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This workshop is designed for people who do not need to be experts in psychiatric treatment, but need to know basic information about mental illness and how it affects people’s lives. This workshop will give participants a better understanding of mental illness and the confidence to communicate effectively and refer people to appropriate services.

As members of our clients’ healing communities, we are personally affected by their challenges, triumphs and traumas. We all recognise the importance of self care to remain alert, compassionate and balanced. This workshop is designed to be self caring, looking at ways to care for our whole self: our mind, body, spirit and emotions. Taking into account individual core values and beliefs, we will develop plans that are both realistic and attractive.

This half-day workshop introduces participants to the basic principles and practices of living skills assessment and intervention. The participants will be introduced to the Guide to Living Skills Assessment and Intervention developed by Western Region Health Centre. This guide helps staff working with people at risk of homelessness assess their living skills (such as tenancy, community mobility, cooking, meal planning, shopping, cleaning, personal care, budgeting, banking and money handling, bill paying, medication, appointments, communication and emergencies and first aid) and provide appropriate interventions for independent living.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

This program introduces participants to the core competencies of Family Sensitive Practice within a mental health context. These include negotiating the involvement of the family in working with an individual consumer, responding effectively to families coping with acute mental illness or other crises involving their relative, understanding the impact of mental illness on family members, conducting productive meetings with families including the consumer, sharing information about mental illness between the consumer, family members and the worker, and documenting family contact in consumer files.

This four-day workshop will provide an overview of the community managed mental health sector and its relationship to other sectors. There will be a focus on the issues faced by consumers and families, and the program will examine the core values, ethics and expectations that underpin professional practice in the workplace. This training program provides a foundation for all VICSERV training.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

Your internet should be a 24-hours-a-day employee, though sadly most sites are little more than online brochures. Get more from your website, social media and email in this practical workshop which comes from a nonprofit marketing and communications perspective - not a technical perspective. With minimum jargon and maximum utility, Online Savvy 101 is an ideal way to speed up the learning curve for newcomers to the digital age (no matter what your age).

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

This workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to concepts and interventions relevant to treatment and support for individuals with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Community managed mental health workers, mental health service clinicians and others working with clients with a borderline personality diagnosis would be benefit from this workshop.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed and tailored by VICSERV and is specifically designed for people currently working in the community managed mental health sector. The qualification consists of three core modules of training, these include: Orientation to community mental health, Being a community mental health worker - recovery practice and Working effectively in the community mental health environment plus an elective unit; Working & advocating effectively with consumers, carer and families.

The aim of this two-day workshop is to assist the participants to achieve a basic dual diagnosis capability. By the end of this workshop participants should be able to: describe the various legislative and philosophical frameworks, describe and apply the six Stages of Change, use appropriate screening tools, negotiate appropriate interventions with clients and significant others, including referral pathways, and develop relapse prevention plans with clients with dual diagnosis in community managed mental health services. 

This workshop gives participants the opportunity to understand the key roles of an effective supervisor and develop the capabilities and skills required. Participants will experience the relief and joy of having a flexible supervision methodology, and develop confidence in assessing performance, building an effective relationship, maximising learning and achieving real change.

The emphasis of this workshop is on suicide first aid, helping a person at imminent risk stay safe and seek further help. Participants reflect on their attitudes and beliefs about suicide and how these may affect their intervention role. They learn how to notice invitations for help and ask directly about suicide. An intervention framework is provided and modelled, followed by extensive opportunities to practice skills needed to implement the model.

This program provides participants with strategies to deal more effectively with aggression and intense emotional expressions, and will increase understanding of typical factors contributing to hostility and explore appropriate interventions. This program is suited to all workers in the PDRS sector, including managers, team leaders, counsellors and administrative staff.

This two-day workshop introduces participants to the basic principles and practices of motivational interviewing. The participants will gain an awareness and understanding of the principles of motivational interviewing, practice some of the techniques and build upon their current level of counselling skills.

The main topics include:

• History and theory of motivational interviewing

• Stages of change

• Five principles of motivational interviewing

• Importance and function of “change talk” and dealing with ambivalence and resistance.

The Diploma of Management is a unique opportunity for participants to undertake a formal, nationally-recognised, tertiary qualification in management that can also be used as credits towards future qualifications. The content is targeted at team leaders, program managers and / or first-line supervisors, encompassing a broad range of the people, planning and technical skills (competencies). It is tailored to those working in the mental health and / or community support sector.

The Mental Health First Aid workshop was developed in 2001 at the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University by Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm. In 2005 the program moved to Orygen Youth Health Research Centre at the University of Melbourne and the program is now delivered in every state and territory in Australia and internationally.

The workshop teaches adults how to provide initial support to adults experiencing a mental health crisis or developing a mental health problem. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of major mental health problems, where and how to get help and what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective.

The aim of this workshop is to provide those who work within mental health services with comprehensive training on problem gambling and psychiatric co-morbidity so that they have an understanding and awareness of how to identify clients and work collaboratively with gambling treatment providers in order to provide the best treatment options and outcomes. 

This workshop introduces a framework for people to consider and progress consumer leadership in their service. People will be given a template to develop consumer participation in their service. The workshop is interactive and involves people in practical exercises. 

This half-day workshop explores the definitions and origins of risk thinking and of recovery. The recovery approach emphasises the voice, personal meaning and improved life chances for people with lived experience, as this has yet to penetrate the risk thinking in mental health services. The workshop covers the practical application of a recovery based approach to risk, including a template and process for risk and opportunity identification and management that is collaborative and holistic. 

This four-day workshop will provide an overview of how workers in the community-managed mental health sector may facilitate recovery in an effective, respectful and person-centred way. There will be a focus on how communication and relationships may impact on the recovery process, and how workers assist in a process of identifying needs and strengths, goal setting, and review. Together with ‘orientation to community managed mental health’ this training program provides a foundation for all VICSERV training.

Media Savvy 101 is designed to give participants the skills to gain media coverage for your campaigns, events and objectives. It is aimed for nonprofit public relations, marketing and communications people right up to CEOs and board members who need to know how media really works. 

This highly interactive workshop builds a strong understanding of group work issues and practice, and develops skills in planning, delivery and evaluation. This workshop provides plenty of time for practice and consolidation of skills and knowledge, as well as a strong emphasis on consumer engagement and continuous improvement.

This two-day workshop will introduce participants to the relationship between spirituality and mental wellbeing. Participants will gain an awareness and understanding of the nature of mental illness, issues relating to the inherent dignity of the person and the spiritual dimensions of mental illness. The workshop will develop skills in assessing the spiritual needs of the person and ways to work with these issues.

This program is designed to assist community managed mental health service leaders to develop their leadership capability, strategic governance and planning, feedback and coaching skills, and strengthen peer networks within the sector to ensure personal, team and organisational success.