Grants and Donations

The Mental Health First Aid program would like to gratefully acknowledge the following grants and donations:

National Suicide Prevention Strategy
A grant of $700,000 has been provided from 2007-2009 to roll out a Youth Mental Health First Aid program. This will allow the training of existing MHFA instructors who have expertise in the mental health of young people to deliver the new course. Details of the grant can be found at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/coag-mental-suicideprevention.htm

The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing in conjunction with Auseinet
For a 6-month grant to modify the MHFA Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ending December 2006). For more information contact Len Kanowski - email Len.Kanowski@mh.org.au

Nicks Russell Drysdale Fellowship - University of Sydney
To employ an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Trainer of Instructors for the
period January - December 2007. To visit the Russell Drysdale Rowan Nicks webpage:
http://www.medfac.usyd.edu.au/scholawards/fellowships/nicksdrysdale/index.php

Beyondblue - Victorian Centre of Excellence in Depression
For a grant to develop depression first aid standards for Indigenous Australians from 2007

Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant
For a grant to the MHFA Program to conduct a randomised controlled trial of the Adolescent MHFA Program with the South Australian Dept Education and Community Services, 2006-2007.

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)
For a 6 month consultancy to develop an e-learning course on MHFA for the workplace. This consultancy ended 30 June 2006

Australian Rotary Health Research Fund
This fund has given a grant for 2005 and 2006 for a project on "Development of Mental Health First Aid Standards". The funding supports the salary of Dr Claire Kelly, who has received the ARHRF Hugh Lydiard Fellowship. The project is using the expertise of professionals, consumers and carers to find out the best ways of supporting a person in a mental health crisis situation. The crises covered are: a person who is suicidal, person having a panic attack, a person who has experienced a traumatic event, a person in a psychotic state who is perceived to be threatening, a person with a mental disorder who is unwilling to seek professional help, and a person who engages in deliberate self-harm

Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court
For a consultancy from the FCoA/FMC to help with the mental health literacy component of their Mental Health Support Initiative. This project is piloting a range of approaches to provide mental health support to court clients in Adelaide and Darwin. The funding to the court is from the National Suicide Prevention Initiative from the Australian Governement Dept of Health and Ageing. The MHFA program is engaged for 9 months from September 2005 to develop the Mental Health First Aid protocols for court staff and staff skilling.

The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
For an 18-month grant to modify the MHFA program for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community (ending March 2005)
For more information:
http://www.health.gov.au/mediarel/yr2002/kp/kp02100.htm

The ACT Department of Health and Community Care
For seeding funding for 3 years (ending June 2003)

Hollie Jackes Memorial Fund
For sponsored positions paying half the fee to train as a MHFA Instructor in rural areas from September 2004 - February 2005.

To visit the The Hollie Jackes Memorial Fund page:
http://www.anu.edu.au/cmhr/foundation/memory_hollie.htm

Pivot Fertilizer Company
For $22,000 for sponsored positions for ten trainee MHFA instructors in rural areas of South Eastern Australia during 2003.
To visit their website:

http://www.pivot.com.au/

Lara Bishop

For 50 copies of her book "Post-Natal Depression: Families in Turmoil" for MHFA instructors.

Jennie Thomas

For $20,000 for the production and printing of the Mental Health First Aid Manual in 2002.

17-Oct-2006