Postnatal Depression Awareness Week 2013

Transcription

1 Postnatal Depression Awareness Week 2013 In this pack Small grants information and how to apply Ideas for planning your event Tips on promoting your event in the media How to order free resources How to register your event

2 2 What is? is an opportunity to raise awareness about perinatal mental health issues in your local community. It is a time to increase community knowledge about antenatal and postnatal depression and other mental illnesses experienced during the perinatal period and eliminate the stigma attached so that those affected can feel free to seek help. In line with these goals the Mental Health Association NSW is encouraging individuals and community organisations to get involved in by holding Parents Events. When is it? Sunday, 17 November Saturday, 23 November Parents Events Parents events are a way for new and expectant parents to share information about parenting and perinatal mental health while offering a time of fun and relaxation. Some of the messages to communicate with your event are: the importance of parents looking after their mental health during the perinatal period. that help can be sought for Depression and Anxiety as well as other mental health concerns. the importance of parents looking after themselves, watching out for each other, and asking for help if necessary. Who is the Mental Health Association NSW? A number of organisations around the country are involved in raising awareness and promoting mental health during Postnatal Depression Awareness Week. The Mental Health Association NSW is an NGO and registered charity with 25 years of experience in coordinating health promotion campaigns. The Mental Health Association NSW facilitates as an opportunity for organisations to focus attention on this important population and health issue. Key Deadlines for Postnatal Depression Awareness Week 2013 Small grant applications due: 5pm, Friday, 6 September 2013 Free resource orders due: 5pm, Friday, 11 October 2013 Event registrations close: 5pm, Friday, 1 November 2013 Jargon Buster Antenatal: occurring before birth or during pregnancy Postnatal: occurring after having a baby Perinatal: occurring around the time of birth. Here we are using perinatal to mean the period including pregnancy and 1 year after having a baby. While this campaign is called Postnatal Depression Awareness Week you can use the Week to promote awareness of the range of mental health issues faced by Mums and Dads during the perinatal period

3 Tips for Planning Your parents event The Mental Health Association NSW is encouraging organisations and individuals to plan Parents Events. Organisers can be very creative in finding ways to talk to new and expectant parents about looking after themselves and their emotional health, and provide information about the types of mental health challenges that some parents face and who can help. Up to one in ten women experience depression during pregnancy and one in seven in the year following birth. Anxiety disorders are also common and can occur alone or with depression. Fathers and partners can also experience mental health problems around this time of adjustment. Be careful when planning your event that it doesn t inadvertently create fear about all the things that could go wrong for parents. Celebrate parenting and make sure parents leave feeling empowered to meet any challenges that may arise. These events are about creating greater awareness of perinatal mental health in an accessible and supportive way and making sure parents know where they can go to find help. Events can be anything that you think will get your message across. They can be as fun or imaginative as you would like them to be. 3 Below are some examples of previous Parents Events Decorated pram walk in a park followed by expert guest speakers, testimonials from women with a lived experience of Postnatal Depression, information and lunch. A music therapy workshop to enhance the interaction and attachment between mum, dad, and baby, using singing and musical play. Discussion and information regarding music generally and how it helps parent/child relationships, as well as child development. Local services invited to participate by providing information and fun activities at information tables. Teddy Bear s picnic providing a fun, relaxed environment for parents and children with activities for children and opportunities for parents to get information regarding PND and support available in their community. Pampering day for local mothers including hairstyling, massages, manicures and facials as well as entertainment by a local musician and personal recovery stories from mothers of all ages. A cooking class led by a qualified instructor where parents spend time socialising and preparing nutritious and tasty meals for themselves and children, followed by a lunch, an expert guest speaker presentation on the perinatal depression and a follow-up discussion among the parents on the importance of self-care in the perinatal period. Expo showcasing local support and mental health services, key note speakers and give away self care items donated by local companies. A local beautician giving mini manicures and a naturopath giving head and neck massages, local musicians giving ambiance. A morning tea to learn about baby massage. Information on how to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the parent as well as the baby. A positive experience for participants with an emphasis on developing a positive relationship with the baby.

