8TH NATIONAL MEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE ISSUES

ISSUE 1

• Attachment and bonding – transitional perspective of men

• How we develop socially as men

RECOMMENDATIONS

• We need to understand and be conscious of the issues for men in every transitional stage of their lives

• We need to be in touch with our emotions and talk more about men in transitional stages

 

ISSUE 2

• Men’s sheds help men and the local community in which the shed is

• Men’s sheds help other men to discuss health problems, gain support and find purpose.

• They provide a place for healthworkers to target older men

• Men's sheds provide much needed mentoring for boys and sometimes this leads to boys getting work

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Sheds are spreading and built on a model of self determination

• Sheds provide a stable way of addressing the needs of dysfunctional boys

• Men’s sheds need funding

 

ISSUE 3

• Web cam counselling service provision to farmers / men in rural areas

• Men will access these services in rural isolate locations

RECOMMENDATIONS

• This is an effective new way of reaching men and we need to explore this medium more

 

ISSUE 4

• The poor state of young men in rural locations owing to unemployment, social isolation, depression and suicide

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Conduct further research and expand our practice base

 

ISSUE 5

• Develop more structured programs for men in rural locations. Small structured health programs for men are effective and produce positive outcomes

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Need to fund more programs like this and evaluate them to provide a stronger evidence base of need and hence more funding.

 

ISSUE 6

• Male engagement is dependant on the relationship of the person working with men

• What motivates men? = learning to listen, understanding the power of involvement

RECOMMENDATIONS

• More story telling practice in workshops for men

• Engaging men is dependant on the relationships we build with them

 

ISSUE 7

• AMHF Peak Body and the need to have a peak body

• The role and responsibilities of AMHF

• Need for more organisations to join AMHF

RECOMMENDATIONS

• That an email be sent to all National Gathering delegates inviting them to become members of AMHF

• Establishment of special interest groups within AMHF

 

ISSUE 8

• Creating more effective responses to depression and suicide

• Creating a suicide prevention program for men to use

RECOMMENDATIONS

• That mental health first aid programs be run by healthcare workers for men

• Use men’s sheds more to provide information on men’s mental health problems and solutions to these problems and provide support and a safe space for men to discuss their mental health issues

 

ISSUE 9

• Providing sexual health education programs for young men to prevent the spread of STIs

• Getting young men familiar with and competent in the use of condoms

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Provide more innovative programs for young men around condom use like the Condom Credit Card Project at the Warehouse in Penrith

• Continue to educate young men (and all men) to correctly use condoms

 

ISSUE 10

• Making art exhibitions more men friendly and more appealing to men

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

• Stage more art exhibitions that highlight men in a positive way as carers, providers

 

ISSUE 11

• Lack of male roles models in university courses and placements

• The gender difference in some occupations – we need more men in non traditional roles

• Learning style difference between males and females

RECOMMENDATIONS

• A group of male OT students was formed at Newcastle University to provide male role models and support for male OT students both in the University and in the workplace

 

ISSUE 12

 

• Bridging men and women’s health from theory to practice
• Defining issues around gender and ho0w that affects service delivery

• Need to break down gender barriers to the provision of health services

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Communication and participation

 

ISSUE 13

 

• Older Gay men
• Lack of awareness among health professionals of older gay men's health issues
• Gap between “gay” and mainstream health services

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

 

• GAMMA Gay and Married Men’s Association Education and awareness training for people working with these men

 

ISSUE 14

 

• Gay men coming out to social support
• There is a clear need to support older/ageing gay men some of whom may have compromised immune systems through HIV. There is a need for compassion in handling their needs

 

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

• We need to act now seeking advocacy in the provision of care service to gay men. Also applies to women, lesbians

 

ISSUE 15

 

• State and Territories
• Description of ten years of policy development in NSW – NSW Men’s Health Policy

• Background to NSW Area Health Services involvement and Hunter New England AHS involvement in men’s health work

• People working in the area of men’s health in Hunter New England AHS and other AHSs need to develop workplans with KPIs and monitor the progress of their work

• Overwhelming evidence in Victoria of a need for specific men’s health strategies and need for a policy there

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

• Some issues about mandatory policy priorities and informing implementation

• Making sure that AHS Executive is on side to men’s health

• The untapped role of practice nurses

• Strategic use of resources

• Need to include in men’s health policy some direction on men and road accidents

 

ISSUE 16

• Transition to manhood and rights of passage

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

• Introduce as part of Year 9 in schools

 

ISSUE 17

 

• Inclusive Health Services
• Difficulty in identifying various sexual identities

• Difficulty in safety

• Heterosexualism

 

