History Document
Mental Illness Education – Queensland Incorporated
(A member of Mental Illness Education – Australia Inc. )
Established as ARAFMI SEP Qld
March 1993 Alsia Whitehead and John Lester of Brisbane ARAFMI attend National SEP conference in Sydney. On their return to Queensland it was agreed to implement SEP- Alsia would head up Brisbane region and John would do regional Qld and be based on the Sunshine Coast.
Brisbane ARAFMI and Sunshine Coast ARAFMI agree to auspice SEP, and working groups are set up in both regions.
Nambour Historical School Building
ARAFMI Bne Office (upstairs) New Farm Brisbane.
April 1993 Immanuel Lutheran College (Sunshine Coast) accepted SEP for implementation in the 1994 school curriculum.
Alsia starts organising training sessions for Brisbane team -John assists.
Public presentations start:
- Teen Challenge
- NGO’s
- Health workers forums
- School principals / staff / teachers.
October 1993 Nambour Christian College (Sunshine Coast) accepts SEP and our first classroom presentations commence with grades 10 / 11 / 12. (John is flying solo).
Alsia is travelling Queensland on behalf of ARAFMI and presents SEP to Glenmore State High Bundaberg ,Gladstone State High and Gladstone Special School.(Alsia is also flying solo)
December 1993 St John’s College accepts SEP (a very large Catholic school on the Sunshine Coast). St John’s goes on to become a very strong supporter and promoter of SEP.
John is the keynote speaker at a government youth workers forum and the many contacts made then produce allot of benefits for SEP over the next few years.
Alsia presents SEP at Glenmore High School in Rockhampton.
Anne Kiellerup joins SEP Sunshine Coast to train as a classroom presenter(Anne and husband Graham have supported SEP since the beginning). Anne will go on to become the first SEP graduate and the Sunshine Coast Regional co-ordinator.
January 1994 Received funding from National SEP office;
Alsia-Brisbane $3835-00
John-Qld Regional $3165-00
April 1994 Launch SEP in Mackay Region with T.V, radio, and public and private meetings. Joe Knight (Mainstream Community Assoc) raised the funds, organised the launch and persuaded John to come to Mackay. Joe will go on to become a very strong and outspoken supporter of SEP. Marcia Grace accepts the position of the Mackay Region Co-ordinator and brings her exceptional talents to SEP. Marcia and her team are so committed and successful that within five months they have earned the nickname in Queensland. “GEM OF THE NORTH”
Julieanne Hansen accepts the position of Brisbane SEP co-ordinator and brings with her, wonderful talents and a very extensive network of contacts in Queensland schools.
Mackay R.S.L. Building.
May 1994 First SEP graduation ceremony.
SEP acknowledged by Queensland Government as the mental health awareness education unit for Queensland schools.
June 1994 Sunshine Coast 1994 goal of implementing SEP into four coastal high schools is achieved when Nambour State High accepts SEP into it’s curriculum and starts classroom presentations.
Reimbursement funding is obtained for Mackay SEP co-ordinator and presenters through an agreement with Mainstream Community association and Mackay Regional Health dept.
July 1994 Queensland Health Department -Mental Health Branch, grants recurrent funding for the state co-ordinators position ($50-000).
Sunshine Coast ARAFMI Inc accepts responsibility to auspice SEP Queensland and John accepts State Co-ordinator position-President Brisbane ARAFMI concurs to these new developments.
Qld Regional Working Group now becomes the Qld State Working group with the same personal since day one;
Anne Kiellerup-presentor
Graham Kiellerup-adviser\co-presentor
Bronwyn Lester-consumer representative
Jackie McLaughlin-advisor\president S/Coast ARAFMI
John Lester-presenter\co-ordinator
August 1994 Allan Simes (Sunshine Coast SEP) becomes our first consumer graduate.
SEP Mackay develops and pioneers a primary school presentation format with wonderful success. Sunshine Coast SEP later also trial this format and our current primary school programme was born.
SEP Brisbane under Julieanne’s leadership is up and running and presenting in Brisbane schools.
September 1994 Mackay SEP now presenting the programme in five schools.
Anne and Graham K. visit Cairns and take time out of their trip to introduce SEP to key people in the local NGO’s and also health providers.
The idea for a Qld Mental Illness Youth Forum was born.
Problems develop in Brisbane between Brisbane SEP working group and the Brisbane ARAFMI management committee.
November 1994 Alsia visits the Gold Coast and introduces SEP to local NGO’s.
John with Anne and Graham K. follow up Alsia’s visit with two days of public and private meetings with Gold Coast ARAFMI (Tony and Gloria Howard), Schizophrenia Fellowship (Betty O’Neil) and Young ARAFMI (Tracy Whitelaw), all expressing real enthusiasm and pledging support for the programme.
“Old Gold Council” Building – Southport.
