in brief - United Synergies

headspace open
Young parents
focus on improving
parenting skills
Sunshine Coast young people (aged
12-25) experiencing tough times can
now access coordinated health advice,
support and information about mental
health, education and employment all in
the one location following the opening of
headspace Maroochydore this month.
The Younger Parents Program continues
to thrive with parents benefiting from the
support and guidance of experts in the
parenting field.
A consortium of local clinical, vocational,
drug and alcohol, mental health and
youth support service providers steer
the coordination of support services with
United Synergies as the lead agency.
With the assistance and support of Rotary
Noosa and Zonta Noosa, the group have
undertaken a series of workshops to build
their skills in this area.
Maroochydore headspace will be
officially launched on Thursday,
February 28 from 10am. Chris Raine
of Hello Sunday Morning will be guest speaker, along with
headspace CEO Chris Tanti.
The primary objective of headspace Maroochydore is to increase
the coordination and integration of mental health services, general
practitioners, drug and alcohol services, vocational support and
referral information to assist in preventing young people falling
though the gaps.
Jeanette Harrison from Corporate and
Family Care Australia ran a workshop
called Understanding our Kids – discussing
childrens’ behaviour, setting boundaries
and limits, understanding autonomy and
strategies for managing difficult behaviour.
Jeannette also provided assistance with
individual sessions for one young parent
who required personal support strategies to
manage the behaviour of her two-year old.
United Synergies CEO Christopher John said there was a real
opportunity for young people, their families and carers, service
providers and stakeholders to come together to build and
engage in a ‘youth space’ that provides mental health, drug and
alcohol, vocational guidance and associated support services and
information.
Child psychologist Dr Bob Jacobs also ran
a workshop on positive parenting and
discussion of his book – Perfect Parents,
Perfect Children – and Lynch and Associates
solicitor Corey Jenkins discussed mediation,
court orders, legal aid and shared parenting
with the group.
“headspace offers a place where there is a choice of appealing
activities designed to improve the mental and physical health of
young people. We have created a venue, designed by young people,
for young people – something in which they can have direct input
and influence – a safe, interesting, helpful and exciting youth
friendly space.”
Zonta’s 2012 Bursary has enabled one young
parent to continue with her studies – a
Certificate III in Children’s Services and also
supported a client to receive osteopathic
treatment for ligament and nerve pain during
her pregnancy.
The service covers the Sunshine Coast Council area including the
Hinterland, with plans to eventually provide outreach service to
outer lying areas.
But it’s not been all work for the motivated
group of young parents! They also managed
to fit in a social day in the school holidays at
the Tewantin water park.
If you would like to attend the headspace launch at Evans Street,
Maroochydore (cnr Millwell Road) on February 28, contact Rhiannon
Sims at [email protected] for more information.
The headspace Maroochydore team
A graffiti mural is a
highlight at the new space
UNITEDSYNERGIES
Guest speaker Kerrie Buhagiar Director of Service Delivery for Inspire
Foundation - discussed the role of
technology in young people’s lives.
The AGM line-up also included a
performance by the Noosa State School
Rock Academy and local singersongwriter Liam Waller.
The United Synergies Directors
presented their Directors Awards to
young people who have displayed
exceptional spirit, drive, selfdetermination and resilience to achieve
their goals and realise their potential.
This year Kristi Smith, Bailey Williams,
Kay Hope, and Nikki Riggall were
recognised for their personal successes
and development, with Mark Mathers
receiving the overall Directors’ Prize of
$1000.
The Directors’ Grant of $1000 is
intended to inspire a client towards
pursuing their long term goals, and to
help meet the costs of taking the first
steps towards their ambitions.
CEO Christopher John
Find us on facebook at facebook/unitedsynergies
Contact Us
www.unitedsynergies.com.au
BRIEF
SUMMER 2013
Message from our CEO
Once again we have started the year with some
dramatic weather in most states of Australia.
Unfortunately these disasters have and will continue to cause some
ongoing distress for many people across the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts
and further north, and also in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania
where clean-up and rebuilding is underway.
We know that the distress caused by natural disasters can sometimes
become overwhelming, so please be alert to those we work alongside and
ensure we seek appropriate support as the need arises.
This stressful time serves as a timely reminder to ensure the safety of our
teams at all times, and comply with all occupational health and safety
requirements. The United Synergies Board takes OH&S issues extremely
seriously and is currently undertaking a strategic review in this area. We
urge all of you in remote locations to be mindful of these requirements as
well.
