Mental Health Services
Fay is a multi-award winning national motivational speaker, educator, advocate and voice for mental health. She was raised on a farm, has lived in regional areas of Australia and now lives in Sydney.
One of the most engaging things about Fay is how she adapts to her audiences. People often comment to the conference organizers such as:
- “She makes you feel like she is talking directly to you”
- “She is the best speaker I have heard in years”,
- “She was the best speaker at the conference”,
- “I laughed and I cried, she is hilarious but so real”
- “when you go up to speak with her after the conference she makes you feel like you really matter to her”
Fay has been Deputy Commissioner of NSW Mental Health Commission since 2012 and is the General Manager of Inclusion with Flourish Australia. She has been the driving force in the Peer Support Movement in NSW, Australia and is consulting to international services in this field. She is the instigator of the famed “why Not A Peer Worker?” strategy for Flourish Australia.
She has been awarded Principal Master Trainer status with Mental Health First Aid and last year was awarded the inaugural MHFA Champion Award. She is regularly engaged to advise the NSW and federal governments, and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), on the state and conditions of mental illness and mental health in the community, services, and workplace.
Fay also is proud to be a person with a lived Experience of a mental health issue and recovery. She has bipolar disorder and refers to herself, with tongue in cheek, as a Psychologically Diverse Citizen or PDC. She also refers to people without mental health issues as Psychologically Ordinary Citizens or POCs and laughs at the number of people who come out of the wood work and honestly declare themselves as PDCs if the alternative is to be called a POC.
Fay tours Australia as a motivational speaker and educator and while her aim is to impart knowledge, her addresses are emotional and humorous. Her audiences laugh and cry as she breaks down myths and empowers them. She believes that professionalism should not be void of emotions and laughter. Fay realises that every person, workplace and community are unique. Therefore we offer courses tailored to suit the needs of your company and community as well as certified courses such as the Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Certificate course. We deliver these services with vision, creativity, humour, passion and professionalism. Vision In Mind was previously known as Open Minds Consultancy. We have changed our name to reflect the diverse educational services we now offer and partnerships we have formed.
She was the first Consumer speaker for Beyond Blue and is a national media representative consulting to Rotary Health Research Fund, SANE Australia, Beyondblue, and the NSW Centre for Mental Health. Her aim is to destigmatize Mental Health in the workplace and community and to ensure that it is seen as an integral part of WHS and performance outcomes in the workforce, services, education etc.
She in invited to speak internationally and has spoken in a number of countries such as Canada, America, New Zealand, Taiwan etc. She presents on a diverse range of subjects about mental health, recovery, prevention, early intervention and wellbeing. For example, she has spoken on subjects as far reaching as:
- NDIS, the National Disability Insurance Scheme
- mental health pregnant women
- families
- Early childhood
- Youth
- MH in the Workplace
- Human and disability rights
- Peer Support
- Managing change and mental health
- Long Term Unemployment
- Changing services in MH, community and health
- MH is schools
- Men and mental health
- Comedy
- Drugs and alcohol misuse
- MH in the animal industry (i.e. the MH of veterinary surgeons, nurses and clients)
- Whole of government approaches to MH
- Rural and remote mental health
- NDIS
- MH and the arts
- MH and the clinical model
- Carers and MH
- Dual disability
- Physical health and MH
- Intergenerational MH
- Cancer and MH etc
She relates well to people from all cultures, for example she was a keynote speaker about Mental Health and Climate Change at the South East Asian Summit on Climate Change which was attended by climate change specialists from across the globe including European countries, Asian Countries, Britain etc.
She is honored to be called Aunty by a number of Aboriginal Communities.
She has been invited to speak at Parliament on a number of occasions.
Fay is passionate about leading employers, employees and the community to be proactive in the mental health of our nation. She has been honored with several awards for advocacy and consultancy at state and national levels including the prestigious national Rotary Meritorious Service to the Australian Community medal.
