mental health literacy projectWritten by Rose, The ALIVE National Centre's Co-Design Living Labs Network Alex McLeod Trainee

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25Post-Symposium we closed the week with an ALIVE National Centre x Big Anxiety Research Centre partnership event. This partnership event leveraged Australia's leading mental health arts festival to advance our Creative Engagement program led by Jill Bennett, developing innovative creative tools and programs through community collaboration.The Uti Kulintjaku workshop was attended by local attendees at Larrakia. Ngangkari traditional healers and artists of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council shared their stories, led meditations and addressed community issues of mental health from Indigenous perspectives.Attendees had opportunities to trial innovative virtual reality works that shared healing practices through creative visualisation, including Waumananyi: The Song on the Wind, an Anangu-led response to the experiences of constraint, entrapment, and depression through the traditional story of The Man in the Log.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making the Symposium such a success, and especially those who welcomed us onto Larrakia country.Uti Kulintjaku Workshop

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26The ALIVE National QuarterlyFollowing on from our Annual Symposium 2023 and taking on board feedback from different people engaged in ALIVE National, we are now moving to a Quarterly Forum Model which allows for investigators, partners, co-leads and co-chairs across the Centre and its networks to come together and share progress on our exciting studies and centre related activities on a quarterly basis. This shift will ensure we are connecting all parts of the centre together and offer a chance for everyone to get together and for different co-lead groups to have key roles during the forum. See the Forum Timetable on the next page.SAVE THE DATE for The ALIVE National Centre Annual Symposium 2024!13 March 2024:Annual E-Networking Event14-15 March 2024:Annual Symposium 2024The Annual Symposium 2024 will be held at ANU Canberra and online (hybrid format). The theme will be Holistic Formation: What are the policy and practice arrangements of primary care and community settings that are essential to embed and deliver at-scale Holistic Care?More information to come – stay tuned!

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27Research Forum TimetableMeeting # & Update DatesQuarterly Forum #1OverviewAnnual Symposium 2023 Outcomes and Actions for 2023-248 Jun 2023Quarterly Forum #2OverviewSocial Return on Investment Framework Update13 Sep 2023Quarterly Forum #3OverviewMob Pathways Development Children and Families Pathways Update7 Dec 2023Quarterly Forum #4OverviewImpact Evaluation – roadmap implementation and evaluation progress updates7 Feb 2024

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Ready, Set, Translate28Written by Josie Briand The ALIVE National Centre's Co-Design Living Labs Co-lead and Training Award RecipientI recently had the privilege of attending a fantastic online seminar presented by Professor Victor Montori titled ‘Careful and Kind Care: Patient Revolution’, the tenth Virtual Cafe Translation Conversation. The initial focus of this seminar highlighted the importance of patient care, specifically, patient care that is delivered by healthcare professionals by striving to create positive change.It is essential for clinical practitioners to be conscious of being fully attentive, giving compassionately, responding to patient needs on an individual level which meets physical and emotional needs.The flow on ideally is that it gives patients a sense of hope with regards to their health outcomes and that there is light the end of the tunnel.Professor Montori also discusses the devastating impacts and poor outcomes as a result of what can happen if patients' emotional needs are not addressed. This is evident for both healthcare providers and patients. Fast-paced care is not efficient because patient feelings are lost. ‘Generic’ care leads to non-compliance and without empathy and compassion, healthcare outcomes become a blur and the patient is seen as a burden to the healthcare system. On a professional level, this approach to care is unsustainable and leads to burnout. Patient families are underutilised and can often feel dismissed. According to Professor Montori, shared decision making that has been implemented in the past two decades has resulted in an increase in patient satisfaction of >75%.

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29With regards to clinical satisfaction the increase was >74-90%. To me this evidence is not at all surprising. Shared decision making is a vital component of patient care and prevents feelings of being overwhelmed and unheard.The importance of taking the time to have unhurried conversations has resulted in greater health outcomes for patients and is overall more effective and productive, particularly for patients with complex and/or chronic health conditions.On a personal level, I have been very fortunate to experience being under the care of my long term GP who has always taken the time and extra effort to encourage shared decision making with regards to my healthcare.She has always done so by providing thorough education, giving me options and offering alternatives, as well as always considering my specific needs such as affordability, tolerability and of course providing a sounding board to meet my emotional needs for every single appointment.As Professor Montori stresses, the need for patient care that is conducted with elegance, responsiveness, integrity and love is critical for optimal patient health outcomes and the sustainable practice of healthcare professionals.If you missed this or other presentations, to revisit the Virtual Café series, see the 2023 calendar and watch previous recordings here: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/fc6s

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30Writer-In-ResidenceCongratulations to Brett Scholz and Renee Fiolet on their completion of the Writer-In-Residence program with The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation.During this 16-week program, we were delighted to see that people have engaged with the reflective pieces written by Brett and Renee to support mental health research translation activities of The ALIVE National Centre. Their work has reached an audience of community members, government and professional bodies and the non-government service sectors.We thank them for their work and insights into mental health research and service provision. You can read the previous issues from all our Writer-In-Residence on our noticeboard here https://alivenetwork.com.au/the-alive-national-writer-in-residence-program/We have new Writers-In-Residence starting soon – stay tuned!

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Ann McGuire is a retired academic. Her lived-experience as someone who has walked alongside a family member with mental health challenges led to her post-retirement involvement over the past ten years with the grassroots advocacy group Mental Health Matters 2 Ltd. MHM2 focuses on supporting and advocating for family members in the mental health space.Her research has included issues of treatment, support and discharge planning, the ambiguity of grief and loss for family members, and the difficulties of representing the family/carer perspective in collaborative projects with services.31Welcome to Kate Davies our new Intersectoral Policy and Practice Committee Consumer Co-Chair and Ann McGuire has moved to be a new Independent Advisory Board Carer Co-Chair!People Across ALIVE NationalKate is a Senior Lecturer in Human Services at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her collaborative research explores topics such as family inclusion in the child protection system; young people and debt; participatory mental health service models; relational practice with people who have experienced long-term homelessness; and gendered models of assertive outreach with women experiencing homelessness.Kate is also an experienced policymaker, evaluator and community development practitioner who has worked throughout the Asia Pacific region and is involved with various Hunter region organisations, including as a Board member for Nova for Women and Children.

Community Update Quarter 1: Mar - May 2023

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