MYAN NSW information update - July 2015

[Andrew Cummings]

Dear MYAN NSW Members

Please find below the latest information update from MYAN NSW including details on events for young people, training and conferences for workers, reports etc.

This is my last update as MYAN NSW’s Executive Officer. It has been a great pleasure working with you all over the last two years. Our new EO, Alex Long, will start on Monday 27th July.

kind regards

Andrew

Information for Young People:

BLOOMgroup 

is for any young people (16-24) who want to learn how to build a sustainable garden and get hands on creating a sensory garden for the WAAT centre. Bloom group sessions will be held fortnightly over  Six sessions starting on the 6th August – 18th October at the Western Area Adolescent Team, Buran Close Mt Druitt. For more information and to register please contact Andre @ WAAT on 98811230 or andre.z...@health.nsw.gov.au

IDEATION 

Multicultural NSW’s annual event will be held  on the 9 September 2015, from 9am – 3:30pm at the Powerhouse Museum, Harris Street, Ultimo.  This year's theme, ‘I Choose to be...’ will bring young people aged between 14 and 16 together to voice their perspectives and opinions on what living in a multicultural community means, generating ideas to address the many challenges our society and young people face and developing strategies to unite communities.

Multicultural NSW also  invites capable young people connected to your organisation or that you know of, to express interest in being facilitators at the event.  They will need to register their interest by contacting shabnam...@multicultural.nsw.gov.au

Refugee Adjustment Study

The Refugee Trauma & Recovery Program at the University of New South Wales has recently launched the Refugee Adjustment Study, a longitudinal online study examining refugees and asylum-seekers’ settlement and mental health experiences in Australia. The study also hopes to understand the possible mechanisms through which settlement might affect psychological wellbeing and which factors influence mental health in the dynamic settlement environment. By understanding more about the impact of settlement stress, better treatments can be developed to support individuals who experience ongoing difficulties related to the refugee experience.

 

Participation in this project is open now to all refugees and asylum-seekers who have arrived in Australia since January 2011 and are over 18 years of age. Participation involves completing a series of online surveys containing questions about their experience, with surveys currently available in Farsi, Arabic, Tamil and English. Eligible participants will be reimbursed for taking part in this research study. For more information, please visit www.rtrp-research.com/refugeeadjustmentstudy

 

YWCA Survey

The Young Women’s Advisory Group (aka YWAG) is currently running a survey - Let’s Talk: Young Women’s Views on Sex Education for young women between the ages of 16-21.  They are interested in finding out about sex education in schools and what young women think of the sex education they received at school.You can find the survey online here. You can also find a Facebook page for the project here.

 

Film Premier of “Silent Sufferers” and “Restoring Hope”

MECA is holding a premiere of these two films, which are the creative works of an inspiring group of young migrants and refugees. This film premier event is a fantastic opportunity to support young talent in the Western Sydney Area. It will be a night full of entertainment and stories to be shared. It is on 15th AUGUST 2015 AT 11 ASCOT Road, Kenthurst NSW 2156 FROM 5.30 PM – 9.30 PM. FREE ENTRY. FREE Parking Available. All Donors will receive Free DVD of the films shown on the night. To RSVP, please email John at john...@hotmail.com or call John on 0478 161 741.

hY NRG

Applications are now open for the new headspace National Youth Reference Group (hY NRG). The group consists of young people aged 16-25 and participate in a variety of activities including policy and advocacy, media, research, etc. headspace is keen to get a diverse group of young people recruited, including those of CALD backgrounds. Applications close July 30th. Online applications can be submitted at headspace.org.au/apply

Human Rights Awards 

The Australian Human Rights Commission is proud to announce the creation of the ‘Racism. It Stops With Me’ Award. The Racism. It Stops With Me Award is a new category in the annual Human Rights Awards, to be presented on December 10. Nominations close on 11 September 2015. The awards will be presented on 10 December 2015.  The event celebrates International Human Rights Day. Details and nomination forms are online at http://hrawards.humanrights.gov.au

FACS Youth Scholarship Program 

This is now open and closes on 31 July. The program helps young people living in social housing to complete their Higher School Certificate or TAFE equivalent by providing a one-off payment of $1,500 to be spent on education-related items. To be eligible, a student must be living in social housing in NSW (public housing, Aboriginal housing, community housing), on the NSW Housing Register (waiting list), or living in crisis accommodation. Please see more information on the Housing NSW website: http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/Living+in+Public+Housing/Youth+Scholarships+2016.htm