Fay is also an accomplished artist and writer. She has had several successful exhibitions and has had both short stories and poetry published. She has worked as a stand-up comic and clown and has a background in secondary education and the building industry. Diverse… yes! Knowledgeable, absolutely! Engaging… definitely.
She has an incredible story to tell of overcoming great hardships but she loves a good challenge. Fay lives by two mottos, ‘A life lived in fear is a life half lived’ and ‘Make your mark but don’t leave a stain’.
“Fay Jackson as a Keynote Speaker at a number of our conferences and we can’t recommend her highly enough. She continues to receive standing ovations for her unique angle on mental health, presented with both captivating stories and serious strategies for working with people affected by mental health. A key strength is her ability to relate the subject matter to any number of different audiences making it both interesting and importantly, relevant.
Fay is flexible to deal with, always punctual, well prepared and strives to get the most out of every one of her presentations. Feedback from our delegates always has Fay at the top of the list of preferred speakers and we will continue to both use and recommend Fay on a regular basis.
Jenny Boden, Managing Director, Corporate Communiqué
Events Outside the Square
Phone: 03 5977 0244
Mobile: 0419 582 884
Email:
jenny@corporatecommunique.com.au
Vision In Mind offers workplace and community in-house training and consultancy and Fay Jackson delivers wonderful keynote speeches. Fay travels throughout Australia and internationally to deliver training and talks. She believes the best way to learn is through the right mixture of facts, motivation, humour, vision and passion.
If you would like to have training that earns continuing proffessional development points or hear a life changing challenging and motivating speech.
Please call us on 0438472254
Please see the pages under Mental Health Services for information about specific courses Vision In Mind (VIM) offers:- Innovative, practical, certified and customized education, training, keynote speeches and consultation in mental health, stress management, motivation, resiliency and recovery in the workplace and community.
- VIM offers multi-award-winning solutions that are proven, sustainable, cost-effective and innovative leading to improvements in individuals lives, safety, productivity, and staffing.
- With education and training from VIM, managers, staff, and members of the general public will feel in control, capable, aware and forward-thinking.
- Confidence will replace fears and for some courses, you can gain CPD points
- Knowledge will replace myths and misinformation
- Practical tools to deal with the issues will help replace avoidance of the concerns and vulnerability to, mental illness, stress, drug and alcohol issues, ill health and litigation
- Diversity will be valued and utilized
- Mental Health First Aid for Adults
- Mental Health First Aid for Youth
- Mental Health First Aid for Intellectual Disability
- Stress Management
- Recovery
- About Mental Health
- Managing Staff With Mental Health Issues
- Building an Harrassment and Bullying Free Workplace
- Caring for Yourself When You Care For Others
- Human Relations
- Diversity
- Disability
- Workplace Agreements
- Occupational Health and Safety
- HR Management
- Return to work management
- Improved customer service
- Improved productivity
- Public Participation
- Creating visions and renewing missions statements
- Mental Illness prevention and management in the workplace from a Carers perspective (people who are caring for a loved one who has mental illness, may at times of crisis, be less motivated, more prone to accidents, tired etc)
There is a great deal of difference between workplace cultures, needs, understanding of mental health issues, stressors etc. Fay designs all workplace presentations and workshops to suit the needs of the specific people involved to ensure we achieve their desired outcomes. Even if you want the certified Mental Health First Aid training, which can gain you Continuing Proffessional Development Points, she makes the adjustments to the scenarios etc that will pertain specifically to your needs.
Stress can lead to Depression and it is estimated, that annually in economic terms in Australia it:
- Reduces workplace performance by 40%.
- Costs the workplace $9960 per employee who has undiagnosed depression.
- Contributes to the loss of 6 million working days annually.
- Stress and mental disorder is the most frequently occurring occupational disease in Australia accounting for over 30% of occupational diseases.
- Australian businesses lose over $6.5 billion each year by failing to provide early intervention/treatment for employees with stress and mental health conditions.