2013 is shaping up to be another busy year, with significant expansion of
our StandBy suicide bereavement support program nationally. February
28 is the official opening of headspace Maroochydore. We are very much
looking forward to the launch announcement and seeing the service open
for young people to access and find the support they need.
Then of course Booin Gari is just around the corner – mark April 9 in your
diary for a celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage. Now in its 6th
year the festival will again be held at the United Synergies premises at
Ernest Street, Tewantin. It’s always a fantastic display of community spirit
and engagement – and there is loads to do and experience – especially for
children during the holidays.
Further afield, the youth, education and child safety sectors continue to
be a changing landscape with a review of the Youth Act in Queensland
underway and the Carmody Inquiry into child safety continuing. We were
invited to make submissions to the Inquiry and are keen to also be part of
the Youth Act review process as it progresses. These are our key areas of
service provision on the Sunshine Coast – we welcome a review and are
taking a strong interest in how it develops over the coming months.
As you know, United Synergies prides itself on its ability to collaborate
and partner with other service organisations to deliver quality and costeffective service and support where it’s needed. As such we recently
undertook a survey of our stakeholders and partners to gauge how these
relationships are working and where there is room for improvement. While
the response was extremely positive overall, there are always opportunities
for improvement and we are currently working on ways we can incorporate
these suggestions into our day to day operations.
Similarly we have undertaken a staff survey, the findings of which will be
discussed and addressed at a staff planning day scheduled in the next few
weeks.
For more information about any of our programs please
12-14 Ernest St, PO Box 365 Tewantin Q 4565
Phone (07) 5442 4277 Fax (07) 5442 4846
IN
AGM showcases
talent and
endeavour
More than 130 people attended the
United Synergies AGM at The J in
November, showcasing the great work
our staff achieved in the last year and
the fantastic talent and achievements
of some of the young people with
whom we work.
NEWS
Stay safe
Liam Waller
Kerrie Buhagiar
More AGM photos on page 3
Christopher John CEO
In brief
Ho ho hope at Christmas
StandBy site visit
Adopt a family
With sadness we have farewelled Ian
Macdonald who has stepped down
as a Director of United Synergies. Ian
joined the Board of United Synergies in
2008 after an extensive career across
Queensland and New Zealand. Ian’s academic training
was first in commerce, then theology, then counselling.
He was Executive Director of Relationships Australia for
23 years, and managed its transition from a voluntary
agency to become one of Queensland’s largest
professional counselling organisations.
Congratulations and thank you to United Synergies’ Youth
Connections coordinator Brad Small who really displayed
his phenomenal generosity, commitment and Christmas
spirit by organising a Christmas party to remember for
more than 70 people on Christmas Day.
StandBy National Manager Karen Phillips and CEO
Christopher John completed a 12 day national StandBy tour
during December, meeting with all national existing sites
from Cairns to the Pilbara as well as key stakeholders in
the delivery of the national suicide bereavement support
service.
United Synergies once again participated in the
Sunshine Coast Daily’s Adopt a Family Christmas
appeal, this year (our 13th!) helping more than 150
families – our biggest ever.
Ian’s calm yet focused attention to his Director role
was greatly valued by all members of the Board and
Senior Leadership Team and we trust his grandchildren,
who can now enjoy more of his time, benefit from his
wisdom and foresight. We wish Ian all the best in his
retirement.
WELCOME TO MARK JAMES who has
taken on the role of United Synergies
Corporate Services Manager, replacing
Nola Goldstein.
Mark was most recently general
manager of a retail franchise network in
New Zealand and has worked in senior
management roles in franchising, aged care and health
funding sectors in New Zealand.
Many thanks to Nola for her contribution to guiding
the organisation through a period of significant change
and growth. We look forward to seeing her around the
community garden - an initiative she was instrumental
in getting off the ground.
Working alongside a team of dedicated community
members including Johnny “Wonder” Fogwell who
donated the use of his Velvet Waters Live restaurant in
Caloundra, Brad coordinated the fantastic Christmas
lunch with a band of 14 volunteers – over and above his
day to day work commitments.
United Synergies clients past and present, as well as
other people in the community who appreciated having
somewhere special to celebrate Christmas, attended the
event.
Santa had gifts for everyone and the crowd enjoyed a
lavish Christmas spread with lots of positive feedback.
Many thanks to everyone who gave their time to help on
Christmas Day.
