Self Help and Support Groups
National Awareness Day
Networking Event
City of Melville - 10 Almondbury Road Booragoon - WA 6154
Monday 12th of September 2016
8.30am
Registration and Arrival Tea and Coffee
9.00am
Opening - Master of Ceremonies
Welcome to Country - Shaun Nannup
9.15am
Event Welcome - ConnectGroups CEO Antonella Segre
9.30am
Keynote Address: “Resilience” - Dr Ann O’Neil
10.30am
Morning Tea and Networking
11.00am
Introduction to Mini Bites - Master of Ceremonies
11.05am - 11.35am
11.40am - 12.10pm
12.15pm - 12.45pm
12.50pm - 1.20pm
Mini Bite 1
Mini Bite 2
Mini Bite 3
Mini Bite 4
1.20pm
Lunch and Entertainment
2.00pm
Panel Discussion: “Where do you see Support Groups in 10 Years?”
Q&A
3.00pm
Closing of the Event - The Hon. Tony Simpson MLA
- ConnectGroups CEO Antonella Segre
Keynote Speakers
ConnectGroups Chief Executive Officer
Antonella Segre has been the Chief Executive Officer at
ConnectGroups for the past seven years, coming from a similar role in a Not
for Profit Organisation responsible for the brokering of federal funds to run
projects for children at risk of disengaging from education and training. With
27 years’ experience working within the corporate, community and training
and education sectors, she boasts a proven track record for successful
completion of projects, funding opportunities and developing partnerships
and networks within the government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
She is best known to her staff and Board of Management as a dynamic,
vibrant and dedicated leader.
Welcome to Country
Shaun Nannup is an Australian Aboriginal man who, through his old
people, has great depth and knowledge of culture, liaison and inspirational
speaking. His work in such areas as mentoring, leadership and healing are
highly revered and respected within Australia and beyond, and he significantly
impacts both indigenous and non-indigenous communities worldwide through
his ability to connect through story. He understands how we need to connect
and integrate the old knowledge of tribal societies with the knowledge of
today to find a path for humanity to move forward. Shaun knows this involves
healing the past, sharing the stories, learning a way through, loving one
another, creating a vision and unifying people to live as ‘one of one’.
Keynote Address - “Resilience”
Dr Ann O’Neill is a Perth born woman who values her family, her
friends and the lifestyle Australia provides. She is an inspiring speaker, an
award winning humanitarian, victimologist, educator, activist, volunteer,
researcher and a great friend. Her interests lie in people from all walks of life,
in social justice and the area of victims of serious interpersonal crimes, such
as homicide and family and domestic violence. Ann founded and directed
angelhands Inc for more than a decade inspiring people in all areas of life to
follow their dreams. Ann has a unique and innovative approach to motivating,
educating and assisting government departments, organisations and people to
deal with trauma, stress and change in their lives and their work places.
Closing of the Event
The Hon.Tony Simpson MLA is the Minister for Local Government;
Community Services; Seniors and Volunteering; and Youth. Tony Simpson
MLA is the current Member for Darling Range. Prior to being elected to
Parliament, Tony ran a successful bakery business for 14 years, employing
many people in the local community. In 2001 he was elected to the local
government and represented Byford. Tony is passionate about investing in the
future of Western Australia and believes that it is important to ensure that all
young people have access to and receive a first class education.
Mini Bite Sessions
Jennifer Chaplyn works as a consultant and facilitator
1
Mergers and
Strategic
Partnerships
with a wide range of communities, organisations and groups
in the not-for-profit, public and private sectors, supporting
them to enhance clarity and effectiveness. Jennifer works
in partnership with participants to explore learning in
interactive and engaging ways, to build a shared agenda and
processes for sustainable change.
This session will focus on providing Support Groups with an understanding of
what is meant by mergers and strategic partnerships, and why they need to
be considered in this changing community sector environment.
Liz Nicholas has worked as a strength-based
2
Community
Engagement
community practitioner, facilitator and trainer in the
community sector for over twenty years. Liz is passionate
about community and draws on her experience in assetbased community development, community engagement,
and participatory leadership to assist groups in enlisting
capacities within themselves and their communities toward
achieving things they care about.