The total gross incurred cost of workplace mental disorder claims annually is $74.5 million in NSW alone. Claims are averaging $28,952 each. The total time lost from mental disorder claims was 43,217 weeks, with an average of 18 weeks per claim. ( WorkCover, NSW, Workers Compensation Statistics) .These figures are similar in other states.
Every dollar spent identifying, supporting and case-managing workers with mental health issues “yields close to a 500 percent return in improved productivity”, through increased work output and reduced absenteeism. ( Workers with Mental Illness: a Practical Guide for Managers).
No matter what area of work you are involved in your managers and staff need the safest environment you can offer in order to produce the best outcomes for your workplace, company, shareholders, service and individual workers, managers, and their colleagues and families.
Below are some of the subjects people often want included in their training. Of course you can add other subjects as needed. How many of these subjects and what time can be dedicated to each will be up to your time and budget allowance. If you call Fay on 0438472254 and discuss your concerns you can advise her of what you think are your priorities and she will advise you about what she thinks would best suit your needs.
What subjects would you like to cover?
- Introduction to mental health issues in the workplace
- Basic information about mental health including warning signs of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar and Schizophrenia
- How to help a suicidal person
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Possible effects of prescribed medications
- Possible effects of drug and alcohol misuse
- Proportion of the working population with mental health issues
- Symptoms of stress and Stress management
- Relaxation techniques
- Current trends, e.g. increase/decrease, workers compensation
- Bullying and harassment
- Influence of social media
- Vision In Mind Stay Well Action Plan
- Managing Staff with Mental Health Issues
- Getting Back to Work after Mental Illness
- Time management
- Realistic and positive thinking
- Cognitive Behaviour Tools
- Mindfulness and wellbeing
- How can/does a manager respond and approach performance management for a person with mental illness
- Workload strain and not letting your mind make things worse than they are.
- A safer workplace for the worker with Mental Illness.
- A safer workplace for others (affected by the workers behaviour)
- Productive and cohesive team
- Improving morale
- Ensure that industrial relations, human resource, WHS, and other applicable obligations are addressed effectively, e.g. disclosure, privacy, IR, WHS
- Tools to support people with stress and mental illness
- The difference between” bad” and “mad”
- All on the same page
- Planning for the future for each person with mental illness or mental health issues
- Discrimination and ways of avoiding it
- Rights and responsibilities of all concerned including the responsibilities of the person with mental health issues
- What to do if the person with MI will not take responsibility for their health and actions
- The Vision In Mind Book of Stress Management Tools
- Supporting and managing the ageing workforce
- What role does memory play in confidence, managing, learning, relationships etc
Plus any other supporting information to assist your managers to effectively and compassionately manage and support workers with mental health issues (as recommended by you or me after consultation with you.).
Participants usually want time to discuss specific situations and find ways forward. The length of time this takes varies so we will need to be flexible with this but within the context of the overall time allowed for the course.
Email Fay at: fay@visioninmind.com.au
or call her on: 0438472254
This nationally and internationally recognized course is a practical, engaging, and stimulating workshop. It teaches you to recognize the different stages of mental health from the early warning signs through to acute mental illness and how to deal with it. Many employees are able to obtain Continuing Professional Development points by doing this training with Fay Jackson. Fay is a Principal Master Trainer in MHFA.
It empowers people to best manage issues involved in mental health and is particularly important in WHS, HR, diversity, HR Management, workplace relations, and customer service.
The course covers:
- Why MHFA?
- Facts and figures about mental health in Australia
- Depression
- MHFA for depressed people
- MHFA for Suicidality
- Non-suicidal self injury
- Symptoms of Anxiety
- MHFA for anxiety and panic attacks
- Post traumatic stress
- How to help after a traumatic event
- Bipolar
- Psychosis
- MHFA for psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- MHFA for drug and alcohol use
Participants will be provided with a manual, tools and knowledge which will enable them to feel in control, rather than stumbling around in the dark, reactive and fearful. Managers and staff will feel more confident in dealing with colleagues, clients and members of the general public who have stress and mental health issues.
