Published Works

Conference Presentations

Queer Mental Health Paper for The MHS conference 2011 It takes a Villiage. Queer Mental Health: In Whose Hands?

ABSTRACT

There is evidence both in Australia and overseas indicating higher prevalence rates of mental health issues within the GLBTI/Queer community as compared to the hetero-sexual community (Corboz et al., 2008; Hillier et al., 2010). This presentation will outline the limited research available, and drummond street’s analysis of its Queer service user data within mainstream Family Relationship and Family Mental Health Support Services. This analysis highlights specific challenges for a public health approach to addressing mental health for our Queer community. Over the last decade drummond street has been at the forefront of policy reform and advocacy, service development and service system capacity-building in relation to better responding to the needs of the Queer /GLBTIQ community. At times we have been in the unenviable position of being at odds with government policy makers, government bureaucrats, mainstream services, the general community and even at times, sections of the Queer community – so how and why does this happen and what are its implication for the service system.

Articles

‘beyondblue: the national depression initiative’: Targeting depression in young people
By Jane Burns and Karen Field

Youth Studies Australia v.21, n.2, June 2002, pp.43-51

Figures published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveal that mental health problems and behavioural disorders account for over half the disease burden in youth in Australia. The most frequently reported mental health problems in young people are depression and anxiety. The Federal and Victorian governments have each provided $17.5 million over five years to assist in the establishment of ‘beyondblue: the national depression initiative’. Part of the ‘beyondblue’ initiative involves the development and implementation of a youth program, which includes a multilevel, comprehensive, schools-based research project that focuses on mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention.

Pryor A, Townsend M, Maller C, Field K: Health and wellbeing naturally – contact with nature in health promotion for targeted individuals, communitites and populations Health Promotion Journal of Australia ; 2006 Aug;17(2):114-23
PMID: 16916314

Field, K and Pryor, R: A public health approach to practice and programs promoting family wellbeing: A whole-of-agency model.Family Relationships Quarterly Newsletter No. 15, 2010.Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse. Published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies ISSN 1833-9077 (Online)

Galea, A., Toumbourou, J.W., Bertino, M., Pryor, R., Field, K. (submitted April 2011) The Mental health impact of family relationship services: A systemic literature review. Family Matters.

Pryor, R, & Field, K. drummond street services: Mental health prevention, promotion, treatment & recovery within a family service agency

Government Submissions

Access and Awareness Commonwealth Government, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs  – Child Support Policy – Community Strategy drummond street services, 2010

Queer families and the child support system: Policy Paper Queer familes and the child support system, access and awareness paper is the first of five to be prepared by drummond street. This paper was funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The opinions, comments and/or analysis expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), and cannot be taken in any way as expressions of Government policy.

drummond street services policy paper 2 Stepfamilies and the Child Support System : Policy Paper is one of five papers to be prepared by drummond street for FaHCSIA. This paper was funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The opinions, comments and/or analysis expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), and cannot be taken in any way as expressions of Government policy.

Victorian State Government – Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Childrens Inquiry 2011: drummond street services. 2011

Federal Government Higher Education Review: drummond street services:   Status of African New Zealand Citizen Refugee Humanitarians Entrants Immigrating to Australia. 2007

Research Studies

JF Executive Summary 2011, Evaluation, Executive Summary, 2011

Drummond street services, via funding from William Buckland, in 2007 undertook an initial 12 month pilot, which was followed by a 3 year research and evaluation trial of the Just Families Project: prevention and early intervention for family violence, targeting couples transitioning to parenthood. We have just completed a comprehensive three year evaluation report which outlines the theoretical and research basis for our project, and our own research and evaluation findings which include ground-breaking practice-based evidence within this new area of practice and research.

Social Justice for NZ Africans 2009 In August 2007 a forum between government agencies, community organisations, local council and representatives from the New Zealand African community was held in response to the issues emerging for New Zealand African families. The forum provided an important opportunity for affected community members to voice their experiences and prompted what has since become a longer process of mapping the key issues.

• The social, economic, legal and political barriers to successful settlement for New Zealand citizens migrating to Australia are highly complicated. Despite experiencing the same barriers to successful settlement that have been reported among Australia’s newly arrived refugee communities (such as difficulty accessing affordable and appropriate housing, difficulty securing gainful employment, language and communication barriers, high debt, high rates of ill health, discrimination and a lack of knowledge of Australian systems and customs), refugees migrating from New Zealand do not have the same access to income support, public housing, employment services and further education.  Overlaying these complexities are often particularly distressing personal circumstances that increase a families’ vulnerability and compounds their disadvantage.

Field K, Highet N and Robinson E: beyondblue – the national depression initiative – preventing depression in the workplace In Mental Health and Work: Issues and Perspectives. Edited by Morrow L, Verins I and Willis E. Adelaide, Ausinet: The Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (2002).