Victorian Mental Health Social Workers

Contact Convenor

Aroon Naidoo
Phone: 0422 038 019
Address: PO Box 2008, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville VIC 3050

Contact Committee

Justine Grimmer
Email: vmhsw@aasw.asn.au
Address: PO Box 2008, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville VIC 3050

Purpose

The Association of Mental Health Social Workers (AMHSW) was established in 1981. It changed its name early in 2012 to VMHSW VICTORIAN MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORKERS and formally became a Practice Group of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

The VMHSW Management Committee and Executive are elected every two years at the Annual General Meeting (as per the AASW by-laws). The Committee usually meets on the first Monday of the month (see Vic Branch Events for up-to-date list of meeting dates) and members are invited to attend. Throughout the year the VMHSW endeavours to run a few events for members like seminars, practice days or a conference and produce a quarterly e-Bulletin  (formally Negentropia 1981-2007). Contributions whether book reviews, opinions, articles or write ups from training are very welcome.

Main Activities

• Maintain a sense of professional identity in an increasingly complex mental health environment.
• Strengthen the VMHSW role as a resource to the AASW on matters relating to social work and mental health.
• Ensure that the work of the Association continues to grow and be relevant to and supportive of mental health social workers.
• To provide training, resources & networking opportunities
• Have the ‘voice’ of social work heard in the broader state or national policy and planning initiatives in mental health.
• Participate in activities that support collegiate ties, enhance professional skills and facilitate discourse.
• Utilise the VMHSW network, publication and activities to highlight and disseminate ideas, research or practice knowledge to colleagues.
• Stay abreast of changes in the mental health and associated fields of interest, with notification of relevant events or training.
• To support local WSWD Activities

2018 Event Dates

Meetings and CPD will be held either by Skype or at the AASW North Melbourne Office (Level 7, 14-20 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne). 

We recommend travelling via public transport if possible. Our office is close to the CBD and a short walk from the Haymarket Walk/Elizabeth Street tram stop (trams 19 & 59) and the Grattan Street tram stop (trams 55 & 59). Parking in the area is generally on-street, metered parking and is limited. There are limited 2 hour free street parking spaces near-by in Courtney Street or metered 4 hour parking in Blackwood Street, Howard Street and surrounds. There is also a parking facility at the VCCC building that offers safe car parking every day of the week from 6:00am to 9:00pm. Cost is $14 for 1-2 hours or $20. Read more here.There are facilities available outside the building to lock bikes.

Meetings TBD.

Register here to participate in any of the events listed above.

Membership

Membership of the VMHSW is open to social workers employed in the mental health field, social work students or to those social workers who are interested in mental health social work practice, service delivery and policy in mental health.

Tip: to use interactive form (1) open (2) save (3) complete (4) email it to vmhsw@assw.asn.au

Past Events

• 10 October 2018 - Victorian Mental Health Social Work Conference 2018.

   'The Unique Contribution of Social Workers to Mental Health Practice'
  View program here

• 3 September Seminar 3: Prevention and management of eating disorders, North Melbourne

• 30 April 2018 - Seminar 1 Sexual and Gender Diversity Service delivery, North Melbourne

• 25 June 2018 - Seminar 2  Social Work on the inside, complex clients, systems and working towards positive change, North Melbourne
   
• 27 October 2017, Victorian Mental Health Social Work Conference
  'New and emerging themes in mental health social work'
  View a selection of presentations and images here
   
• 14 August 2017, Seminar 3 Opportunities to Improve our Understanding of Engaging with the Lived Experienced Workforce
   
• 3 July 2017, Semianr 2 Opportunities to Improve our Understanding of Engaging with the Lived Experienced Workforce
   
• 5 June 2017, Seminar 1 Opportunities to Improve our Understanding of Engaging with the Lived Experienced Workforce
   
• 8 June 2016 AGM & Workshops 
• 25 February 2016 - Full day workshop: Practising Critical Reflection presented by Fiona Gardner. 

News

ABC News 12 December 2016, The Ripple Effect
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-12/the-ripple-effect-mental-health-in-farming-communities/8109374

The VMHSW Convenor and Angela Obradovic developed the AASW submission to the draft Victorian 10 Year Mental Health Strategy.

Resources

We are exploring the option of making seminars available to members on-line through the AASW.

We welcome articles and links which can be accessed via our webpage.