This wonderful course designed by Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm of Mental Health First Aid is as the name implies first aid for mental health.
We have found this course liberating for all who attend. It demystifies and destigmatises mental illness. It is a practical yet stimulating tool which will unlock many doors leading to education, confidence, and ability to both prevent and control mental illness.
Fay has been awarded Principal Master Trainer in this life changing certified course. Last year MHFA bestowed upon Fay the inaugural MHFA Champion Award.
Please see the Mental Health First Aid Website at
www.mhfa.com.au and visit our Testimonial Page.
Vision in Mind is able to offer individuals and companies, NGOs, support groups, bodies, etc Advocacy and Mediation Services.
Fay Jackson has received many awards for her work in this field.
Fay was employed by a major health service as an advocate and mediator for 4 years.
Fay’s sense of humor and obvious knowledge often dispels anger and misconceptions and smoothes the waters to enable satisfactory outcomes usually for all concerned.
Fay has won several awards for her work in mental health at local, state and national levels including:
- CAN Consumer of the year award for community participation and advocacy 2006. The esteemed Australian Society for Psychiatric Research, Consumer Research Award, 2005.
- The prestigious ‘Meritorious Service to the Australian Community Medal’, Rotary Health Research Fund, 2004.
- Staff Excellence Award, NSW Govt. 2004
- Mental Health Association Award for Consumer Advocate of the Year, 2003
- Quality Improvement Project Award, ‘Mental Health Week’, 2002 – 2003
- Mental Health Association State Service Award, 2003
- Illawarra Health Consumer Award, 2003.
The Safety Show, Sydney Showground, Olympic Park, October, 17-19
Fay has been invited to speak twice at The Sydney Safety Show in October. She will be speaking at the conference and in the theatre. Vision in mind will also have a stand at The Safety Show it is number O39 so please come along to the stand and speak with our consultants or Fay and receive a discount off any training you book while at the show. You can go to the Safety Show website to view details on ww.thesafetyshow.com
24 October, 2006
Fay will be joining Aboriginal Women in Nowra to share about sexual abuse and mental illness. Fay feels extremely honored to have been asked to share this time with these brave women.
21 November, 2006
Fay will be the keynote speaker at the Hope St Employment Support dinner, Campbell St Darlinghurst. Fay will be speaking about the importance and motivation in having employment when you have a mental illness.
22 November, 2006 Fay will be speaking at the Gloster Rotary Mental Health Forum. For details contact Cheryl Deguara on 0296334888.
1 December, 2006
Fay will be the keynote speaker at the Mater Di Duel Disability (mental illness and intellectual disability) conference in Campbelltown for more information contact the Mater Di college Campbelltown.
Past Conferences
Janssen-Cilag Conference, Maroochydore, Queensland, August 31, 2006
Fay was the keynote speaker at the Janssen-Cilag Conference in Maroochydore. This proved to be a wonderful night with a great deal of humor mixed in with education. Many people voiced that Fays talk was the high light of the conference.
School Councilors Conference, August 24, 2006
Fay was key note speaker at the School Councilors Conference, Craigiburn, Bowral. As a result of this conference some of the participants have signed up for the next Mental Health First Aid Course.
Synergy Conference on Duel Diagnosis, Wollongong, June 16, 2006
Fays speech at the Synergy conference was inspiring, challenging, educational and passionate. Many people have requested that she be the opening speaker at next year’s conference. Fays knowledge about the effects of Dual Diagnosis and the need for services to work together to ensure better outcomes for the community is motivational.
May 30, 2006
Fay was key note speaker and trainer at the Illawarra Tenants Support Service Conference. The audience found Fays speech to be enlightening and liberating. She taught about accepting difficult times but doing all you can to minimize or stop them. She discussed not allowing yourself to be a victim and how to deal with awkward situations with neighbors, friends etc.
May 27, 2006
Fay was keynote speaker at the Gold Coast Rotary Forum where she talked both politically, professionally and personally about mental health..
