• Local project helps East Javanese children with hearing impairment
• Eleven trainees in Perth this month to learn screening techniques
• Local organisations with hearing expertise to provide training

The lives of children with hearing impairment from East Java will improve after 11 Indonesian nurses and teachers visit Perth this month to learn more about hearing screening.

The nurses and teachers from the Karya Mulia School in Surabaya are attending the Telethon Speech and Hearing Centre for Children WA, WA Institute for Deaf Education and Ear Science Institute Australia for three weeks to learn basic screening and intervention methods for children with hearing impairment.

Disability Services Minister Helen Morton met the trainees at the WA Institute for Deaf Education in Cottesloe with Patricia O'Sullivan Humanitarian Project (POHP) president Trisha Henderson.

The Disability Services Commission provided the POHP with $30,000 for the visit, in addition to $20,000 in 2011 to support a scoping visit to East Java by key project members and to report on services and training.

"WA has a Sister State relationship with the East Java Provincial Government and, to mark its 20th anniversary in 2010, provided $100,000 for school repairs," Mrs Morton said.

In April last year, a social services delegation from East Java visited Western Australia to learn more about disability services and support systems in the State.

"A combination of strong community support, dedicated staff and a clear vision and purpose articulated by school leaders has ensured the school continues to deliver good outcomes for students in difficult circumstances," the Minister said.

"After this visit, the next phase is to encourage the East Java Provincial Government to establish a post-graduate course, further supporting the development of staff."

Fact File

• Karya Mulia is the only school for children with hearing impairment in East Java
• Only 20 per cent of students have hearing aids
• Patricia O'Sullivan Humanitarian Project has supported the school for more than 20 years

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• Hoyts awarded under the Companion Card Program
• Two for one program allows someone with disability to attend an event with a carer

Entertainment company Hoyts has been recognised for its support of people with disability, winning this year's Companion Card Affiliate of the Year Award.

Disability Services Minister Helen Morton today presented Hoyts with the National Disability Services WA Award for supporting the Companion Card Program.

The program celebrated its sixth year in Western Australia with a screening of the new movie The Five Year Engagement at Hoyts Booragoon.

Mrs Morton said the Companion Card was established in Western Australia in 2006 to promote the right of people with disability to receive fair ticketing for access to venues and events.

"People with a Companion Card can attend an event or activity with a carer for the price of one person," she said.

"Hoyts has always been a strong supporter of the Companion Card Program and was a founding member, providing strong leadership within the entertainment sector.

"Hoyts deserves to be recognised and acknowledged for its commitment as it exemplifies what it is to be inclusive to ensure our community is welcoming to everyone and provides mutual support and a fair go for everyone."

Fact File

• The Companion Card provides certainty and clarity for people with disability as well as for people who work in the entertainment and leisure industries
• The State Government's Count Me In: Disability Future Directions plan is implementing change across society to shape a community inclusive of all citizens, including people with disability

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• Open to unpublished WA songwriters of all ages
• Connection to Mental Health 2020 vision - Preventing Suicide

Nominations for a popular songwriting competition aimed at promoting youth mental health are now open.

The annual WA Music Industry Association (WAM) Song of the Year Competition, is sponsored by the Mental Health Commission and has seen Little Birdy, The Waifs, Lash and The Panda Band among previous prize winners.

Mental Health Minister Helen Morton said the commission had more than doubled its funding for the competition from $15,000 to $33,000.

She said the program highlighted the WA Suicide Prevention Strategy, mental illness prevention and anti-stigma initiatives.

"The competition is open to unpublished songwriters of all ages and levels of experience who use music as a channel to express moods and emotions. Music is one of the quickest ways to change a person's mood from sad to happy," Mrs Morton said.

This year's tagline is 'Music talks about mental health. So can you', and aims to encourage people to seek help and challenge the stigma associated with mental illness.

The competition has 16 categories, including Mentally Healthy, School Age, Outstanding Regional and Outstanding Indigenous.

In May, WAM will run five free songwriting workshops with Catch Music, a network of musicians supporting people with a disability or mental illness to write and record one song with a positive message to be entered in the Mentally Healthy category.

"If music talks about mental health, then it makes perfect sense for the music industry to help promote the message that it's OK to talk about mental health problems and illness, and find positive ways to improve emotional wellbeing," the Minister said.

With a $30,000 prize cash pool, promotional exposure and professional development opportunities for both emerging and established songwriters, the grand prize winner will vie for $2,000, CD pressing and an opportunity for a publishing deal and studio time.

Fact File

• The competition has been running for 23 years
• The WAM Song of the Year competition details http://www.wam.asn.au/songoftheyear
• Entries close on July 30, 2012 with a concert and awards night on October 11, 2012
• Music Feedback website - http://www.musicfeedback.com.au

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• Part of Government's commitment to build 5 centres across WA
• To be run by Life Without Barriers for people requiring high levels of support

A six-bed respite facility for people with disability and their carers in Perth's northern suburbs was today opened by Disability Services Minister Helen Morton.

Mrs Morton said the Miami Lane property in Clarkson was part of the State Government's $11.75million election commitment to build five respite care homes across Western Australia.

"Respite services have been identified as a priority in the long-term improvement of disability services for WA," she said.

The Minister said the facility was built according to universal design principles which offered versatile and 'home-like' living environments.

"Caring for a person with a disability can be an enormously rewarding experience," she said.

"However, due to the nature of the role, it is crucial for families who provide this care to have the opportunity to take a regular break from their responsibilities.

"Knowing their loved one is in an environment in which they can feel comfortable puts the family at ease too."

