Kim Ryan

Chief Executive Officer

The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)

www.acmhn.org

The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) is the peak professional mental health nursing organisation and the recognised credentialing body for mental health nurses in Australia. It seeks to represent the profession at all levels of government and across all health service sectors. In addition, the ACMHN sets standards for practice, supports mental health nursing research and provides a forum for collegial support, networking and ongoing professional development for its members. Importantly, the ACMHN also works to promote public confidence in and professional recognition of mental health nursing.

A great leader whom I find inspirational is… I always find the question of who is a great leader a difficult one to answer, as there are so many
people and they are not always people in the public eye. Of course, there have been great leaders through history, but in more recent times I have been inspired by the passion and commitment to a more peaceful world, by Kofi Atta Annan (Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006). Closer to home I am inspired by the passion, commitment and the eloquent use of language people like Julian Burnside and Michael Kirby employ, and their ongoing challenge to us to consider the human rights of all people. In another arena and thinking globally while acting locally, we can’t go past Ian Kiernan, who saw a need and did something about it. There are of course hundreds of people across Australia every day that are seeing a need and acting on it, whether that be the environment, human rights, children, or people with a mental illness, they are all truly amazing. Looking more at mental health, the ACMHN established the Mental Health Nurse of the Year Award which acknowledges those nominated by their peers for their leadership to the profession, if you are interested the list of previous winners is available at www.acmhn.org.

The type of book I most enjoy reading is… My favourite genre of book is the crime thriller, and I’m an Agatha Christie fan from way back. I thought the Millennium series (aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was great and spell-binding reading; just recently I read The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, which I thought was very well written and kept you trying to figure out what was really going on to the very end. I think I enjoy the escapism in these books; it is so different to the day-to-day life I lead that you are transported to another place for a while, which is good for your mental health.

In my busy week, I always try to make time to… SWIM. I like to swim every day. I try to go before work each day, which isn’t as easy as it sounds, of course, and doesn’t always happen. I call swimming ‘liquid meditation’ - no distractions, no noise, no chatter, it is time to think of nothing and practice mindfulness. However, saying that, I often find the solution I was looking for will finally come to me, while going up and down and looking at that all-familiar black line at the bottom of the pool.

If I retired from paid employment… I think I would work as a volunteer in some capacity. I am not really sure how or in what field, however. Volunteers are the backbone of so many organisations and community endeavours. I know that over the years there has been so much achieved within our organisation through the involvement and commitment of members volunteering their time, which I, for one, am very grateful. Even when I retire, I would still like to support the profession somehow, so I suppose I will just need to wait and see.

A decision I have made in my career that I look back on and feel may have been a mistake is … I began my mental health nursing career when services and systems were very different; they were the days just before deinstitutionalisation. We worked in large hospitals and, in many cases, the care of patients was very good. But there were other instances where the care was not so good. As a young nurse in a large institution with a strong hierarchal system it was not always easy to question or complain about what you thought could be done better or what you thought might be out and out wrong. I did make the decision once to complain about the treatment of a patient which alienated me for some time with other staff - I seemed to get a lot of night duty.

From the above decision… I learnt from the above example that it is important, no matter where you work, to establish a culture of honesty and transparency. People need to feel safe to question and discuss behaviours and practices. We all, as individuals, should expect to be treated with respect and honesty. This has only fuelled my passion for supporting those more vulnerable in our community, those that cannot speak up for themselves.

As a leader, any CEO must be equipped with a set of appropriate competencies. I would say the one most important ability a leader should have is… Gee whiz, not sure there is just one! But if I had to pick one, it might be passion. Being passionate is really important. It sits hand-in-glove with commitment. There is something you want to achieve and contribute to, and you will do all you can to see that vision through. It’s what keeps you going through the rough times when you feel everywhere you turn there is a barrier. Leadership is complicated, and while you have a passion you have to be able to share it with others and bring others along with you. Of course, Florence Nightingale comes to mind: a woman with a passion and dogged determination, turning down a marriage proposal because marriage might distract her from her cause. I am certainly not professing many of us would be that committed, but passion and a vision and the commitment to reach your goals are key factors.