May 9, 2006
Fay spoke to the ITEC Aboriginal Leaders Conference in Wollongong. The speech was very well received and a Mental Health First Aid Course was booked to run for NSW Aboriginal leaders in employment, education and training.
Design and Organisation of Conferences
As mentioned in the facilitation section of this page Fay Jackson has experience in the design, organization and facilitation of conferences, forums and symposiums.
Illawarra Mental Health has won two awards for their Consumer and Carer Strategic Planning Conferences which Fay perceived and organized. These were Public Participation Conferences aimed at encouraging the community to become a part of the service rather than victims of mental illness. The Illawarra Mental Health Consumer and Carer Strategic Plan were developed out of this conference.
As mentioned in the facilitation section of this page Fay Jackson has experience in the design, organization, and facilitation of conferences, forums, and symposiums. Illawarra Mental Health has won two awards for their Consumer and Carer Strategic Planning Conferences which Fay perceived and organized. These were Public Participation Conferences aimed at encouraging the community to become a part of the service rather than victims of mental illness. The Illawarra Mental Health Consumer and Carer Strategic Plan were developed out of this conference.
Fay also designed and facilitated the Port Folio Arts Festival in Port Kembla and has managed numerous other forums, conferences, meetings and groups.
Fay Jackson is a Principal Master Trainer in Youth, Adult, and Intellectual Disability Mental Health First Aid. You may be eligible for Continuing Professional Development Points if you take this training.
If you would like to discuss or book some training please call us on 0438472254 or email us on fay@visioninmind.com.au.
The youth version covers the following subjects:
- Adolescent development
- What is MHFA for young people
- Common youth mental health disorders
- Depression in youth
- MHFA for depressed youth
- MHFA for suicidality
- MHFA for non-suicidal self-injury
- Symptoms of anxiety in adolescents
- MHFA for anxiety and panic attacks
- MHFA for eating disorders
- MHFA for bipolar
- Psychosis
- MHFA for psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Drug and alcohol use
- MHFA for drug and alcohol misuse
- MHFA manuals
Australian businesses lose over $6.5 billion each year by failing to provide early intervention/treatment for employees with stress and mental health conditions.
Vision In Mind bring practical stress management training to your workplace.
The stress management workshop includes:
- Discussion about stress, e.g. how does stress affect motivation, energy and goals. What are the sources of stress?
- What is special about stress in your workplace?
- Customers and their stress
- You can’t save the world discussion
- Basic information on depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
- Laughter is the best medicine
- Time Management
- Stages of Change
- Life in Balance
- Goal Setting
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Listening skills
- Assertive verses aggressive communication
- Positive/realistic thinking
- The miracle question and future planning
- Managing Stress Plan
- Looking after yourself e.g. health and wellbeing in a sedentary job
- Relaxation and mindfulness
The workshop can be designed with your specific needs being met. Contact Fay on 0438 472 254 or email her on fay@visioninmind.com.au
Vision In Mind delivers courses on Recovery to groups of people who have mental health issues or who work with people with mental health issues. The courses are practical based and contain the following tools and information:
- Basic information on mental illnesses
- Acceptance of self and mental illness discussion
- Recovery discussion
- Hope for the future discussion
- Shaking off the victimhood
- Willingness
- Responsibility
- Stages of Change
- Life in Balance
- Goal Setting
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Positive/realistic thinking
- The Miracle Question and future planning
- Relaxation
- Stay Well Plan
For more information contact Fay on 0438 472 254
or email her onfay@visioninmind.com.au
The World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2020, Mental Illness will be the leading cause of illness and subsequent loss of revenue in the first world. We do not have to allow this to take place.
Each individual, workplace, and community must step up to ensure a turn around in this outcome. For more information contact www.who.int/en/
According to Workcover statistics Manual Handling injuries cost $224 million dollars in Australia in 2004/05, Occupational Overuse claims were $29.7 million and Mental Disorder claims cost $91.6 million. This equates to 36% of these claims, plus one must add into this the number of manual handling injuries that occurred as a consequence of stress and mental illness.
