2010 IIMHL Exchange & Conference

Leadership is fundamental to reforming systems and bringing about change.

The International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) is a government-to-government endeavour of seven countries. It aims to facilitate the sharing of best practices and to provide needed support and collaboration for leaders of mental health services to develop robust and effective managerial and operational practices. The ultimate aim is to improve services for people who use them.

Find out more about the background or read about the 2009 leadership exchange.

2010 Leadership Exchange in the Republic of Ireland

IIMHL is a government-to-government mental health leadership development exchange programme and, like any leadership development programme, it is expected that participants will be involved for a finite period (preferably for 3 consecutive exchange meetings, and a maximum of five years). 

The main focus of IIMHL is to develop leaders in mental health, from the international exchanges of experience, ideas, and evidence, and through the formation of  relationships with similar services, initiatives, policy or funding departments. IIMHL also provides an infrastructure for ongoing learning and development around specific service issues, research evidence, innovative practices, evaluation of initiatives and evaluation of mental health leadership itself, including the effectiveness of IIMHL as a programme.

For the international exchange event, and the linked meeting held every 14-15 months, New Zealand has usually comprised a contingent of between 60 and 70 participants. Due to reviews of public monies, and a financially constrained environment, the Ministry of Health has advised that New Zealand may only send 30 participants to Ireland in 2010.

Please remember that the exchange and the relationship with the other international centres or services can happen at any time, independent of the formal arrangements of the associated and organised meeting. It is anticipated that participants will maintain their links and relationships with their international partners after graduating from regular participation in IIMHL.

For the exchange and meeting in Ireland in 2010 only one person per organisation may attend. The Ministry of Health would prefer that if a person has attended three consecutive organised exchanges and network meetings then they make way for emerging leaders, as the point of the leadership process is to grow and develop leaders over time. We realise these requirements will be challenging for many organisations and that this may disappoint those who may be constrained by the selection process. Another way of continuing your IIMHL networks and activities locally will be through the regional breakfast meetings that have started this year.

The process, the number of people per category, the criteria for selection and the information required from interested parties are described below.

Category 1 - for leaders who have attended IIMHL exchanges and associated meetings previously

There will be 19 attendees in this category. These will be leaders who:

• have attended less than three times
• may include NGO, Maori or Pacific people, clinical workforce leaders, DHB staff, service users and family members
• can demonstrate that they are part of a strong, ongoing IIMHL leadership partnership group.

Category 2 - for new and emerging leaders who have not attended IIMHL before

These will be 6 people who:

• are in a senior leadership position in the mental health or addiction sector
• can clearly describe a leadership area of interest relevant to their organization/region  they wish to explore with international colleagues
• may include NGO, Maori or Pacific people, clinical workforce leaders, DHB staff, service users and family members.

Category 3 - Scholarships

Late in 2009, applications were invited for scholarships to attend the IIMHL Leadership Exchange and Network Meeting in Ireland in May 2010. Six people applied and all were selected to receive scholarship grants to support their attendance.  We are pleased to announce the following six people received grants:

• Frances Caldwell, who is a Service Leader and Family Peer worker at Bipolar Support Canterbury
• Michael McAlevey, who is a Consumer Consultant from Otago Mental Health Support Trust
• Sara McCook Weir, who provides consultant training services to Blueprint for Learning through her business Associated Professional Trainers Mental Health
• Claire Moore, who is the PER (Partnership – Evaluation – Recovery) Team Leader at Counties Manukau District Health Board
• Lee Lawrence, who is a Coordinator at L.I.N.K. Recovery Service, Presbyterian Support Upper South Island
• Sonja Goldsack, who is a Project Manager and Facilitator at Blueprint for Learning.

Further funding assistance available for IIMHL 2010

Additional funding assistance has been announced for service users and family members wishing to attend IIMHL in Ireland in May 2010.
 
This funding is provided through an Irish organisation and is additional to the Te Pou scholarships, which have been awarded and are now closed.

The National Service Users Executive represents the voice of service users and family members/friends in Ireland. They are event partners in the IIMHL Exchange and Network Meeting in Ireland in May 2010 and as such are offering some additional funding support to people in IIMHL-participating countries.

This additional funding support will:

• be administered from Ireland
• take the form of four (4) bursaries per IIMHL participating country
• be available to three (3) service users per country plus one (1) for a family member/friend per country.

Each bursary will be the approximate equivalent of €500 in local currency.

Please note that this amount does not cover the full costs of travel and accommodation from New Zealand but may be of some assistance to service users planning to travel to IIMHL.

Applications are now open and in a ‘first come first served’ basis.

To apply:

• Visit www.iimhl.com
• Click on the logo at the top of the site and then the NSUE bursary information link on the bottom left. This will bring up information and a link to the application form.

Alternatively:

• Try accessing the application page directly via: http://sites.google.com/site/iimhlinireland2010/nsue-iimhl-bursary

Queries should be directed to:
Jennifer Kelly
iimhl   "at" nsue.ie
www.nsue.ie
+ 353 85 1212386

For more information about the 2010 IIMHL exchange and conference, view our Q&A page.

Page last updated: 21 January 2010