NT Mental Health Week Community Awards
About the Awards
The Northern Territory Mental Health Coalition proudly presents the 2023 Mental Health Week Community Awards.
Mental Health Week is a time to recognise people and organisations who have made significant contributions to the Mental Health sector and who provide extraordinary support to others. The NT Mental Health Awards recognises and celebrates the achievements of these inspiring individuals and organisations.
The deadline to submit all nominations is Thursday, 31 August 2023.
2023 Mental Health Week Award Categories
1. Leadership in Lived Experience Award
(Eligible: organisations)
This award recognises an organisation that is implementing or working towards the incorporation of Lived Experience into planning and delivery of services. This may include things such as engagement processes with people with Lived Experience (ie. participant engagement & feedback, and subsequent service delivery adjustment), implementation of Lived Experience frameworks, and designated roles that apply Lived Experience across some or all of the following areas: management, leadership, peer supervision, advocacy, project work, policy work, education, and training. And any other activity that demonstrates organisational leadership in elevating and embedding Lived Experience into the organisation and delivery of services.
A brief summary of evidence that may include Lived Experience systems of engagement, Lived Experience framework progress, Lived Experience reference groups in place, suggestions of reference groups that have been implemented into the framework and/or service provision, organisational policies, advocacy work, recruitment practices, job description development, number of designated positions currently filled, peer supervision training, and collaboration with other LE leaders and organisations toward the implementation of LE frameworks across the sector. Please include details of at least one referee who can be contacted to verify the evidence presented.
2. Aboriginal Social & Emotional Wellbeing
(Eligible: organisations, programs, staff, volunteers)
This award recognises programs, initiatives and/or outstanding staff that demonstrate evidence of partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to support and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people around social and emotional wellbeing and healing in Aboriginal communities.
A brief summary of the program, or the role of the individual. For example, how the practice of the individual or organisation demonstrates that Aboriginal concepts of social and emotional wellbeing and healing are incorporated into practice. You may like to speak to the holistic nature of the way of working that recognises and works towards supporting Aboriginal people around connection to culture, country, spirit, family and kin, mind, emotions & body. You may like to include bullet points on how Aboriginal people are involved in the planning and implementation of the program and/or any evaluation, and formal or informal feedback. Please include details of at least one referee who can be contacted to verify the evidence presented.
3. Innovation in Practice
(Eligible: organisations, programs, staff)
This award recognises the implementation of an outstanding innovation in work practice resulting from a new idea or change in work practice that has created positive impacts for service participants resulting in improved mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. This can involve using a new initiative or emergent evidence-informed practice.
A brief summary of evidence that outlines the innovation that has taken place, and the impact that this has had on service delivery and in particular on the experience of service participants. The nominee may like to include information on the inclusion of participants in the planning and implementation of the change, and any feedback that indicates the experience of participants in relation to the change in practice. The nominee may wish to nominate an organisation, a particular program, or an individual who led the change in practice.
4. Integration & Collaborative Practice
(Eligible: organisation or program)
This award recognises an organisation that has forged a strong working partnership with another organisation, agency or business around a common intent to produce an effective work practice that enhances the work of both parties and results in improved outcomes for participants/Territorians.
A brief summary of evidence that outlines the nature of the partnership, how each organisation contributes to the collaborative practice, how this partnership has evolved over time, the positive benefits of the practice for the organisations and for the service participants, including any feedback from participants as a result of the collaboration.
5. Workforce Development & Capacity Building
(Eligible: organisations)
This award focusses on the commitment, expertise, creativity, and responsiveness of organisations in relation to the provision of workforce development and capacity building for their staff and volunteers. This can also include measures to support staff wellbeing – ie. preventing burnout, dealing with vicarious trauma, etc, through strategies such as offering secondments, rotations between teams, etc.
A brief summary of evidence that may include a range of activities including the following examples: organisational professional development frameworks that demonstrate strategic intent in this area, training and employment pathways, embedded student placements, dedicated funding allocation for all staff each year, learning activities required at Induction (not including Customer Record Management systems or organisational policies), compulsory training activities for staff relevant to the needs of the NT such as cultural training, and trauma-informed practice, mentorship, peer mentorship, critical reflection embedded in programs or offered to all staff on a structured basis, flexible learning options for staff to pursue professional related interests, annual staff surveys that asks questions on capacity building, evidence of the implementation of practical responses in relation to staff feedback, and any other activity the organisation wishes to include.
Special note
The panel understands that some organisations have a distinct financial disadvantage in being able to offer workplace development through the lack of financial resources that may be available to larger organisations with diverse programs. The panel welcomes all nominations, and also encourages organisations with limited financial resources who wish to nominate, to highlight any creativity and innovative practice in relation to accessing and building professional development for the staff in their organisation.
Award Guidelines
- The nominee must be living in the NT at the time of the nomination
- The nominee must agree /consent to being nominated
- The address, phone number, and email of the nominee and nominator must be supplied
- No more than 600 words description
- Nominations to include at least one contactable referee (external to the program/organisation) who can validate the evidence (that is not the nominee)
- Nominations are encouraged to include direct de-identified feedback from participants.
- Nominations can include photos
- Short videos (60 seconds maximum) of the nominee and their work are highly encouraged. (See guidelines below)
- Nominations can come exclusively via video with verbal agreement by the Sector Development Lead. Call Max on 0498 013 679.
Video Submission Guidelines
If you are submitting a video with your application then please ensure you follow these guidelines:
- All videos should be 60 seconds or less
- Video can be shot on an iphone or another smart phone
- Filming: film in landscape view so that all videos we receive have a consistent format
- Sound: the sound is better if the person is speaking into or close to the phone, particularly if filming is taking place outside. When someone is talking, make sure there is minimum background noise (wind, traffic, other voices) to hear the person’s voice clearly on the video.
- Have a couple of tries and pick the best one to send
Media Consent
NTMHC would like permission to use video and photos for the purposes of the Awards and future promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing. For visual content that is submitted for the awards, the nominator and nominee will be asked to sign a consent form that grants permission for use. Please let us know if you do not want this video content to be released.
Please print and complete a media consent form for each person participating in any photo or video submissions.
Nominations can be emailed to max@ntmhc.org.au or completed online at https://www.ntmhc.org.au
Nominations must be received no later than COB Thursday 31st August 2023