Laws pertaining to Mental Health as a WHS issue are changing around the country. While they are different in each state, it does not change the fact that the safest environment is the most productive and contented environment.
When Mental Health is seen as an integral part of WHS less physical accidents take place, there is a great decrease in sick days taken by staff, insurance premiums are decreased and productivity is increased.
Many people with mental illness who are able to be open about their condition and are supported in the workplace take fewer days off work than people who do not have mental illness.
The costs to the workplace
Depression alone is estimated, in economic terms to:
- Reduce workplace performance by 40%
- Cost the workplace $9960 per employee who has undiagnosed depression
- Contribute to the loss of 6 million working days annually
- Constitute 5.8% of workers compensation claims made in 2003, with an average time off of 96.1 days, compared with 28.9 days for other claims. (While official figures of 2005 have not been released as yet it is expected that these figures will be a great deal higher, some estimations are of 30% increase)
Add to these figures the cost implications of other mental illnesses both diagnosed and undiagnosed.
The following excerpt is from Workplace “Blues”
Evidence is emerging that excessive workloads and long and irregular hours of work are contributing to an increasing number of suicides, to the extent that workplace legal practitioners are predicting a wave of prosecutions against employers for literally working employees to death.
Recent amendments to Work Cover legislation in NSW point to jail terms as possible outcomes in cases where it is proven that principals of firms do not honor their duty of care to provide a safe workplace for all employees.
The Bottom Line
Organizational stress arises over time as a business grows and evolves, and therefore can be insidious and pervasive in eroding work performance.
As depression is a treatable condition early diagnosis and treatment can be more cost-effective than recruitment of new candidates, particularly for key roles.
Failure to deal with the issue of organizational stress and the associated mental health issues, such as depression, in a humane and empathetic manner could ultimately lead to a costly and higher incidence of workplace litigation. (Michael Taylor principal consultant of HMT Consultancy).
Engaging Vision In Mind will allow your workplace the best possible opportunity of avoiding the difficult, and possibly tragic events pertaining to mental illness and stress which can take place in a workplace. We guarantee you will never have experienced education and motivation in the workplace like this before! Your managers and staff will experience a life-changing event which will lead to great improvements in lives and workplace outcomes.
Dealing with the issues, not just the symptoms.
Unfortunately the past decades have seen a marked increase in the expectations of managers and employees in the workplace. This pressure can lead to individual, family, and organizational stress. Stress and mental illness in the workplace can and must be managed with proactive, sustainable and visionary processes and outcomes. If this is done, productivity, customer service, the quality of mental and physical health and individuals’ lives are improved. All too often Fay Jackson, CEO of Vision In Mind, has witnessed managers and employees wasting time, money and quality of outcomes and lives by chasing solutions to symptoms rather than the solutions to the issues, the root causes, which underpin stress and mental illness in the workplace.
People who experience undiagnosed mental illness and stress are at an increased risk of not managing their lives and work well. Very often this lack of insight and responsibility may also lead to drug and alcohol issues.
Research has shown a strong link between stress, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, poor physical health and increase in accidents in the workplace and community.
It is important to note that all of the concerns mentioned pertain not only to the individual who has a mental health issue but also to their carers and families. Therefore the productivity of a carer or family member and their quality of life may also be affected if there is a loved one at home who is experiencing mental illness.
The HR issues involved with mental illness and stress are enormous. The business manager of one Australian airport revealed to Fay that mental illness was the leading cause of all stress, conflicts, sick leave, loss of quality employees etc. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE CASE.
Another company was at risk of loosing their biggest client and being sued for breach of contract, loss of income etc which would have amounted to in excess of 10s of millions of dollars and essentially destroying the company leading to hundreds of positions being lost. Fay was able to recognize the root cause of the problems taking place. With a minimum of education and the design of proactive policies solutions were arrived at within a week. The contract has continued and quality outcomes and lives have been achieved.