Unforced Marriage Advocate Training 

These event which will involve presentations from key organisations and service providers and information on the campaign. Two training sessions have been organised and you are welcome to attend either:

1)      Monday 27th July: 6.30- 9.30pm

Parramatta Town Hall

182 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150

Light refreshments provided

 

2)      Wednesday 29th July: 5.30- 8.30pm

St George MRC

552 Princes Hwy, Rockdale NSW 2116

Light refreshments provided

Please RVSP to Cultural Partners by  Friday 24th July at me...@culturalpartners.com.au or call 02 8752 7688 or Paula can be contact via mobile on 0419 292 207.

Skillmax Jobseekers Course

UWSCollege still has places left in the Skillmax Jobseekers Course running at Westmead campus beginning 3rd August. This course is free for eligible Skilled Migrants. Below is some more information about the course and eligibility criteria. I would be grateful if you could circulate this information throughout your networks or promote the information to your clients.

Skillmax – A job-seekers course for skilled migrants

Commencing :                   Monday 3rd August 2015

Days and times:                Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30am – 3:00pm

Concluding:                       Wednesday 3rd September 2015

Location:                           WESTMEAD – Building J, 158 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead.

A second course also starts on 21 September. Contact a.fer...@uws.edu.au for more details.

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards - Nominations Close 24th July

Volunteers in NSW are recognised each year by the Volunteer of the Year Awards conducted by the Centre for Volunteering and supported by the NSW Government.  The Volunteer of the Year Awards include student and youth categories. The NSW Student Volunteer of the Year Award is open to Full-time students in Primary, Secondary, Vocational or Tertiary study.  The NSW Youth Volunteer of the Year Award is open to any young person aged under 25 years. Information on the Awards can be found at: http://volunteering.com.au/about-the-awards/

AFRICAN-FIND AUSTRALIA 

is an African-Australian community organisation whose main purpose is to Inspire and Support African People to Achieve the Great Australian Life Dream & Global Success. They run the following programs: African Australian Media, Mentoring Programs and other Community Development programs for African organisations, Businesses, Social Enterprises, African community associations and groups as well as Families and Individuals. To find out more contact in...@africanfind.com or call 1300 368 715 or 0434 124 009

Hep B Campaign
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service are pleased to be launching a new hepatitis B campaign targeting Vietnamese males in South Western Sydney. Hepatitis B does not discriminate between males and females, and everyone at risk should get tested. However, research has shown that males are testing at lower rates in South Western Sydney and developing liver cancer at 3 times the rate of females.Come hear about this new campaign to break this cycle on Saturday 25 July from 10.00am – 12.00pm at the Vietnamese Community Cultural Centre, 6-8 Bibbys Place Bonnyrigg.

The Australian Online Choir

are currently holding open auditions to join the choir. The Australian Online Choir has been created to lift the spirits of Australians, decrease the amount of people within our country that are anxious, stressed and depressed. Music is awash with neuro-chemical rewards for working up the courage to sing. That rush, or “singer’s high,” comes in part through a surge of endorphins, which at the same time alleviate pain. When the voices of the singers surrounding you hit your ear, you will be bathed in dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with feelings of pleasure and alertness. Music is also known to lower cortisol, a chemical that signals levels of stress and anxiety. If you would like further information go to australianonlinechoir.com.au

QLife

QLife is Australia’s first nationally-oriented counselling and referral service for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex (LGBTI). QLife provides nation-wide, early intervention, peer supported telephone and web based services to people of all ages across the full breadth of people’s bodies, genders, relationships, sexualities, and lived experiences. For more info go to http://www.qlife.org.au/

 

Training and Conferences for Youth and Multicultural Workers

Symposium: Insecurity/Innovation/Insight: Meeting the challenges facing youth in Asia and the Pacific:

Is being held 31 July 2015 at the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay (Hobart) campus. Organised by the Centre for Applied Youth Research (CAYR) with a line-up of speakers from across the Asia-Pacific region. CAYR members are eligible for a discounted registration to the symposium. Further information on the symposium is available at: www.cayr.info/cayr-symposium/

SWSLHD Child Protection Conference 

is being held on 9 September 2015. The conference is open to all staff from Health, Family and Community Services, Education and Communities, other Government agencies and non-Government agencies. For details contact Jo Breeze, Coordinator, Child Wellbeing & Clinical on (02) 9780 2803 or 0477 767 537| or at jo.b...@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Senior Practitioner Research to Practice Seminar - Smoke and Mirrors: helping families through the maze of substance abuse

This FREE seminar will be held on Wednesday 12th August in Redfern. It will feature expert international and Australian keynote speakers, role-plays, case studies and reflections from a recovered substance user.Please register your interest by emailing researcht...@facs.nsw.gov.au or ff you have any questions please contact Ellen Field, Office of the Senior Practitioner on 02 9716 2213.