4 4 When organising your own event for Postnatal Depression Awareness Week there are a number of points which you may like to consider to make planning easier. What are the goals of your event? You may already have a great idea for an event but it is still important that you take a moment to think about what you want to achieve with your event. This involves thinking about questions like: What are you saying with your event? What is it that you want people to know, understand or commit to by the end of your event? What experience do you want them to have? How can you make it happen? Once you have a clear idea of what your event is about you can start to think about how to make it a reality. Some of the questions you could ask yourself include: What type of event best fits my goals? There are so many types of events and activities that you could host, think about which one will best achieve your goals and appeal to your intended target audience. Some ideas from previous years are included on the previous page. What do I need for this event? Budgeting is essential to the success of your event. Create a detailed checklist of the things you need to host your event and obtain quotes. What will I need to do? You might find it helpful to write yourself a timeline of activities you need to complete to prepare for your event and a runsheet for the day. If you are working with a team, decide who will do what and when. Monitor your progress and don t underestimate the value of confirming all details close to your event. Speakers with lived experience of Postnatal Depression While including a speaker with lived experience of Postnatal Depression or another mental illness can be a great way to break down stigma there is an important duty of care in asking someone to share their story. Make sure your speaker is appropriately supported and understands the potential consequences of making their experiences public. It is also probably a good idea to chat with your speaker about how they tell their story. Will it help listeners experiencing hard times to feel less alone, motivate them to seek help, and ultimately send a message of hope about recovery and returning to feeling good about themselves and their parenting? The SANE Australia media centre has great information on supporting spokespeople which might be helpful to check out - org/sane-media/mental-health-sector/workingwith-the-media/1013-supporting-spokespeoplewith-a-mental-illness Getting Sponsorship You might require sponsorship of some type, either in the form of cash, services or goods. A good idea is to approach existing local groups or businesses within your community. Partnering with other groups, even those that don t have a traditional focus on mental health, is a great way to spread costs and increase impact. Partnerships are also great ways to engage parts of your community that you might otherwise not have much contact with. Alternatively, you may like to apply for a small grant. See page 9 for more information on Postnatal Depression Awareness Week Small Grants.

5 Tips for Evaluating Your parents event 5 Evaluating your event can help you measure your success and plan future events. You could use the survey template on the following page to evaluate your event or develop your own evaluation. It is important to consider evaluation during the event planning process. Before the Event Nominate a person to be in charge of the evaluation process. Make sure you know before the event what you need to find out in order to evaluate your event and how you are going to find out this information. Think about the following questions: How will we know that our event is successful? and How can we measure these outcomes? Help us evaluate We need your help to measure the impact of Parents Events in communities. We have developed a survey (on the following page) that you can photocopy and distribute to your participants. This is also a great way for you to get feedback on your event. Please post feedback forms to us at Mental Health Association NSW, Level 5, 80 William St, East Sydney NSW 2011 or ask participants to fill out the survey online at Gathering feedback from the organisational team You may also obtain useful feedback on your event by surveying those who have helped you organise and stage the event. It is a good idea to get together at the end of or after the event to talk about how the event went. This would also be a good time to congratulate the team and thank them for their efforts. You may like to have a small thank-you party. An organisers survey could be distributed and completed by all helpers so that you can evaluate the event from their point of view. You may also like to hold an informal round table, asking team members to name one thing they enjoyed most, and one thing that could be improved on in future. If you require any further assistance with your evaluation please contact us on or at promoadmin@mentalhealth.asn.au.

6 6 Event Feedback Survey You can also complete this survey at 1. Which event did you attend? 2. What did you enjoy the most about the event? 3. Has attending this event increased your knowledge about maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing? No, Yes, please specify Has attending this event increased your knowledge about some of the mental health and wellbeing challenges that can occur in pregnancy and early parenthood? No, Yes, please specify Has attending this event made you more confident about recognising if you or someone you know might need help with their mental health or wellbeing? No, Yes, please specify Has your participation at today s event made you more confident about knowing where to go for help with mental health or wellbeing challenges? No, Yes, please specify Did you feel like today helped with one or more of the following? Breaking down stigma around mental illness Finding out about services that provide mental health assistance Celebrating positive mental health and wellbeing practices Information on mental health, mental illness or wellbeing Building confidence in my parenting skills/style Building networks and social support Other (please specify).. 8. Is there anything you ll do differently after being at today s event? No, Yes, please specify Do you have any suggestions for improvement for this event? 10. Is there anything else you would like us to know?

7 7 Promoting your event How can you promote your event? Promotion can greatly increase the number and diversity of people who attend your event. Consider the following avenues: Local newspaper and radio Mental Health Association NSW events calendar (see attached form) School newsletters Posters and flyers in local businesses and community noticeboards Council event listings Facebook and Twitter The Mental Health Association NSW will have a media team ready to help you write your press release and pitch it to your local media. For media support contact: Ci an Kemp Senior Project Officer, Communications (02) media@mentalhealth.asn.au Promoting your event in the media If you are holding a public event then using the media is a great way to get more participants to attend the event. Events offer a good opportunity for local media to bring attention to perinatal mental health issues. Working with the media is one more way that we can promote positive mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. If you are holding an event as part of an organisation always get permission from your Manager or head of Department first, as most organisations, particularly NSW Health, have codes of conduct and policy that relate to the way employees relate to the media. How to work with the media Here are some really important hints to remember when you are working with the media: Have your media release prepared before you contact a journalist, so you can answer any questions or send more information; Remember, your event could be really interesting local news so don t be shy! Think about what is interesting or newsworthy about your event and mention it - maybe you re holding the only community fair in your town this month, or you ve found a local celebrity to speak, or it is going to be an even bigger and better repeat of a successful event from last year; Also remember that your local media are employed to cover interesting news, not provide free advertising. It s okay (and often great!) to follow up, but keep in mind that they may not have the space to run every story; Target your media release carefully. Approach each paper or outlet individually and don t send a release about a book launch to the sports editor; The person you speak to may not report many mental health stories, so be prepared to explain terms or direct them to other resources for more information. One really great resource is Keep in touch with your media contacts after the event is over. Even if they haven t run a story yet, if you can provide good photos and details on how successful the event was they may still include it. Whatever the outcome, make sure to say thank you for their time.