This session will provide attendees with the tools to how
to best engage with the community as a means of raising their profile and
increasing their membership. Liz will focus on using strengths and stories to
engage and develop networks and communities.
Emilia Hay has held various positions as counsellor,
3
Self
Care
group therapist, program coordinator and Clinical Manager
of a leading Drug and Alcohol Counselling Service. She is
currently the Support Group and Outreach Coordinator
for WA for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Emilia is an experienced workshop facilitator, trainer and
presenter and has a particular interest in group work, both
in the therapeutic and peer support settings.
This session will acknowledge the role of Support Group leaders and
facilitators and actions that can be put in place to reduce burn out as a means
of addressing the long term sustainability of the Support Group.
Maxine Drake is an advocate working in the
4
Talking Your
Story Up
community sector ‘where magic happens’ between people
who come together in the spirit of community. Maxine has
been a friend of ConnectGroups and WISH before that for
a number of years.
This session will focus on how to effectively “tell your
story” within a consultative capacity or to a potential
sponsor. Telling the story of your Support Group in a way
that is honest about the hardships but also positive and hopeful can be a
challenge. This session explores a way of thinking about your story so that you
can present this in a positive and effective way.
Panel Discussion
“Where do you See Support Groups in 10 Years?”
Ray Peters began his career in the public sector in 1987 in the former
Department of State Supply and has worked across a number of state
government agencies predominantly in the area of procurement of commercial
and community services. Ray’s current role as the Director of Community
Funding began in 2007, after the establishment of the former Department for
Communities, which has now become the Department of Local Government
and Communities. Ray’s position oversees the Department’s Community
Funding Unit which administers the department’s recurrent community
services program to over 130 community sector organisations for a range
of community services throughout Western Australia; grant programs that
distribute one-off project grants to over 400 organisations across a number
of portfolios of interest and the Cadets WA program for young people
throughout the State.
Louise Howe is the Consumer Advisor at the Mental Health Commission.
Louise is responsible for contributing a strategic consumer perspective in the
development of policy and programs of the Mental Health Commission. Louise
ensures the Commission stays true to its commitment to focusing on the needs
of the consumer, their families, carers and advocates, working in partnership
for better mental health outcomes. Previously Louise was the Branch Manager
at Grow WA, a consumer-driven community mental health organisation, where
she attributes the biggest strides forward in her own recovery. Louise is also a
qualified chef and has worked in kitchens locally, nationally and internationally.
She spent many years working for Centacare as a workplace trainer and
assessor in commercial cookery.
Harinder Grewal is the City of Melville’s Social Justice Advocate,
working in collaboration with the City’s Neighbourhood Development Team
to promote an accessible, inclusive Melville. The role focuses on disability and
multicultural issues in the local community, as well as broader social justice
issues such as women and homelessness. Harinder has a tertiary background
in Human Rights and has worked in regulatory bodies including the Victorian
Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and Ombudsman’s Office.
She is passionate about advocating for individual empowerment and growth
through local and group supports within the community.
Panel Discussion
“Where do you See Support Groups in 10 Years?”
Pip Brennan is the Executive Director at the Health Consumers’ Council
and has worked in the community sector for the last 15 years. This role
has offered a wonderful homecoming in the organisation that provided her
first professional opportunity in the health sector and a chance to utilise
community service organisation management, outcomes-based contracting,
advocacy and consumer representation skills to continue the work of this
unique and important organisation. Past roles include Manager of CWMA until
2013 which sparked an interest to be part of the bigger picture of supporting
the introduction of outcomes-based contracting in health.