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

• Awareness building, audit of organisations

ISSUE 18

• Need for more men’s health in the workplace programs and men’s health checks

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

ISSUE 19

§         Department of Veteran Affairs Peer Education Model

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Peer education model is working well as a health promotion activity – one of the best examples nationally

 

ISSUE 20

§         Rural men that have participated in courses delivered under the “Time out for Blokes” responded positively to visualisation exercises for considering their future

§         Farm children are not succeeding parents on farms

§         Health issues remain central to farmers and farm communities

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Provide services closer to the farm gate

§         Provide programs that help farmers improve mental and social relationships

 

ISSUE 21

§         Revisiting gay men health survey data – reviewed current issues for gay men

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Less focus on HIV than in 2000

§         The research compared results from 2000 – very useful for comparison with other research in the area

 

ISSUE 22

§         Men and women are different – both have needs

§         Health services are not sufficiently addressing the particular needs of men

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Need more awareness of this and more research

§         Need more information on how to better address the needs of men 

 

ISSUE 23

§         Presentations on policy and research

§         Policy needs to be better informed by research

§         Need to have more empirical research, most academic material is comment

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Need more research on providing health knowledge more effectively to men

 

ISSUE 24

§         There is an urgent need for support to AHW housing in communities

§         Better coordination of service providers when visiting remote communities

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Better housing will increase AMS AHW workforce

§         Dept of Health to improve informing communities of proposed visits

 

ISSUE 25

> Strengthening Men Friendly Practice & Health Promotion

§         Safe and supportive environments for men

§         Participatory action research needed

§         See men as part of the solution

§         Importance of transfer of knowledge

§         Use of ‘facebook’ for isolated workers

§         Involve boys in men’s groups

§         Being together workers from across Australia- camping, walking, beach

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Camps – connecting with the land

§         Networking is important and seeing workers as community researchers (transfer of knowledge)

 

ISSUE 26

> Pit Stop Program

§         Using men’s interest in cars to encourage them to look after their own body parts

§         Strength based practice

§         Use camps to build wellbeing

§         Use non Indigenous counsellors (feel more confidential)

§         Blood pressure, diabetes and mental health

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         See out sources of funding for this work

§         Maybe Medicare bulk billing for pit stops

 

ISSUE 27

> Aboriginal males and NT intervention

§         Reduced role of men

§         Govt has increased admin costs taking funds out before any work begins

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Need for more men’s programs and building up the role of men

§         Intervention reduced men’s role significantly

§         Govt departments need to be more coordinated

 

ISSUE 28

> Gay men with HIV retreats in northern NSW

§         Difficulty contacting a social group who are stigmatised and discriminated against

§         Struggle to live long term with HIV

§         Value of supportive, educational healthy retreats

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Retreat value in itself

§         Outcomes were continued networking with social support ie. 2 lunches following retreat 

 

ISSUE 29

> Working with CALD men

§         Need to recognise the diversity of individual history, experience and sense of identity – even in cases of similar cultural description

§         Need for practitioners to not make assumptions and be aware of possible bias – work from a ‘not knowing’ position

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         A process of discovering the clients history and stories so the counsellor can better enter the clients space

§         Use of case studies to illustrate the process

 

ISSUE 30

> Sport & health promotion

§         Difference in boys perception of health and wellbeing

§         Using sport to promote health issues

§         Use of sport elites to promote healthy practices and health issues

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Using media and role models to promote good health practices

§         Using alternative ways of teaching young males health practices and linking this to their world

 

ISSUE 31

> Keynote Speaker and Youth Panel

§         Importance of men/fathers in boys lives

§         All men have a responsibility to all boys

§         It takes a man to raise a boy

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Men need to connect with the ‘boy within’ in order to connect/mentor boys

 

ISSUE 32

> Aboriginal non smoking program Mt Druitt

§         Smoking has a huge impact on Aboriginal men’s health

§         Venue is relaxed environment – inside and outside

§         Role model of worker as he also has learnt to quit smoking

§         Elders used as motivational support

§         Evidence is important

§         Engage partners and wives to get them to support men

 

ISSUE 33

> The problematic penis workshop

§         Problematic to men not women; penis is dangerous; contextual nudity (change rooms etc); show it to your mates then show it to you doctor; homophobic feelings; first sexual experiences

§         Relationship to penis; taboos around touching; taking about sex with boys in an educational manner; testosterone

 

ISSUE 34

>Obesity

§         Engagement of men around a number of health and wellbeing factors

§         Perceptions of “overweight” and strategies developed to enhance contact with identified target groups

§         Critical factors in the development of culturally/socially appropriate methods of engaging with men

§         Difficulties in engaging/attracting men to programs

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Insights into strategies ie. SHED IT/use of language, engaging men in culturally appropriate ways, imagery etc

§         Working with strengths of men

§         Key issues were to set targets that fitted with men’s current circumstances

§         Internet resources and group support canvassed

§         Use of ‘role modelling/competitive and supportive peer processes’

§         Link into the “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids” program

§         Valuing and supporting steps that could be integrated into current lifestyle.