Thank you to the Suncoast Christian Church (and food
cooperative), Goodstart Early Learning Centres in
Maroochydore and Caloundra, Meridian State College P&C
and Scripture Union Queensland, as well organisations
which provided gifts including: Aussie World, Australia
Zoo, Ipswich Mayor Paul Pissale, Daniel Morcombe
Foundation, Gourmet Garden, Brisbane Broncos, Uniting
Church, Hotondo Homes and Ray White.
WORD ABOUT THE GREAT WORK OF STANDBY continues
to be shared with a journal article prepared by Victoria
Visser and Griffith Uni and submitted to Crisis Journal
recently approved for publication.
The article discusses the cost-effectiveness of StandBy
and is based on the Economic Evaluation Victoria
prepared on the Program last year.
“One of the challenges of running a national program is
ensuring we maintain effective communication. This was
a great opportunity to meet our partners and gain some
insight into the challenges of running the program in
various sites – particularly those in rural and remote areas,”
Karen said.
Karen and Christopher also met with other key stakeholders
in the suicide and mental health sector in each state.
CEO Christopher
John, East Kimberley
StandBy Coordinator
Alisa Ranson, StandBy
National Manager
Karen Phillips, West
Kimberley StandBy
Coordinator Zoe Evans
AGM showcases talent and
success
CONGRATULATIONS TO UNITED SYNERGIES’ FINANCE
MANAGER CLAIRE STEEL who recently completed
her Diploma in Accounting. No doubt Claire will be
enjoying some free time that doesn’t involve hitting the
books.
MANY THANKS TO STAFF,
THEIR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS who helped
out at the annual Kylie
Foundation Sausage Sizzle
fundraiser on November
17 (coinciding with
International World Suicide Survivors day). The annual
event, which raised $1121, was very well supported
by local businesses and the community as a whole and
remembers Tony and Karen Reeves daughter Kylie, who
they lost to suicide seven years ago.
The visits were an opportunity to discuss with local staff
service delivery issues and challenges, program logic, site
expansion updates, data review and evaluation and the
new StandBy Critical Postvention Response (CPR) model,
and importantly to introduce Karen, in her new National
Manager role, to site personnel.
Many thanks to everyone who manned the barbecue
to feed the hungry bikers participating in the Ulysses
Annual Charity Bike Ride in Maryborough in December.
The StandBy
Wide Bay
team and
their band of
merry helpers
fed hundreds
of bikers as
they passed
through
Maryborough
with more than
$1700 raised
for StandBy.
Every donation makes a difference and also brings
out some wonderful stories of community support
and caring for others – two seven year old sisters
hand-picked and wrapped DVDs, and a woman who
adopted three families knitted beautiful mohair
booties and scarves and said that thinking of the
families opening their gifts on Christmas Day made it
all worthwhile.
United Synergies’ Marg
Carroll and her band of
helpers packed, wrapped
and ribboned the hundreds
of gifts during December
to brighten the Christmas
of the families who needed
Marg Carroll loads up the
an extra hand.
Christmas cheer.
April 9 - mark your diary!
United Synergies is once again hosting Booin Gari –
a celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage on
the Sunshine Coast.
• 10am to 2pm at the grounds adjacent to our
Ernest Street, Tewantin premises.
• Indigenous cultural performances, bush tucker,
face painting, rock climbing and Indigenous art
exhibitions and classes, plus much much more.
Don’t miss it!
Santa came laden with gifts to the community Christmas lunch
at Velvet Waters.
Annual Charity Bike Ride
Thanks to some very generous donations from the
community, including 40 hampers from Frangipani
Dreams and a huge donation of food, clothing and
toys from a group of women known as ‘Santa’s Classy
Helpers’ who raised money and collected all year, we
were able to answer all calls for support.
Free movie night
Clockwise from top –
the Noosaville State
School Rock Academy,
Lyndon Davis, United
Synergies Chairman
Geoff Walters with
Directors Grant
winners Nikki Niggall,
Kay Hope, Bailey
Williams and Mark
Mathers.
The United Synergies Younger Parents Program will
host free outdoor family movie nights on Friday,
April 5 and May 3.
Finding Nemo will screen on April 5 and Shrek on
May 3, both from 6pm.
Sunshine Coast residents are encouraged to bring a
blanket and head to Wallace Park Precinct, nestled
between Noosa Library and the Noosa Leisure
Centre, Wallace Drive, Noosaville.
Entry will be a gold coin donation and glow sticks,
sausage sizzle and coffee and cake will be available
for sale. The event is supported by Flicks in the
Sticks and will raise money for the Younger Parents
Program.
The United Synergies Wandi Gala food
van comes in might handy!
For further information please contact Dani on
0437 737 131.