Margaret Doherty
herty is the conve
convenor
enor off M
Mental
ental He
H
Health
alth
l Matterss 2, a
community action and advocacy gro
group
reform
oup aimed at
a mental health ref
form which
formed in 2010. Based
ased on her familyy experien
experience,
nce, she has a particul
particular
ula interest inn
ular
ul
improving access to and quality of ser
services
individuals
rvi
vice
cess fo
ce
fo the most vulnerable in
for
indi
dividuals
di
and their families - those experiencing multiplee uunmet
n et needs which inclu
nm
include
ude
d
ongoing mental ill-health,
-health, concerns withh alc
alcohol
lcoh
lc
ohol an
and
nd other drug use an
and
nd
possible involvement
justice
ent in the criminal jus
ticee ssystem.
tice
ystem.
ys
m She is passionatee aabout
bout
supporting the opportunity
portunity for the service use
user
er and fa
ffamily
m ly membe
mi
member
beer to coproduce all steps of the recovery/wellbeing journey.
Margaret
y. Margare
y.
ret has
re
haa been a
trainer and educator
tor for thirty years and also runs herr ow
o
own
n small busine
business.
ness.
ne
Samantha Connor
onnorr is one of Australia’s leading dis
disability
sab
abililility advocatess and
activists. Her pastt and present experience has included membership on a
number of boards and committees, including People with Disability Au
A
Australia
stralia
and the Ministeriall Advisory Council on Disability. She is the con
convenor
nve
venor of a
disabled persons’ organisation,Yellow Submarine Down Unde
Under,
deer, and is the
editor of Starecasee magazine, a publication for disabled ppeople.
eople. Samantha has
eo
nd currently w
orrks
a keen interest in disability identity, pride and culture, aand
works
for People With disabilities
isabilities WA, connecting disabled peo
people
eople in pee
eo
peer
eer supp
ee
support
pp
pport
p
groups. Samantha lives in regional Western Australia, is m
married
arried and
nd
d hass six
children, two bulldogs
dogs and a cat named Schroedinger.
Shaun Nannup is an Australian Aboriginal man who, through his old
people, has great depth and knowledge of culture, liaison and inspirational
speaking. His work in such areas as mentoring, leadership and healing are
highly revered and respected within Australia and beyond, and he significantly
impacts both indigenous and non-indigenous communities worldwide through
his ability to connect through story. He understands how we need to connect
and integrate the old knowledge of tribal societies with the knowledge of
today to find a path for humanity to move forward. Shaun knows this involves
healing the past, sharing the stories, learning a way through, loving one another,
creating a vision and unifying people to live as ‘one of one’.
Meet and Greet
Lotterywest works to enhance the quality of life and wellbeing for all West Australians. Their future is
based on a proud history of serving the community. Established in 1932 by the Government of the day,
they remain a Government entity which continues to operate for its original purpose - to benefit the
entire WA community. Lotterywest plays a unique role - they are not only responsible for operating the
lottery in WA, but for directly distributing a proportion of the funds raised for their beneficiaries in the
form of grants to charitable and community organisations. In addition to their direct grants program,
their charter is to raise money for the State’s health, sporting and arts sectors.
HESTA is the industry super fund for health and community services. Since 1987, HESTA has grown to
become the largest super fund dedicated to this industry. HESTA is proud to support the health and
community services industry. Their awards program provides national recognition for individual and
team excellence across a variety of disciplines. With awards recognising a range of skills and qualities,
they celebrate success and promote the importance of work which otherwise might remain unsung and
anonymous.
ConnectGroups is the Peak Body in WA for Self Help and Support Groups.
ConnectGroups Project Coordinators will be available to speak with Support Groups about funding
opportunities and to assist with the application process.
Pay it Forward Plan: An early intervention and prevention mental health small grants program
for projects that demonstrate clear and measurable outcomes consistent with the Mental Health
Commission’s “Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025”.
Dream it Forward Program: A small grants program focused on addressing the social and emotional
wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families, and their communities based on the
needs identified by the community for the community.
Live it Forward together: A small grants program to support capacity building for Self Help and
Support Groups around Chronic Conditions Self-Management.
Take on the ConnectGroups
Mental Health Week Challenge!
ConnectGroups invites you to take part in this fun and creative initiative
to raise awareness around Self Help and Support Groups.
What one word would you use to explain to people why a Support
Group is so amazing?
Take the opportunity during morning tea and lunch to use the signs and
props provided. Write your word, take a snap and then share through
your social media networks!
(08) 9364 6909
[email protected]
www.connectgroups.org.au