December 1994 John and Bronwyn L. visit Toowoomba at the request of Robyn A. and speak with staff of Harristown State High and the local ARAFMI. (Robyn is a carer who had heard of SEP and was actively promoting the concept).Claire B. from the Sunshine Coast had also presented to people in Toowoomba through her connections with Ballie Henderson Hospital.
1994 School Year Statistics
SEP was presented at; 18 schools, 79 classes, 1940 students, 141 teachers,68 other groups and 1091 other persons (other groups and other persons were mainly P&C’s, teacher groups, health providers etc)
January 1995 Sunshine Coast SEP receives a one off grant from Qld Treasurers Dept (poker machine tax) for equipment and a reference library ($10,000).
SEP has input into the re-writing of the Queensland Criminal Code.
Lisa Sayer accepts the position of Gold Coast Co-ordinator (thanks to allot of behind the scenes work particularly by Tony Howard),and Lisa brings not only her organisational talents to SEP but real enthusiasm and has quickly gathered a team of fourteen to begin training.
February 1995
Jill Cameron volunteers to take up the position of Cairns Co-ordinator and begins the hard work of building a team. Jill is a dedicated worker in the mental health field and SEP is very lucky to obtain Jill’s services.
Our first team training, upstairs – Cairns
First SEP Team in Cairns (Jill, Margaret, Madeline and JL)
SEP Mackay is working on a format to present SEP in rural towns west of Mackay- we have looked at the concept of reaching small rural and remote towns many times, and Mackay’s work will provide the basis for a future model.
QMAH and ARAFMI in Gladstone get together to discuss the introduction of SEP to the Gladstone region.
Community Health – Gladstone
First funding ($5000) for our youth forum is received from Qld Health Dept courtesy the “Golden Casket” (Qld Lotteries office)
March 1995 A Townsville school requests SEP and work begins to establish SEP in Townsville.
Request received from a health professional in the West Moreton Region to establish SEP and work now begins in this heavily populated region just west of Brisbane.
First Meeting at Adolescent MH Unit in Ipswich – West Moreton
We step out and make plans for the first Queensland Mental Illness Youth Forum ’95. We have received a small grant but are now confident and set the dates for 27th and 28th of July with a state conference on the 29th – to be held at Surfair Resort on the Sunshine Coast.
Anne and John met with Aboriginal mothers at their request to discuss SEP and this was one of the first contacts for SEP with the Indigenous community which would develop into such a wonderful part of our work here in Queensland.
April 1995 Gold Coast have finished training and Lisa has a very enthusiastic team waiting to start in schools.
We now have approximately 70 volunteers on board in Queensland.
To date we have submitted 25 funding applications across Queensland with four successes, two more have advised that they should be successful, seven are still outstanding, and twelve knock backs.
MIE-A (Mental Illness Education- Australia) is incorporated in the ACT @ 6/3/95. In Qld we will remain auspiced by ARAFMI Sunshine Coast Inc but will now be known as MIE-A Qld.
May 1995 Anne K supported by Anne-Marie(TAFE and Uni student) do prepartory work in Gympie.
Gold Coast team apply for funding through Jupiter’s. They also come with idea for a small list of support services to go to students after a presentation.
J.L. attends and is invited to address a two day forum for Indigenous health workers of Southern Queensland. This later proves to be the catalyst for SEP’s introduction into Indigenous communities across Queensland. Another landmark in our development.
Our formal training programme is developed and adopted for Queensland.
Steven O’Halloran comes on board as our “Youth and Indigenous” adviser with part time pay. Steven is a grade 11 student at Maroochdore High and we are all very excited about his appointment.
We are invited to present a paper at the MH conference in NZ but finances although promised are not forthcoming.
June 1995 We finally launch in Toowoomba much to Robyn’s relief – and amusement.
“Dancing Bear” our first meeting in Toowoomba.
Our first experience of taking trainees from one region (Lisa and Gabrielle Gold coast) to do hands on training in another region (Sunshine Coast)
JL was visited by a teacher from Townsville to try and get us to launch there.
MIE-A is preparing a paper to be presented at the World MH conference in Dublin by Brian L’Anson.
We take our first steps towards the Internet.
We are now receiving requests to do “in-service training” for teachers both in schools and at Uni.
Council Chambers – our first meeting in Dalby.
JULY 1995 Our first Mental Illness Youth Forum is held and it’s success is overwhelming with students, school staff, health workers and our staff attending from all over Queensland. Wonderful media coverage from TV, radio and newspaper for the three days.
Our first statewide staff conference is held on the Sunshine Coast with members from all regions attending. Thelma’s Mackay team win the annual top team award.
SEPTEMBER 1995 We reach another milestone as we welcome Gina of Mackay on board – Gina first saw the programme as a student and now is a qualified presenter.