The costs to the quality of life for individuals and the community from mental illness and stress of course cannot be accurately assessed, however it is certain that this is great as the World Health Organization quotes moderate depression as being as debilitating as chronic asthma or diabetes, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as disabling as paraplegia and unmanaged schizophrenia as disabling as quadriplegia.
Fay Jackson also offers the Total Focus workshop and the Life in Balance Coaching Program.
These programs are designed to lead you towards the realization of all of your abilities and possibilities.
You will be inspired and educated towards being goal orientated and outcomes-focused.
You will stop just dreaming about what you want to achieve in your life and make it happen.
These programs and Fays coaching will help you kick the procrastination habit for life!!!!!!
For more information visit www.lifeinbalance.com.au. To read the publication ‘The Case For Work /Life Balance: The Gap Between Policy and Practice’
Public participation
Vision in Mind is able to facilitate your Public Participation Process. Fay Jackson holds certificates from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), including modules in:
- Foundations of Public Participation
- Designing for Effective Public Participation
- Tools and Techniques of Public Participation,
- Effective Communications for Public Participation, 2003
Facilitation
Vision in Mind can offer you facilitation in any area pertaining to our specialties of Mental Health and Life in Balance (www.lifeinbalance.com.au) . We can facilitate your:
- Conferences
- Public Participation
- Meetings
- Focus groups
- Forums
- Audits and offer you advice previous to your being audited
- Media representation
- Fay is a very experienced MC, witty, focused, friendly but firm when needed
Vision in Mind can offer you facilitation in any area pertaining to our specialties of Mental Health and Life in Balance (www.lifeinbalance.com.au) . We can facilitate your:
- Conferences
- Public Participation
- Meetings
- Focus groups
- Forums
- Audits and offer you advice previous to your being audited
- Media representation
- Fay is a very experienced MC, witty, focused, friendly but firm when needed
Fay Jackson has had years of experience in dealing with the media, working with public relations departments, public speaking and training individuals and groups to be equipped in media situations.
Fay is regularly invited to speak on radio, television and is frequently interviewed for the printed press.
Fay’s reputation throughout Australia places her in a position where she is frequently called upon to make comment on situations pertaining to mental health.
She recently designed and facilitated the SANE Speakers Training Workshop. See www.sane.org for more information.
Directors, managers, WHS committees, officers and staff can no longer afford to consider stress and mental health in the workplace of less import than the physical safety of employees. Research has shown a strong link between stress, mental illness, drug, and alcohol abuse, increase in accidents in the workplace and community, poor physical health such as heart conditions, neck and back strain, obesity, etc.
According to Workcover statistics Manual Handling injuries cost $224 million dollars in Australia in 2004/05, Occupational Overuse claims were $29.7 million and Mental Disorder claims cost $91.6 million. This equates to 36% of these claims, plus one must add into this the number of manual handling injuries that occurred as a consequence of stress and mental illness.
The World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2020, Mental Illness will be the leading cause of illness and subsequent loss of revenue in the first world. Directors, managers, and staff of Australian workplaces can have 2020 vision and enact positive, forward-thinking changes to the mental health and safety of its workers to ensure this does not take place and that litigation towards managers and companies are minimized.
- Depression alone is estimated, in economic terms to:
- Reduce workplace performance by 40%
- Contribute to the loss of 6 million working days annually
- The estimated annual revenue lost to an employer (in sick days and poor productivity) by a worker with untreated depression is $9,660 (J. Croucher, Professor of Statistics, Macquarie University).
- 7% of WHS claims are related to psychological injury; however, these claims represent 27% of the total cost of all claims with an average time off of 96.1 days, compared with 28.9 days for other claims.
Add to these figures the cost implications of other mental illnesses both diagnosed and undiagnosed.
Quotes:
“Evidence is emerging that excessive workloads and long and irregular hours of work are contributing to an increasing number of suicides, to the extent that workplace legal practitioners are predicting a wave of prosecutions against employers for literally working employees to death.
