Mental Health Gold Award to New Zealand
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
For immediate release:
Arana Pearson accepted The Mental Health Services Conference of Australasia Gold award for excellence from the Hon Tony
Abbott, the Australian Minister of Health on 30th August at the conference in Townsville. A summary of the organization
follows:
Keepwell Limited: Real Recovery Solutions in Mental Health Training & Publishing 1998 – Currently ongoing Website: www.keepwell.co.nz
Keepwell has delivered recovery based training workshops throughout Australia and New Zealand since 1998. The director,
Arana Pearson is a survivor of mental illness himself and he has worked full time in the organization since leaving the
mental health commission in 2003. Last year training events were delivered to 1200 people over 160 organizations
throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Keepwell Limited publishes recovery resources. Currently publications are consumer workbooks for recovery, including
working with voices, working with self-harm and psychiatric first aid in psychosis. Keepwell has also released a CD
music recording of the mental health consumer anthem “I’m just a little mad” (2000) and a relaxation CD of Piano music
(2003)
Keepwell also promotes community building and community awareness through its programme of Mad Pride ™. Mad Pride
affirms people’s capacities, while sharing information about recovery. It therefore models to mental health services
what partnerships and recovery-focused activities can look like.
Website: www.keepwell.co.nz
Keepwell Limited is the only New Zealand Gold award achiever at this years awards. Other winners were Silver award to
ComCare Charitable Trust and Professor Ian Falloon received an award for exceptional contribution to mental health
services. Ian’s family will be hand delivered his award in the UK and his recent death was honoured by Dr Alan Rosen of
Sydney.
NEXT EVENT: MAD PRIDE CONCERT September 15 AUCKLAND www.madpride.co.nz
ENDS