The most significant change in my organisation/industry in the next few years will occur in… Over the next few years I think there will need to be a more planned and dedicated approach to the management of chronic diseases, with mental health being one of them. There will also need to be a greater focus on comorbid physical and mental health problems. In a study commissioned by the World Economic Forum, mental disorders emerged as the single largest health cost, with global projections increasing to $6 trillion annually by 2030, more than diabetes, cancer, and pulmonary diseases combined. In Australia our spending on health is increasing every year. In 2009-10 we spent 9% of GDP on health alone. Spending on health is important but we will need to find ways of providing more cost effective health care, and that will require a lot of rethinking by governments, health providers and health professionals.

In the next few years, my most important goal is… Over the next few years I want to see mental health nursing better understood by the community, other health professionals and nursing more broadly. We need more mental health nurses and we need to demystify mental health and mental health nursing. I have always felt very privileged to be a mental health nurse to work with people at times when they are most vulnerable; to work with people that so much of our community don’t understand and shun. Mental health nursing is a wonderful career and if I can get others to see that I will be happy.

Sourced from: https://www.enterprisecare.com.au/newsletter_september_2014_-_get_to_know_a_ceo

From AuSAE Member Charles Hardy, Community Management Solutions

"I am completing a Masters (Thesis) in Safety Science, through Central Queensland University.

The topic of my Thesis is “The effectiveness of an online training course in work health and safety (WHS) for volunteer committee members in community organisations.”

While this is targeted at Committee members / Board members, it equally applies to CEO’s who in many instances are either ‘Persons in Charge of a Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU’s), or are deemed as ‘Officers’ under the Qld Work health and Safety Act (2011).

For the most part the terminology (PCBU’s / Officers) is common across Australia irrespective of the state you are in, however the focus (from the Act ) is based in Qld.

How to get involved? Participants will need to:

• Send back a consent form
  
• Participate in 3  (1 minute) surveys 
  
• View a 17 minute Webinar
  

The benefits of participation (and assisting me) are:

• An increased awareness of WH&S
  
• Increased knowledge of obligations with the view to ,
  
• Creating a safer workplace, and
  
• The best of all….. Its Free.

All emailed responses are kept confidential. Only the statistical numbers are being used in the results once tabulated. Happy to publish and make available my final paper (once marked) to both participant and AuSAE."

Please contact Charles on 07 3251 2010 or email executive@cmsolutions.org.au

How do you sustain your member’s interest so they renew year after year and remain active, committed members of your community?

At this year’s AuSAE Leadership Symposium there are several membership focused sessions covering a range of specific membership components such as the all-important: retention, segmentation, research and engagement.

We all know good research is fundamental to gaining the information and the insights necessary for successful decision-making, so why not join other not-for-profit leaders at this special event to hear what innovative membership component strategies they have in place and their future plans?

Sound good? Then click here to download the 2014 AuSAE Leadership Symposium Program and click here to register today.

I look forward to seeing you on October 13-14 in Sydney at this special event.

Kimberley Miller
Events and Communications Manager
AuSAE

This afternoon the Government announced additional funding for rural broadband and connectivity, the detail is here:

https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-releases/detail/2014/08/26/$150-million-boost-for-rural-broadband-initiative

National’s Communications and Information Technology spokeswoman, Amy Adams, today announced a re-elected National-led Government will establish a new $150 million fund to extend the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI).

Sourced from: http://tuanz.org.nz/blog/2014/8/26/150-million-boost-for-rural-broadband-connectivity

In the Federal Budget announced in May 2014, radical changes will be implemented in relation to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC is the regulatory agency that has, until now, dealt with compliance in respect of privacy. On and from 31 December 2014, the OAIC will be disbanded.

The obligations of the OAIC will now be split between 4 agencies. On and from 1 January 2015, the following will be implemented:

1. The Privacy Act will be administered by a Privacy Commissioner acting in an independent statutory position within the Australian Human Rights Commission;

2. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, policy advice, guidance and related activity will be administered by the Attorney General’s department in Canberra;

3. The right to an external merits review of FOI decisions will be to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;

4. Complaints about FOI administration by Government agencies will be made directly to the Commonwealth Ombudsman; and

5. Unresolved FOI review applications or complaints before the Privacy Commissioner will be transferred to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The implications of this are a more decentralised approach to privacy compliance and management. The long terms effects of this change are presently unclear. However, this should not be interpreted as a way to lessen the application or impact of the legislative changes to the Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles which came into force on 12 March 2014. You may have attended an AuSAE webinar given by Mills Oakley Lawyers this year setting out those changes. Compliance with the new privacy regime is mandatory.

