2007 project recipients

Community Engagement Grants Scheme

Linking with Illawarra Assoc of Private Psychologists (Awarded $5,670)

Project Leader: Chris Allen, Director of Northfields Clinic, Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences

Partners: Illawarra Institute of Mental Health, Illawarra Division of General Practice, Private Psychologists, Mental Health service providers.

This project seeks to increase the University’s linkage with private psychologists within the general community, specifically through the creation of a register of practicing psychologists within the Illawarra. This will be in the form of a database with a web-based interface. This will:

• provide a resource for community members to more readily access mental health services;

• improve communication between mental health professionals;

• provide opportunities for collaborative research partnerships;

• enhance professional development opportunities; and

• increase clinical placement opportunities for interns of the postgraduate clinical psychology program.

Changes in the Medicare system have resulted in more people using the services of private psychologists. This has resulted in a 20% decrease in referrals for Northfields Clinic. This loss of clientele to the Clinic directly impacts on the ability to train new clinical psychologists. The University’s Northfields Clinic is the only centre for clinical psychology training in the Illawarra and, as such, is vital to the current and future provision of locally-based mental health services.

This project will see the Clinic play a leading role in providing the infrastructure for the development of a professional network of practising mental health professional with long term benefits for the profession, students in training, and people with mental health problems.

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Empowering the Community to Respond to Inappropriate Alcohol Marketing (Awarded $9550)

Project Leader: Prof Sandra Jones, Centre for Health Initiatives, Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences

Partners: Drug and Alcohol Program – Greater Western Area Health Service, The Lyndon Community, NSW Central West Division of General Practice

This is a community-originated and community-driven project developed to respond to significant concerns about the capacity of small regional communities to respond to the impacts of alcohol marketing on alcohol consumption in their communities (particularly amongst young people). Australian Research has found that alcohol is widely used by secondary students, with 50% of 16-17 year olds surveyed having consumed alcohol in the week prior to the survey, and 35% having consumed it at dangerous levels. Research has also found that while a number of regulatory systems have been developed, these are poorly monitored and enforced.

This project will see the development and dissemination of a set of resource materials to better enable communities to tackle inappropriate marketing and promotional activities of alcohol companies at a local community level. It will also increase the skill base of partner organisations in addressing these issues (through a train-the trainer style program) and evaluate the effectiveness of the program in order to assist partners obtain funding for sustained provision of the resources and training.

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Impacts of Climate Change and Community Based Strategic Response in the Illawarra/South Coast Region (Awarded $7,600)

Project Leader: Prof Colin Woodroffe, Faculty of Science

Partners: Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia, Wollongong City Council, Australian Greenhouse Office

This project will seize opportunities for UOW to take a lead defining climate-change issues for the region, building capacity in the community, and formulating practical measures to adapt to the impacts that the Illawarra/South Coast will face in coming decades. We will compile background information on climate change acquired at international level. The information is intended to inform the community about: local impacts of climate change and possible adaptation strategies that communities in the region can implement. Currently, most local governments and other stakeholders in the region have only just begun to undertake assessments at the local level or map out long term plans in response to projected changes.

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Multimedia Youth Legal Resources (Awarded $5,000)

Project Leader: Gabriel Watts, Faculty of Law

Partners: The Foundation for Young Australians, The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre, The Marrickville Legal Centre, The Legal Centre, The Legal Aid Commission of NSW.

This project will see the creation of a range of multimedia legal advocacy resources for young people that will act as prototypes for developments into new areas online legal advocacy. Specifically these resources will be flash animations and audio packages that address the topics of going to court. This project will also be delivering community legal education in multimedia formats such as downloadable audio packages (‘podcasts’) and online flash animations represents a new, innovative approach to legal advocacy. With plans to create further resources addressing different legal issues for young people from the models this project produces.

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Evaluating and Capacity Building Among Members of the Clubhouse for People with Mental Illness (Awarded $8,600)

Project Leader: Prof Frank Deane, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Partners: Lord Mayor’s Light and Hope Clubhouse Committee, Wollongong City Council, Schizophrenia Fellowship, Carers for people with Mental Illness

This project will build on an existing community activity. For two years the Lord Mayor’s Light and Hope Committee has been raising funds for the establishment of a Clubhouse. Clubhouses are part of an international program where people with mental illness join as members with the aims of improving their employment and productive activities of everyday living. The aim of the proposed grant will be to provide a training program to Clubhouse members to help improve their capacity to conduct assessments and program evaluation.

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Voices of Children: A Sense of Community (Awarded $7,600)

Project Leaders: Assoc Prof Ian Brown Faculty of Education

Partners: NSW Dept of Education, Local Primary and High Schools in Nowra, Vincentia and Culburra, Shoalhaven City Art Centre, Shoalhaven City Council.

This project will build on the principals of an international project, Voices of Children, established by researchers in the Faculty of Education. It will provide Indigenous students attending primary and secondary schools in the Shoalhaven area with opportunities for exploring their identities as individuals as well as developing their sense of connectedness to the community. This project supports the priority for 2007 of the NSW Department of Education and Training Illawarra and South East Region by encouraging the improvement of educational outcomes for Aboriginal Students. Fifty students will be provided with disposable cameras and writing booklets, with requests to represent their everyday experiences through these mediums. A professional exhibition, housed at the new Shoalhaven City Arts centre, will allow participants to share their perceptions and experiences with the broader community. A photograph publication containing a tangible record of the exhibition will also be produced.

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Bringing International Experience to Illawarra High Schools (Awarded $5,980)

Project Leaders: Ekaterina Pechenkina WUPA

Partners: NSW Dept of Education, Local High Schools in Illawarra, Welcome to Wollongong Community Working Group, Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council Inc

This project will seek to improve intercultural relationships between Illawarra youth and international students through a series of international student visits to local high schools in the Illawarra. Over 4,400 international students are studying at tertiary level in the Illawarra. Over a quarter of the University’s student population are overseas students.

This project will see volunteers from among the international student population visit a number of local high schools to give presentations which aim to target common stereotypes about other countries and international students that Australian youth might have. The project has grown out of a study by researchers in the Faculty of Education which suggests that racist behaviour towards international students is more likely to be perpetrated by young people in the community. This project is just one example of how the University and community has come together to explore ways for international students to feel a greater sense of belonging in the Wollongong community.