Mental Health Week 2008
Monday 6 October - Friday 10 October

1. What's on during Mental Health Week 2008?

A diverse range of activities will be running as part of Mental Health Week.

These include:

* Tuesday 7 October - "Let's Talk About It" panel discussion
* Wednesday 8 October - "Time Out" activities afternoon for staff and students
* Thursday 9 October - "Introduction to Mental Health" information session
* Friday 10 October World Mental Health Day student-staff forum
* Design a postcard for Mental Health Week!

* Download a copy of the Mental Health Week poster (861KB)

2. What other events are running during Mental Health Week?

* Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria)
The Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria) will be running a set of Mental Health Week activities aimed to activate, educate and engage Victorians around mental health and related issues through the organisation of a huge variety of events by individuals and organisations across the state.

The theme for Mental Health Week 2008 in Victoria is Mental Health: What do you know? They are asking Victorians what do they know about mental health.

For more information on the activities being run outside of the University of Melbourne, please go to the Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria) website.

* Department of Human Services - Mental Health Week website
The Mental Health Foundation of Victoria is funded by the Department of Human Services’ Mental Health & Drugs Division to coordinate these local mental health promotion events into a comprehensive calendar of events that positively activate, educate and engage Victorians.

The Mental Health & Drugs Division is eager to further raise the profile and reach of mental health understanding across the general community through increased promotional activity during Mental Health Week. The project aims to:

• Promote positive messages on mental health to the general community
• Encourage social inclusion for people with mental illness
• Promote the availability of support and services to people with mental illness and their families
• Encourage increased community responsibility for understanding mental illness

* World Federation for Mental Health
World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health.

3. Where can I find further information on mental health issues?

If you are interested in seeking support for yourself or someone you know who might be experiencing mental health issues, please contact the University's Counselling Service. Their website contains a variety of resources for students and staff, such as information sheets, downloadable publications and workshops. To contact this service for individual appointments, please call (03) 8344 6927.

For further queries regarding Mental Health Week, please contact Leander in Equity & Diversity Planning, Academic Enrichment Services.