AuSAE partner Mills Oakley Lawyers would be delighted to assist you in any queries you have in relation to the application and extent of impact the recent changes to the Privacy Act will have on your organisation and its activities. Mills Oakley provide an offer to AuSAE members that constitutes a significant reduction on the hourly rates they charge to assist with compliance. Click here to see the offer. Please contact Damian Ward on 02 8289 5862 or dward@millsoakley.com.au for further information.

We will be providing further updates in relation to privacy related matters in the near future.

Toni Brearley
Deputy Chief Executive Officer 
AuSAE 

• Key point of contact for members
  
• Opportunity to be part of the Communications and Membership team
  
• Located at St Leonards
  

Overview
This position is the key point of contact for membership information about the Australian Dental Association NSW Branch for its members. You will be responsible for maintaining accurate membership information on a database, co-ordinating annual renewals and assisting the Association with information about membership.

The Australian Dental Association NSW Branch is looking to recruit a new team member as the key connection point for approximately 4000 members across NSW and the ACT. This role would suit someone who is customer service focused and possesses strong interpersonal and communication skills with an eye for detail. Applicants will need to be able to establish good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and ensure that the membership database is kept up to date.

The Membership Coordinator role is an integral part of the Communications and Membership team that engages current and potential members through a number of activities that are aimed at building and sustaining membership levels.

General functions and tasks

• Respond to membership service inquiries across multiple communications channels
  
• Coordinate membership applications and annual renewals, including billing payments and information
  
• Ensure accurate information is updated regularly within the membership database
  
• Provide membership information, literature and correspondence in a timely manner
  
• Establish a rapport with members and the profession to ensure a high level of membership satisfaction
  

Essential

• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs
  
• Database and CMS knowledge (iMIS highly regarded)
  
• Excellent communication skills
  
• Attention to detail
  
• 3 years + experience in a service environment maintaining client information
  
• Strong customer focus and problem solving skills
  
• Ability to plan ahead and prioritise
  
• Ability to update and maintain procedures
  

If you are interested in working in a great office environment, please forward a covering letter and resume by email to: katherine.purcell@adansw.com.au

Closing date: 22 August 2014

Salary: $61,000 (includes super)

Hart Square is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, which focuses on delivering valuable and topical information to the professional membership, associations and NFP sectors. The new-look site has been designed to be easy to use, with ‘one-click’ navigation and a user-friendly interface.

“There has been a lot of activity recently at Hart Square, with the addition of new services and new staff to drive our continued growth,” said Glenda Parker, Founder and CEO of Hart Square. “We want to ensure that our new website provides professional membership organisations, associations and NFPs with high quality information that is topical, relevant, and most importantly, independent.”

Mick Clarke, Commercial Director for Hart Square in Australia is ‘delighted to see the new site launched as it provides the ideal online platform to increase awareness of Hart Square in Australia as the only truly 100% independent CRM and Technology Consulting business exclusively focused on NFP’s and Associations’.

The new website features a wealth of information on Hart Square’s core services, as well as industry news, informative blogs and articles, eBooks, white papers, useful tips and tools, a resources library and an FAQ section. Visitors to the site can also subscribe to regular updates and will soon be able to sign-in to gain exclusive access to a repository of information assets and resources.

To see the new site visit www.hartsquare.com.au.

I am pleased to announce the launch of a very unique event for Association Professionals in New Zealand from October 28 – November 2.

With the generous support of AuSAE Annual Partner – Tourism New Zealand, we are offering you the educational opportunity to attend the 2014 AuSAE NZ Leadership Symposium in Rotorua (October 29-30) and continue on to visit another popular New Zealand destination for the reminder of the trip.

Valued at more than $5,000 per person this program will be available FREE of charge to 10 carefully selected Association Professionals. This means that all costs including flights, accommodation, professional development sessions and adventure activities will be covered!

Applications for the 10 free places are now open. To be considered all you have to do is apply before COB on August 22. We are specifically looking for professionals who share a commonality of issues and wish to visit New Zealand for potential event research to create a cohesive group. The agenda for this trip will be developed via consultation with the successful delegates.

To apply for this hosted educational experience please click here.

If you have any questions please contact me on the details below, good luck and I hope to see you there!

Warm Regards,
Toni

Toni Brearley
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Society of Association Executives

Sourced from: https://www.charities.govt.nz/news-and-events/hot-topics/charitable-purpose-and-political-activity/

A recent decision by the Supreme Court has developed the law on what may qualify as a charitable purpose. 

