MIFWA is an independent community based mental health organisation with more than 35 years’ experience supporting people who are living with and recovering from mental health challenges. They also support their families, carers, friends and colleagues who are supporting them.
MIFWA assists 2,500 people annually with a workforce of 200 people across the Perth Metro and Regional areas of WA.
Why Tackling Tobacco
People living with mental health challenges have higher rates of smoking than the general population, and as a result, experience a greater health and financial burden.
Evidence suggests people with mental health challenges are just as motivated to quit as the general population and furthermore, people who quit smoking may experience improvements in their mental health and quality of life.1
Recognising the higher smoking rates among people accessing their services, MIFWA took on a Tackling Tobacco project to educate about the harms of smoking and provide support to quit smoking if this was identified as a goal to achieve.
Providing a supportive environment to quit smoking is aligned with MIFWA’s purpose to help people thrive beyond mental health challenges, through the right support, advocacy, and education.
Below is a snapshot of MIFWA’s key achievements as a result of the project.
Committed Leadership
- Support for Tackling Tobacco from senior management (CEO)
- Formed a steering group committee to discuss Tackling Tobacco goals and progress
- Tobacco change champions identified in the organisation
Comprehensive Smoking Policies
- Updated an existing policy to include quit support information for staff or clients
- Communicated the updated policy to MIFWA staff via online HR system
Supportive Systems
- Clear posters and signage displayed to indicate the smoke-free areas and offer support to quit
- Designated outdoor smoking area discourages socialising
- Staff members do not smoke with clients
- Verbal acknowledgement provided to clients and staff for reaching smoking-related goals
Training and Follow-up
- 27 staff completed the Tackling Tobacco eLearning
- Six staff participated in facilitated face-to-face training
- One staff member completed a one-day training to become a group support ‘Quit Smoking’ program facilitator and has since successfully delivered the program at the Lorikeet Centre. There are plans in place to continue offering this program moving forward
Monitoring & Data Collection
- Recording when and what type of quit support is offered (e.g. NRT, GP or Quitline referral) (service user not identified)
- Recording any quit attempts made and whether the quit attempt was sustained (service user not identified)
Consistent Quit Support
- Up to date quit smoking information and resources available (Tackling Tobacco resources and Quit kits)
- Staff trained in brief interventions routinely ask clients who smoke about their interest in quitting and provide support or referrals to help them access appropriate quit smoking supports
- One staff member trained to facilitate a group support ‘Quit Smoking’ program
- 2x smokerlyzers purchased to be used as a health promotion tool to support quit attempts
1 Greenhalgh, EM and Scollo, MM. 9A.3 People with substance use and mental disorders. In Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne : Cancer Council Victoria; 2025.
