Mental health promotion occurs across all program areas at Neami.  Activities and projects have included participation in community festivals, consumer involvement and participation at all levels within the organisation, collaboration with services outside the mental health sector and targeted participation in Primary Care Partnership reforms.

What is Mental Health Promotion?

Mental health promotion can be defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their mental health. The task for organisations and mental health advocates is to address the underlying social and economic determinants that affect mental health. People's life styles and the conditions under which they live strongly influence their health.  At Neami our mission is "Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Local Communities". Mental health promotion sets out to extend pathways for Neami consumers to the broader community. The mapping exercise outlined six categories, which were based on the northern region health promotion audit conducted in Melbourne 2002/03. They have been undertaken at Neami to address improving and promoting mental health and wellbeing for people who use our service:

• Collaborative Practice - Pathways for Neami service users to services that fall outside of the immediate parameters of the Mental Health Sector.
• Community Action Events - Increasing community awareness regarding the issues that surround mental illness by participating in events such as local festivals, Mental Health Week and NAIDOC week.
• Strategic Advocacy - Occurs at a level that sets out to influence both policy and opinion through participation in networks, and consultations at a municipal and state level regarding the relevant health planning.
• Information - Information aims to improve peoples understanding about the issues surrounding mental illness, the services and support available.
• Community Education - Community education aims to change attitudes, provide and promote skill development, awareness and knowledge and regarding the issues that surround mental illness.
• Organisational Development - Organisational development aims to create a supportive environment for health promotion activities within agencies, by shifting program and service directions and priorities to accommodate heath promotion activities through policies and procedures.