Recent amendments to Work Cover legislation in NSW point to jail terms as possible outcomes in cases where it is proven that principals of firms do not honor their duty of care to provide a safe workplace for all employees.”
Michael Taylor, Principal Consultant, HMT Consulting.
The American Institute of Stress reports that 75% to 90% of visits to medical practitioners are related to stress, 60% to 80% of accidents on the job are related to stress, and 40% of staff turnover is due to stress at work. Stress is also implicated in all the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide.
Randolfi, 1997
“Ongoing stress at work can trigger depression and anxiety and has even lead to suicide. But stress also causes physical conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders (strained necks, backs, arms, and shoulders). There are links between the way you feel and the way that manifests itself in chronic strain,” she says. “Usually you’ll find in an organization [where people have musculoskeletal disorders] that people are working under pressure, their hours at the keyboard are longer and they don’t get proper breaks.”
Sue Pennicuik, the director of the ACTU’s Occupational Health and Safety Unit
Legal Precedents to Costly Litigation:
While Karoshi (death by overwork) and Karojisatsu (suicide as a result of overwork and stress) as legal terms originated in Japan, Australia and New Zealand have now set legal precedents in support of these principals eg Transmissions and Diesel Vs Mrs. Matheson, several staff from government departments such as police, Centrelink etc, are being quoted in court proceedings in Australia leading to greater stress leave, redundancy and compensation to families payouts. Over 50 Million dollars have been paid to 2 former employees of Wal Mart as a result of litigation proceedings related to workplace bullying and stress.
The Herald Newspaper carried an article which pointed that at least 6 litigation cases for stress payouts were awarded $750.000.
A precedent was set in a 2000 Court of Appeal judgement which awarded a former child abuse officer, Beth Seedsman, $750,000 for NSW Polices failure to provide a safe system of work or protection from mental injury” (Lamont and Pelly, SMH, News, March 13, 2006, p.3.)
In the case of he State of NSW v Coffey [2002] NSWCA 361, 7 November 2002 (Meagher, Heydon and Ipp JJA), the judges decision was that under common law, an employee with a psychological injury may be able to sue an employer for negligence and be awarded damages.
In Jaksic v WorkCover/Allianz Australia Workers Compensation (SA) Ltd (Konica Australia Pty Ltd) [2004] SAWCT 17A, the SA Workers Compensation Tribunal found the workplace contributed to an employee’s anxiety and set aside WorkCover SA’s denial of the employee’s claim. WorkCover had argued it was a disciplinary interview that caused the employee’s anxiety; therefore the stress claim could be denied. However, the judge found other action, not just the disciplinary action, contributed to the employee’s injury.
John McPhilbin. Letter to the editor, Workers onLine, issue 242, October 2004
The precedents have been set and are being utilized by courts throughout Australia and New Zealand, there is no turning back and only a foolish company would deny the need to be proactive in preventing stress and mental illness in the workplace.
Customers:
Ensuring that directors, managers and staff are educated in Mental Health will also ensure safe and appropriate service to your clients and customers.
Take as a case in point the fatal shooting of a passenger of American Airlines Flight 924, 7 December, 2005 from Miami. On board was a passenger who had bipolar disorder who became confused, paranoid and extremely unsettled. Despite pleas from his wife to let her off the plane with her husband the Air Marshals reacted in fear, stigma and haste and shot Mr Alpizar dead. I am not saying that there response is not understandable in the current climate of terrorism; however the question must be asked if the outcome would have been the same had the air marshals had training in dealing with a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
Mr Alpizar and many other people killed and wounded by air marshals, police, security guards etc may not have suffered if staff were properly educated and trained in how to recognise and deal with people with mental illness. One must pose the question “what of the mental health of the people who killed these innocent and unwell people “in the line of duty. How do they cope after having taken a persons life or disabling them for life?” this is a tragedy for all concerned.