Brisbane ARAFMI have returned to actively promote SEP although they will not be involved in it’s delivery – a very positive step.
Gold Coast team finish their training.
We commenced training in Gladstone (Debbie McLachlan and Denise Bedsor) and West Moreton (Christine Bagley) Regions.
One of our new presenters at her graduation shared that, due to her illness, this was the first certificate she had ever received – this brought home the reality that we can support and help people to achieve and lift their self esteem and confidence. It also reminds us of the fragile nature of our staff’s health and the need for support and encouragement.
OCTOBER 1995 Lisa Sayer has to step down due to work commitments as co-ordinator on the Gold Coast and we welcome Gabrielle Savige as the new co-ordinator
NOVEMBER 1995 Lucille and Patrick come on board as qualified presenters on the Sunshine Coast and Mackay continues to add more schools- Gordon Grace is elected school captain, Mackay North State High.
Toowoomba team has finished it’s training and the Dalby students who attended the youth forum conduct a very well attended and successful public mental health seminar.
We have commenced funding applications for the ’96 Youth Forum.
DECEMBER 1995 External evaluation carried out by Helen Ryan of Qld Health after our presentations at Coolum High on the Sunshine Coast – we did good.
When thanking Helen for her excellent evaluation I asked Helen if we could assist her in any way. Helen advised that she is looking for a tall, handsome single doctor preferably of Irish descent and I enclosed Helen’s picture with this request in our monthly newsletter – Helen later joins Mie Qld as Deputy President.
Our Cairns Co-ordinator, Jill Cameron has moved to Melbourne and we welcome on board Anna Delamaine as the new co-ordinator.
Belinda Ott from Dalby wins the Qld Young Achiever of the Year Award for community service.
Gladstone starts the training programme .
Receiving good news from all over the state about results from the youth forum – refer to monthly report for details and newspaper cuttings.
Started negotiations with Lois Kennedy of Qld Education Dept about support.
Qld Health provide funding for State Training Officers position on a part time basis (20 Hrs per week) – great news and Anne Kiellerup is appointed.
January 1996
Due to personal and work commitments Marcia Grace steps down as co-ordinator with the Mackay Region and Thelma Bromley steps into the job. Thelma has been a presenter since day one and will go on to lead our most successful team and also head the team through some very difficult times. Anne Kiellerup is also moving from Sunshine Coast Regional Co-ordinator to the new position of State Training Officer. Mick Honer leaves for Kenya but keeps his connection with us. Elizabeth Priestley takes over as the National co-ordinator of MIE-A and Judy Murray moves to co-ordinator of MIE-A N.S.W.
Our stats figures are released showing excellent increases for 1995, and we are receiving very positive response from students who attended the Youth Forum.
March 1996
We are now incorporated in Queensland and are officially MIE Qld Inc. Gabrielle Savige from the Gold Coast is working very hard and often struggling to access schools in this region. We initiate the planning for our Indigenous Programme which we hope to launch at the up coming Youth Forum (Anne makes our first contact with Prof. Gracelyn Smallwood at Miles this month).
April 1996
Anne and John visit Darling Downs schools and meet wonderful Catholic Counsellor (John Henry) who is responsible for 34 schools across South Western Qld. – one of the joys of the job to meet these sort of people. JL flew to Mackay and spent two days visiting western mining towns and Jeannie Poole from Tiera comes on board as co-ordinator for this region. Gladstone’s training continues.
May 1996
The use of our new letterhead with Logo and Brian Burdekin as patron takes place this month.
Our honorary pilot Jake Pettiford comes on board and Steve and John visit western towns including, Charleville, Blackall, Winton and Mt. Isa. – 3,500 kms over two days including stops in Roma and Longreach. See photo.
We launch again in Brisbane under the direction of Per Westerlund who is working very hard to put a good team together. Marie Brakels comes on board as our Charleville co-ordinator and our inaugural business meeting was held consisting of Jenny and John where it was passed that all members of Queensland MIE teams are automatically fully paid members with full voting rights. We receive external evaluation from Caloundra City Council involving three high schools in 1995 and the evaluation is very good.
June 1996
We have had positive representation from Townsville to set up a team and will be looking to launch later this year. The Youth Forum is coming together and we have students and staff attending from 20 different areas of Queensland, some travelling over 2,000 kms each way. Maroochy Barambah and Prof. Gracelyn Smallwood have accepted invitations to be guest speakers and participate in the launch of our Indigenous Programme. Our reference library is operational, already getting great use, and we are putting together a folio of “support letters” for future reference. Gold Coast and Darling Downs complete their first solo presentations and prac work. Lucille Watson takes over from Anne as Sunshine Coast Co-ordinator.
N.B. to date (30th June 1996) we have submitted 47 funding applications – 4 are outstanding, 27 knockbacks and 16 successes.