In its decision on an appeal brought by Greenpeace New Zealand, the Supreme Court has found that political activity may itself be accepted as a charitable purpose (rather than just being "ancillary” to an organisation’s main purpose). Refer to the Supreme Court judgment [PDF, 360 KB] and media release for details.

The Department of Internal Affairs - Charities Services and the independent Charities Registration Board are reviewing our approach to assessing applications for registration in the light of the Court’s decision, and Charities Services will issue new guidance for organisations considering applying to register as a charity. We will publish updated guidance on this website when it is available.

To be eligible to register as a charity, an applicant has to show that its purpose and activities meet the definition of a ‘charitable purpose’ set out in the Charities Act 2005—relieving poverty, or advancing education or religion, or other things beneficial to the community. There is a long history of case law that helps to define what can be considered charitable, and the Supreme Court decision now forms part of the law that we apply when considering each application.

Many not-for-profit organisations try to influence change by raising awareness of a societal issue or by lobbying to change the law. This has never been treated as a bar to registration as a charity, provided that the activity was ancillary to an entity's main charitable purpose.

While the Supreme Court decision found that political activity may now itself be accepted as a main charitable purpose, an applicant will still have to demonstrate that its purposes and all its activities provide benefits to the public or a sufficient section of the public, not just to an individual, organisation or closed group, as well as being charitable. Applicants must also demonstrate that they meet all of the other requirements of the Act.

The Court’s decision does not invalidate the independent Charities Registration Board’s previous decisions to decline to register any applicant, or to deregister any previously registered charity, on the basis of political advocacy. Those decisions were made applying the law as the courts interpreted it to be at the time.

The Charities Registration Board and the Department of Internal Affairs - Charities Services will now apply the law as it has been clarified by the Supreme Court. Current applications which have an element of political advocacy will be considered in the light of the Supreme Court decision.

Any organisation that has previously been declined registration on the basis of political advocacy that was not “ancillary” to a main charitable purpose can, if it wishes, submit a fresh application for registration. Applicants will need to demonstrate that they meet all of the requirements of the Act. All applications will be considered carefully on their own merits.

Sourced from: http://entertainment.msn.co.nz/article.aspx?id=8888193

Celebrity promotion of charities is ineffective at raising awareness but can make the stars more popular with the public, a British study says.
A survey of more than 2000 people found two thirds could not link any celebrity with a list of seven well-known charities and aid organisations that they worked for.

Stars did not support charities for self promotion, but this was the unintended outcome of their work, researchers concluded.

The seven organisations mentioned in the survey were Action Aid, Amnesty International, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and the Red Cross.

Speaking about their study which also used focus groups, Professor Dan Brockington, of the University of Manchester, and Professor Spencer Henson, of the University of Sussex, said: "Our survey found that while awareness of major NGOs (non-governmental organisations) brands was high, awareness of celebrity advocates for those brands was low.

"Instead it was plain from the focus groups that most people supported the charities that they supported because of personal connections in their lives and families which made these causes important, not because of the celebrities.

"The evidence suggests therefore that the ability of celebrity advocacy to reach people is limited and dominated in Britain by some extremely prominent telethons and the work of a few stars.

"Regardless of what celebrities may want in terms of publicity - and the interviews suggest that many would seek to maximise the attention given to their cause and not to them - it is clear that the celebrity can often do better out of this attention than their causes."

In a separate related study, also published online in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Dr Martin Scott, of the University of East Anglia, conducted focus group observations with 108 people with nearly half asked to keep a diary on their thoughts about poorer countries.

"In the diaries only six per cent of all entries were about celebrity humanitarianism - almost all of which were about programs or advertisements in the build-up to Comic Relief," Scott said.

"Celebrities were both valued for their seemingly instrumental role in drawing attention to worthy causes but at the same time this was often accompanied by cynical statements (written in the diaries) about their motivations for involvement or about the genuineness of their emotional responses.

"There were still a relatively large number of occasions in which seemingly authentic celebrities did appear to generate a distinct sense of proximity and agency vis-a-vis distant suffering.

"However, overall the results of this research suggest that celebrities are generally ineffective in cultivating a cosmopolitan engagement with distant suffering.

"In conversations about the mediation of distant others, research participants rarely talked about instances of explicit celebrity humanitarianism."