Tune In Not Out

We are introducing you to a great youth website which has street appeal as well as being a highly informative and engaging website for young people.

www.tuneinnotout.com (TINO) provides 24 hr TV for life's challenges for young people aged 16-25 on topics that matter to them such as; mental health, sexual health, relationships, online safety, domestic violence, body image, alcohol and other drugs and education.

The website is designed to meet the needs of this hard to engage target audience by connecting their digital lives and utilising a range of multimedia formats including over 300 on-demand videos to provide fast, authentic and engaging content. The videos are supported by fact sheets, blogs, real stories and music.

TINO's wide ranging content and user friendly design provides a safe and private online space for you people to access and discuss topics that they may not feel comfortable talking to a parent or friend about.

The website even features a dedicated music room which showcases youth created music video playlists matching times and moods in a young persons life.

If you need another reason to visit the site and check it out, knowing that it is an Official Honouree in the International Webby Award and was named Australian and New Zealand information website of the year 2011 should convince you!

www.tuneinnotout.com.au have some free, funky promotional postcards that can be ordered for distribution throughout your community to help you inform young people about this resource.

email:crew@tuneinnotout.com

Blooming Minds Public Courses

Blooming Minds core purpose is to enhance compassion and respect for people with mental illness in the world. We do this through community education and training; awareness raising; stigma busting; skill development and relationship building. We feel that preventative and positive mental health and wellbeing should be a priority for everyone, both your own and that of those around you; family, friends, work colleagues. To that end, we have public mental health courses upcoming in regional areas. The first is in May, more information on courses in June and August can be found at www.nds.org.au/events.

Dealing with Difficult Colleagues

This half day course uncovers common difficult behaviours in workplaces and relationships and gives participants helpful strategies to respond.

"I've had enough of him!"

"I can't work with her ANYMORE!"

are cries that are heard across many workplaces. Dealing with difficult behaviour can decrease productivity, diminish morale and increase staff turnover.

At the completion of this seminar participants will

• have an increased awareness and understanding of the common difficult behaviours that are reported in workplaces
• understand the role they (often unintentionally) play n perpetuating difficult behaviours
• learn how to avoid the common mistakes people make when responding to difficult behaviours
• learn key strategies that are proven to work in responding to and minimising difficult behaviours at work.

Presenter: Tasha Broomhall, Blooming Minds

Date: Wednesday 2nd May 2012

Time: 9:30am - 1pm

Venue: Enable South West, 104 Beach Rd, Bunbury

Cost: $155 inc GST for NDS members, $195 inc GST for non members (includes catering and materials)

Registration: www.nds.org.au/events, email pd@nds.org.au or call 9208 9876

Spirit of the Streets Choir

Blooming Minds supports local mental health services and resources by helping raise awareness through our newsletter and blog.

The choir is essentially for the people who do not get a seat at the table of conventional society and who are bound together by a love of singing and a strong sense of community.

In their everyday lives, the members of the Spirits of the Streets choir experience social disadvantage, isolation and often stigma because of their circumstances - which may include either a mental, neurological, physical disability or homelessness.

The choir provides them with a non-discriminatory, non-judgmental, safe and nurturing environment where each individual feels acknowledged and valued. At the same time they are encouraged and inspired to see past the difficulties and disadvantage of their daily lives to achieve the very best they can as a member of the choir family.

The choir has provided tremendous support for its members, some of whom live very lonely and isolated lives. Many have commented that the choir is now their family. It has become a safe place to begin their journey back to the wider community. A major result is the growth of self-esteem and confidence in many individuals as they overcome obstacles such as anxiety and depression and participate.

Carers and volunteers who have an interest in supporting our members are also welcome.

The SOS choir rehears every Tuesday at St john's Lutheran Church Hall, 16 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Rehearsals commences at 1:30pm with a cuppa. Singing starts at 2pm until 3:30pm.

SOS is self-funded, relying on performance fees (36 performances in 2011!) and donations. To sponsor the choir, or for more information, please contact the choir manager Ken Steele on 0419 042 397 or kensteele@dodo.com.au.

SOS is currently looking for new premises to rehears as St Johns is undergoing major renovations this year. If you think you may be able to help, please contact Irene on 0433 789 785 or email ilightenall@optusnet.com.au.

www.spiritofthestreetschoir.org.au

NDS are offering a number of Mental Health First Aid for the Disability Sector courses.

Facilitated by Angi at Blooming Minds.

The first of these will be held on the 27th and 28th of February 2012.

This course has been customised to meet the needs of those working in the disability sector. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to developing and ongoing mental health issues in their clients, in themselves and in their colleagues.

Presenter: Angi Leighton, Blooming Minds

Date: 27th and 28th of February 2012

Time: 9am - 4:30pm

Venue: NDS WA Board Room. Unit 1/59 Walters Drive, Osborne Park (parking available at the old IKEA site)

Cost: $355 NDS members, $445 non-members (includes catering on both days and all materials).

NDS WA Professional Development

Post: PO Box 1428 Osborne Park 6916

Phone: 9208 9876

Fax: 9242 5044

Email: pd@nds.org.au

NDS are running a number of these courses throughout the year. These are listed on the calendar of events on their website www.nds.org.au

Will Your Career Bloom in 2012?

The start of a new year forces us to reflect on what we want to achieve and change in our lives, with the focus usually being on financial, health and relationship goals. Often our career continues on, refreshed by the Christmas break, but not making it onto the New Year Resolution list. Are you happy with the work you do? Are you fulfilled? Do you enjoy the challenges presented to you in your workplace and appreciate the life balance you have achieved between family and work? No? Sometimes we just go through the daily motions at work just wishing that something would change. But without some effort and thought, your career doesn't usually just change on its own- you have to take action to get the changes you want.

So if one of your goals for this year is to get more fulfillment out of your work, then consider these steps:

• Start to notice what it is about your current job that no longer invigorates you (have your tasks, hours, managers, home responsibilities changed?)
• Appraise yourself and your current skills, abilities, responsibilities, loves, interests and personality. These things all change and mature all over the years, affecting how you feel about work.
• Read the Employment section of the paper, observe jobs in the community, talk to people about their work and browse on SEEK. Look through the whole employment section and keep any jobs that would be your 'dream' job, or have elements of your dream job (perfect hours/pay/clients/company/tasks). Collect these up over a few weeks or months, creating a picture of the kinds of work that excites you. Don't limit yourself based on your previous training and experience...this is a time to dream!
• Find out about the realties of some of the jobs you are interested in. Do some online research to find out about the training, experience, skills and abilities required to do some of the jobs that appealed to you.
• Make a plan...

The most important step is to use all of this information to make a plan for your life. If you need more experience, skills or training...find a way to work towards it. You can usually start acting on your plan while you continue in your current role, invigorated because you have a new direction and a plan to get there. Start to work towards your dream and make a difference to your life.