Understanding and supporting adolescent development: More than one direction

Youth Health Forums are stimulating, half-day forums that cover a wide range of adolescent health and wellbeing issues, appealing to health, education, community, welfare professionals and students. The Forum provides opportunity for attendees to meet, update knowledge and skills, exchange information and strengthen the youth health network, in order to provide the best possible support for young people in NSW.  At this Forum, we will focus on research around adolescent development to inform practice.It will be held on 5 August 2015 from 8.30am -12.30pm at  Lorimer Dods Lecture Theatre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead. To register go to www.kidsfamilies.health.nsw.gov.au

Child Safe Workshop

The Office of the Children's Guardian is running a free workshops across NSW to assist participants with implementing best practice principles for Child Safe Organisations in their workplace. To find out dates and locations and register to attend, please go to http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/news--training-and-events/child-safe-training

Cultural Competency in Disability Conference

Registrations are now open for the ‘Cultural Competency in Disability’ Conference, to be held in North Parramatta on 29th and 30th July.   This is an essential event for those who value cultural competency and want to see the disability sector move beyond ‘tick a box’ ways of working with diversity, to one that is better equipped to work with diverse people with disability in a changing and increasingly competitive environment. To register or for more information please click here: https://www.ors.net.au/CulturalCompetencyConference15.html

Health Literacy in Refugee Communities

This will be the focus of the next Refugee Health Interagency Network meeting. The meeting is on Tuesday 6 October at 9:30am at the Refugee Health Service (RHS), Level 3, 157-161 George St, Liverpool. Videoconferencing facilities are available – please let Cathy know if you would like to link in. You can contact her at cathy.Pres...@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Funding Opportunities

Celebration Grants 

are open for funding under the Multicultural NSW Grants Program. The Multicultural NSW Grants Program aims to provide support funding to local nonprofit organisations and Local Councils, for events that celebrate our cultural diversity. Celebration Grants provide support funding between $1,000 and $5000 for community projects and activities that foster community engagement and celebrate cultural diversity. The Multicultural NSW Grants Website is at www.multicultural.nsw,gov.au/celebration_grants . Please note that the closing date f or applications is Friday 31s' July 2015

Better Outcomes for Young People: Youth Opportunities 

This funding round opening 9am Monday, 27 July 2015. The Minister responsible for youth affairs, the Hon John Ajaka MLC, has announced that up to $1 million is being made available to non-government organisations and local councils for youth-led and youth-driven community projects that have a positive youth development focus. Read the announcement in full here:  http://youth.nsw.gov.au/better-outcomes-for-young-people-youth-opportunities-funding-round-now-open/

The funds are available through the Youth Opportunities program which provides one-off time-limited grants of up to $50,000 each to projects which engage young people to lead and participate in a range of community development activities. The application form will be made available on the Youth.NSW website at 9:00 am, Monday 27 July 2015.

Mental Health Month NSW Grants

Part of a national mental health promotion campaign held throughout October each year. The campaign aims to increase awareness, and promote mental health and wellbeing for all people living in NSW. Each year the Mental Health Association of NSW offers a number of small grants to support community events. Grants are available for initiatives targeting Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. There are small grants of $1000 or $500 available.

The Transcultural Mental Health Centre can support you in your application for CALD specific grants. Please contact Dora Onesemo, Mental Health Project Officer on dora.O...@health.nsw.gov.au or 8838 2168.

Other Information

Report: Unmet legal need amongst new migrants in NSW

Justice Connect, in conjunction with the Redfern Legal Centre, has produced a report about the unmet legal needs of new migrants in NSW, particularly in relation to civil law issues. To download the report go to https://gallery.mailchimp.com/427ee66758a48277822641a98/files/MOSAIC_legal_needs_FINAL.pdf

Andrew Cummings

Executive Officer

MYAN NSW

0435 146 979

and...@myannsw.org.au

MYAN NSW is the 2014 winner of the NSW Youth Work Award for outstanding service to young people from CALD backgrounds