8 8 Sample Media Release [Insert date] [Insert Headline - keep it short and simple, attention grabbing and ideally less than 7 words] [Write a short paragraph summarising your event. Remember to cover who, what, when, where, and why your event is on or about, as this is often the most important information for a journalist] Postnatal depression affects one in seven women following childbirth in Australia. It should not be confused with the baby blues, which usually passes within a few days. Anxiety disorders are also common and can occur alone or with depression. Fathers and partners can also experience mental health problems around this time. [Include a relevant quote either from a local, noteworthy person (see below for tips) or from you / your organisation on why you are holding the event and what you hope participants will get out of it] The aim of is to promote awareness of mental health and wellbeing in the antenatal and postnatal periods and encourage new and expectant parents to seek help early and break down some of the stigma surrounding this common health issue. [Include final quote(s) and any final information relevant to your event such when it is on and how people can RSVP or attend] People concerned about perinatal mental health can learn more by visiting au or They can also learn more about by visiting Media Contact: [Your name, mobile phone and address] Tips for Writing Your Media Release Be careful with your spelling and grammar. Small mistakes can mean the difference between your release ending up on the front page or in the bin. Keep it short and snappy. Journalists are often really busy and see loads of media releases, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them to understand why your event is newsworthy. Try to keep your language simple and avoid over-hyping your story. An art exhibition doesn t have to feature the next Van Gogh to be newsworthy and interesting to local readers, so be enthusiastic but don t exaggerate. Let them know if there are photos available or they can take photos on the day. A great photograph can often help get a story published. Use quotes from interesting spokespeople this can include people from local businesses and organisations who are supporting you, local people planning to attend, or any prominent people from the local community involved in running the event itself. Remember to ask them why they think your event is going to be great for your community it s an easy way to show your newsworthiness!

9 9 Small Grants Program 2013 What is it? The Mental Health Association NSW offers a number of small grants to assist the staging of parents events during Postnatal Depression Awareness Week Grants of $1000 and $500 are available Who is eligible? Any organisation or community group with a registered ABN or auspiced by an organisation with an ABN, wishing to undertake a project or activity in line with the guidelines during Postnatal Depression Awareness Week 2013 within the state of NSW. Dates to remember Applications close: 5pm, Friday, 6 September All applicants will be notified of the outcome by Friday, 27 September Guidelines for applicants The planned activity must clearly tie in with the guidelines for Postnatal Depression Awareness Week 2013 and associated events as set out in the application form. How do I apply? You can apply for a small grant by ing your completed application form to grants@mentalhealth.asn.au by 5pm Friday 6 September You will receive an confirmation on receipt of your application. Application forms can be accessed at Please do not post or fax entries. Who do I contact if I have questions? Enquiries about the small grants program can be directed to Mehna Alacozy on (02) or malacozy@mentalhealth.asn.au

10 Free Promotional Resources 10 The Mental Health Association NSW has produced an original postcard you can use to promote. In conjunction with beyondblue we also are able to distribute a brochure on Understanding Perinatal Depression and Anxiety. How to order your resources The best way to order free resources is via If you are unable to complete the online form you can also: mail this form to Mental Health Association NSW, Level 5, 80 William St, East Sydney 2011 OR fax this form to (02) Important dates Submit orders by 5pm, Friday, 11 October Orders will be mailed by early November Contact us if your resources have not arrived by Friday 8 November If you work with young parents (up to 21 years old) you may also like to order resource kits promoting the I ve been there website for young parents, launching soon. Resource PDAW Postcard and brochure packs (Each pack contains 30 postcards and 30 brochures) Number packs Pack of 5 magnetised postcards promoting the I ve been there website for young parents packs DELIVERY DETAILS (Please print clearly in capital letters) Name: Position: Organisation: Delivery Address: Phone: To see this year s designs follow the links from our website

11 11 Event Calendar Registration Form Why register? Promote your event by getting listed on our online events calendar at Let your community know about your event and find out what other people are doing across NSW Please register your event even if you don t want to be included in our calendar of events This help us measure the impact of. How do I register? The best way to register your event is via All event details must be submitted by 5pm, Friday, 1 November to be included in our online calendar. If you are unable to complete the online form you can also: mail this form to Mental Health Association NSW, Level 5, 80 William St, East Sydney 2011 OR fax this form to (02) Would you like your event included in our online calendar? yes no Event Title: Event description (including cost and whether RSVP needed): Venue name and address: Event Date: Start time: End time: Contact Person: Contact Organisation: Contact Phone: Contact