§         Key links to meaningful engagements workshop

§         Networking invited and contact list generated

 

ISSUE 35

> Hey Dad for Indigenous Dads, Uncles and Pops

§         Train the trainer focus, strengths based, partnerships with local community resources, use of evaluation and feedback

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Details of how ‘Hey Dad’ was implemented

§         Generous sharing of strategies and techniques that were found to be successful

 

ISSUE 36

> Coping with Cancer in the Family

§         Allowing males a safe space to express feelings; freeing people from guilt

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Group work programs, counselling, web cam

 

ISSUE 37

> Beyond Boxes: Gender Diversity and health service provision

§         We need to acknowledge that many people do not fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Men’s health need to explore what it means to be a man and be inclusive of this diversity

§         Sex and gender diversity is a major risk factor for depression, suicide and other mental health issues – this needs to be urgently addressed by service providers dealing with these conditions in terms of service delivery and policy

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         We need sex and gender diverse specific health services to be funded

§         Mainstream services need to do very simple things to be more inclusive of sex and gender diversity

 

ISSUE 38

> Fathering and Kids Health

§         Importance of dads impact on health of their kids and of kids impact on the health of dads

§         Need for services to change to meet dads needs

§         Raise dads expectations to be there and be involved and be present as the norm

§         Employees of dads need to be flexible with work conditions

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Skilling staff around father friendly practice

§         Create family friendly work

§         Going out to communities to increase ATSR/CALD access

 

ISSUE 39

> Supporting men living with cancer and male cancer survivors Workshop

§         Apart from gender specific cancers (prostate and testicular) there is a gap in services and programs for men with cancer and survivors of cancer

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         We need to develop an appropriate male friendly, strengths based cancer support program

§         This workshop produced and outline for such a program and this outline and finding from the workshop will be produced in a report to the Cancer Institute of NSW who sponsored this workshop

§         Further discussion with be held with the Cancer Institute of NSW, the Cancer Council and other specific cancer organisations to advocate for specific programs, services and resources for men living with cancer and male cancer survivors

 

ISSUE 40

> Improving our communities response to [males as victims of DV]

§         Men as victims of sexual assault by other men and women

§         People are afraid to hear about the subject of males being sexually assaulted

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Need other people to present research about this

§         We need male ‘ambassadors’ or role models to speak out about this issue

 

ISSUE 41

>Working with those that are silenced [male victims of DV]

§         Violence is a social issue not totally a gender issue

§         Need for services for male victims of DV, sexual assault and perhaps other forms of violence

§         Need a complete rethink of DV policy in Australia to reflect reality

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         “Training Program for Working with Men Affected by Domestic Violence” has been developed for professionals, health care workers, welfare and community workers and is available by contacting greg@menshealthservices.com.au

§         We need to develop a more strengths based approach in this area

§         We need to increase advocacy for services for male victims of DV

 

ISSUE 42

> Gendered Service Delivery

§         Male sexual health; masculinity

§         Intellectual disabilities

§         The maleness/femaleness of the service delivery potentially sets the scene for personal service delivery

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         More research required around relationships carer/carer carer/client

§         Focused education particularly female staff re trust and professionalism of  ‘male’ service providers.

§         Look at strengths of male carers not weaknesses

 

ISSUE 43

> Men’s wellbeing and learning through community involvement

§         30% of men out of work;  50% of unemployed men in poor health

§         Let’s ask them what they need, let’s go to where they are

§         Let’s meet them on their own turf

§         We are treating people as clients, patients customers

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         This groups needs to be revealed by appropriate research

 

ISSUE 44

> Male friendly rehab services

§         Reengagement in community considering the ‘loss’ of their previous military community

§         Multiple movements and deployments unsettling

§         The ‘team culture’

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Re educaton and referral - early intervention

 

ISSUE 45

> The boys club – an exclusive club for those with a male identity

§         Male biology, testosterone; stage of life of males; risks at different ages

RECOMMENDATIONS/SOLUTIONS

§         Recognise the challenges face at various ages due to biology

 

ISSUE 46

> Putting LIFE into practice: Suicide Prevention

§         Improved resilience and wellbeing and help seeking behaviours

§         Encouraging help seeking

§         Resources available as preparation