Mrs Morton said the Government's Count Me In: Disability Future Directions plan was implementing change across multiple sectors of society - including Government, private and community sectors - to shape a community inclusive of all citizens.

"At the heart of this vision is creating a fair go for everyone in our society, including people with disability," she said.

The first of the five promised respite centres opened in Broome in 2010 and the other three will be located at York, Rockingham and Gosnells.

Fact File

• The Disability Services Commission, through the Department of Housing, procured the 1,390sqm in a new residential area development by LandCorp
• Life Without Barriers expects to offer services from the beginning of June

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• All synthetic cannabinoids now banned in Australia
• MDPV also included in national ban

Mental Health Minister Helen Morton has welcomed news that synthetic cannabinoids were banned Australia-wide from midnight last night.

Once considered a legal substitute for cannabis, these products, commonly known as 'legal herbal' mixtures are often labelled 'not for human consumption' and marketed as 'safe' and 'legal' drugs.

The Minister said the move meant anyone caught with these substances could be charged for possession, selling, supplying or intent to sell or supply.

"Eight groups of synthetic cannabinoids and all synthetic cannabinomimetics became illegal from 12.01am Tuesday, May 1, 2012," Mrs Morton said.

"These products do not appear to have any legitimate therapeutic use and there is a developing international body of evidence and clinical experience that is showing harm related to use of these substances."

The Minister said synthetic cannabinoids and cannabinomimetics would be banned after inclusion in the National Medical and Poisons Schedule by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Those schedules could now be adopted by other States and Territories.

"Last year, Western Australia acted ahead of the other States and Territories to ban Kronic and again in February this year we banned MDPV, a synthetic drug similar to methamphetamine. Both these substances are included in this national ban," she said.

"Removing synthetic cannabinoids from legal supply, sale and possession is expected to result in a significant decrease in consumption and the associated harm related to their use."

Fact File

• 5 people were hospitalised in August 2011 suffering heart palpitations & high blood pressure from smoking synthetic cannabis
• WA was the first State to ban 7 synthetic cannabinoid products in June 2011; a further 14 were banned in August

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• Second Chance Day: Yellow Ribbon Project launched
• Builds on a program supported by the WA Suicide Prevention Strategy

A campaign to give women a second chance in life after release from prison was officially launched today by Mental Health Minister Helen Morton.

The Second Chance Day: Yellow Ribbon Project Australia, established by Jade Lewis and Friends, aims to engage the community in accepting former women prisoners and their families by giving them a second chance to succeed in life, helping them gain employment and build a supportive community around them.

By wearing a yellow ribbon on Second Chance Day, every year on May 1, supporters will spread the message of hope that women can build a successful life after prison.

Mrs Morton applauded the new project which built on the work Jade Lewis and Friends' were already doing for women before and after prison release which is funded by the WA Suicide Prevention Strategy.

That $165,554 Community Action Plan aims to build mental health awareness, resilience, personal self-esteem, positive mindsets and fit bodies, helping women find a life purpose and hope for their future.

"I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Many women, when leaving prison, return to the same environment in which they offended in the first place. This program will help them manage better in those circumstances," the Minister said.

"Women leaving prison deserve a second chance. Their families, spouses and children, deserve a second chance and their communities deserve a second chance. A second chance means an opportunity to turn a life around. A chance to break the grip of a drug habit. A chance to support a family, to pay taxes, to be self-sufficient."

Mrs Morton said not only did the programs teach women essential life skills and personal they also empowered women with confidence leading to an improvement in their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Fact File

• Yellow Ribbon Program is an international initiative
• One in five Australians will experience some form of mental illness each year
• Almost half the population experience at least one mental health problem in their life

Minister's office - 6552 6900

• State Govt welcomes COAG's focus on national disability reform
• New scheme will bring national consistency and local management of services

The Western Australian Government has welcomed the attention given to national disability reform at the most recent Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) meeting.

Disability Services Minister Helen Morton has reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Mrs Morton said the recent COAG meeting had ensured that progress would continue on a national scheme that would bring greater certainty about services and support for people with disability and their families.

The Minister said the work of the Premier saved the scheme from stalling when it became clear that some States were prepared to withdraw from negotiations.

Direct engagement between the Premier and the Prime Minister led to an in-principle agreement on how work to develop the national scheme should proceed.

COAG agreed that the new scheme should provide nationally consistent eligibility and assessment criteria, funding allocations, quality standards and data systems, but recognised that the scheme needed to be managed and operated as close as possible to the people accessing services.

This is particularly relevant for Western Australia where there has been concern about the prospect of a scheme operated through a centralised bureaucracy.

COAG recognised that while there was a critical need to reform disability services, change could only be achieved step by step over a number of years.

COAG also recognised that the level of Federal funding for disability services must increase. With the WA Government currently contributing more than 80 per cent of funding for disability services, the new scheme will require a major contribution from the Commonwealth.

"It is important that any announcement from the Commonwealth focuses on funding the scheme into the future, and not just on short-term pilots or trial," Mrs Morton said.

The Minister said COAG agreed the national scheme should be built upon existing services.

"A scheme that delivers a significant increase in funding and also builds upon the positive features of the existing system will be the best outcome for West Australians with disability," she said.

Mrs Morton said that over the past six months WA had made a significant contribution to the reform work needed for the national scheme.

The Commonwealth and other States continued to look at innovative and well-recognised features of the WA disability service system, such as Local Area Coordination. Senior officers from key departments have been directly involved in work on the foundation reforms.

Fact File

• 80% of the $640m spent on disability services in WA is funded by the State Govt

Minister's office - 6552 6900