The NARSA Executive is pleased to announce that the 2010 Conference will be held at
The Novotel Cairns Oasis, 122 Lake Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870 - www.novotelcairnsresort.com.au
6th - 9th July, 2010.

The keynote speaker on Thursday 8th July will be Ken Warren, Australia's leading speaker on dealing with demanding, aggressive and unmotivated people. His background includes 24 years experience counselling students with extreme behaviour problems, people with alcohol and drug-related problems, and aggressive and violent individuals. He also understands the challenges of managing teams, having done so in the health, welfare and business sectors.

Ken says if you do challenging work, then you need to be taking excellent care of yourself. Two of the ways we do so, he says, is by having positive and supportive relationships with our co-workers, and our individual responses to workplace challenges. Ken will explore both of these areas in his two presentations, 'Grow Your Team - Working with Strengths' and 'Staying Sane in Challenging Workplaces'.

With his engaging, interactive and positive approach, Ken has helped thousands of education, health and welfare professionals learn how to turn difficult people around and bring out their best. He regularly features in the media and professional journals for his practical and down-to-earth strategies. His approach promotes seeing the best in people and taking advantage of an individual's strengths.

With 24 years hands-on experience working with challenging clients (couples and co-workers in conflict; people with drug-related and mental health problems; aggressive and violent individuals) Ken is no ivory-tower theorist. His practical strategies work in the field.

Ken is a warm, entertaining and thought-provoking speaker, and has achieved Professional Member status in the National Speakers' Association of Australia. Access his website at www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au

A topic that is extremely relevant to staff in student boarding facilities, drugs and alcohol, will be addressed on Tuesday, 6th July, by Mr Paul Dillon.

Paul has been working in the area of drug education for the past 25 years. For the past 16 years he has worked at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Sydney, where his key role was to disseminate research findings to policy makers, drug and alcohol workers and the general public.

Through his own business, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) Paul has been contracted by many agencies and organisations across the country to give regular updates on current drug trends within the community. He has also worked with many school communities to ensure that they have access to good quality information and best practice drug education.

As an ex-school teacher, Paul has an interest in working with young people, and regularly provides drug information sessions and workshops to students across the country. He has also just completed a book, Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs which was released nationally in February 2009.

With a broad knowledge of a range of content areas, Paul is regarded as a key social commentator in Australia. He has appeared on a wide range of television programs discussing topical issues and has had many media interviews on the subject of drug culture. His current areas of interest are drug education, youth issues, and ecstasy and related drugs. Paul's website can be viewed at www.darta.net.au

If you attended Conference 2007 in Darwin you may have heard the excellent MindMatters presentation by Ms Jo Mason who was very popular with delegates. On Tuesday 6th in Cairns we will be addressed by Ms Jane Taylor, the MindMatters QLD State Project Officer.

Jane trained as a health and physical education teacher and has worked in school in a variety of positions including head of department, sports coordinator and health and physical education coordinator. Since then, Jane has completed her Master's in Education Studies, which included training to become a Guidance Counsellor. Jane thoroughly enjoys integrating and implementing the MindMatters resources, principles and processes across Queensland school communities and empowering people to make a difference.

MindMatters is a national mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative funded by the Department of Health and Ageing. It is a universal approach and aims to build the capacity of secondary schools to enhance the social and emotional wellbeing of students and staff.

Since 2000, MindMatters has provided professional development to over 120,000 people across Australia which has included 82% of all schools with secondary enrolments. This high level of interest represents not only quality resources and training but also schools' growing acceptance of the strong links between wellbeing and academic learning. For more information on MindMatters go to www.mindmatters.edu.au

Together with the above presenters the Conference will feature training sessions from several of the NARSA Executive and other NARSA members.

Click here for the conference agenda.
Click here to access the conference brochure.
Click here for a Registration form.