Mental Health Partners

24/04/2026

Hello to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

This week I would like to touch on what happened or has been reported on about a footballer from the Carlton Football Club.
In round 7 of the AFL it is reported that Carlton allowed him to play while having a Mental Health Episode, believing they could “manage” him through his on-field mental health episode – “in part because they had done so previously”, according to The Age.
This has bought an issue to the front of mind very close to my heart. Why? Due to a comment, I heard on a radio talkback station during the week, from a gentleman saying he was "sick and tired of employer's being blamed or responsible for people putting themselves in that position", whilst at work. This is due to WorkSafe Vic now investigating what happened on that night.
As a Mental Health Trainer and someone who deals with mental health on a personal level, I was so disappointed in that comment. An individual experiencing a "Mental Health Episode" and cannot make any sort of reasonable decision, due to the chemical imbalance, in their brain, that is happening TOO them. They do not choose this, just like a diabetic doesn't choose to have an insulin issue.
Secondly, if this footballer is paid by the Carlton Football Club, and is therefore classified as an employee, then he is covered by the Psychosocial Hazards Legislation bought in last year. Page 8 of the Legislation says " A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, workers and other persons are not exposed to risks to their psychological or physical health and safety". See below.
https://zurl.co/DAN0q
People are entitled to feel safe at work! That's not just physical injury but a psychological injury as well, and it is up to all PCBU's or Directors of a company to ensure they have in place a system to monitor all the 17 Psychosocial Hazards in the Legislation. This will stop any litigation from a mental health claim and ensure the health and safety of all your teams.
Mental Health Partners have that system available right now, to implement and to help support your company and all your staff. At a fraction of the cost of a Mental Health Claim. Mental Health is becoming a larger problem for all of us, it's not going away, it is something we all need to manage, for our people and our communities. To find out how, click the link below.

Until next week Remember,
Mental Health is Everyone's Business
https://zurl.co/2RJMs

22/04/2026

Hi to all from the team at Mental Health Partners

Psycho Social Hazards
What do we need to do?

Measure
Consult
Take Action
Re Measure

We can assist with Measure and re Measure, using the JSECC + PURE resource from Driven Resilience, All-in-one Work Survey
Workplaces today must not only support employee well-being but also comply with evolving psychosocial hazard legislation, such as the Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice in Australia.
The Job Satisfaction, Engagement, Co-worker Connection Quality, and Work Context (JSECC) survey provides a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for workplaces to:
Understand employee experiences of their work environment
Measure 25 sub-factors of workplace satisfaction, engagement, connection, and context
Assess 17 legislated psychosocial hazards, aligned with the latest standards
Provide both individual insights and group-level compliance reporting

Want to know more, Click on the link below -
https://www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au/courses/psych-hazard-management

Until Next Week Remember
Mental Health is Everyone's Business

Resilience First Aid (RFA) is a 2-day mental health certification designed to teach strength-based skills that support resilience in others and foster meaningful relationships. Participants will learn to recognize signs of low resilience, develop the language to engage proactively, and acquire skill...

20/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

Today I am going to talk to you about the strategies I use to help myself go from Limbic System Activation back to the Pre-Frontal Cortex system. Or, going from the Flight or Fright activation back to the calm, measured and in control system in your body.
Timing in life is everything - right? Plus, I like to give you some real-life experience to back up what I am saying. This morning, I really had to reach into my strategies, to help myself with those two systems, why? When I woke up, I got some news I wasn't really happy about, in fact it sent me into a full-blown Panic Attack! Enter the Limbic System Activation, blood leaving the Pre-Frontal Cortex and my Limbic System taking over. Anger, throwing things, swearing, breathing became raced, anxiety rising, shaking, then finally being in the fetal position on my bed.
If you have experienced a Panic Attack, then you know exactly what I am talking about. They come on suddenly and you have no power to stop it. It's your system doing it TOO YOU.
You can bring yourself back, if you know how, so what did I do? Well, with the help of my Panic Coach, first it was all about the breathing. I use Box-Breathing, 4 breathes in- hold for 4 breathes-breathe out for 4 - Hold for 4, then repeat. It works for me! Only when my breathing slows down can I start to think logically again, it's not easy and takes practice. Then, I went outside and watered the plants, I find it relaxing and grounding for me. I was then calm enough to start making logical decisions which tells me the Pre-Fontal Cortex is back in charge. Two or three years ago an attack like that would've wiped me out for a week, but not today, I was even able to do some work from home.
So, what's changed, living with a Mental Illness these things just don't get better by themselves. It's Personal Resilience, working on my 6 domains of resilience. Once, I had a score of 42, but now that score is 76. So, what are the 6 Domains of Resilience, they are Vision, Health, Composure, Reasoning, Collaboration and Tenacity. I will further delve in to each one in coming weeks. Starting is simple, book a Personal Resilience Essentials course with us and find out your Personal Resilience score. Then learn how to build your Resilience so that you too, can Advance Despite Adversity. For more information, hit the link below.

Until next week Remember,
Mental Health is Everyone's Business.
https://zurl.co/QX8BD

17/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

What a week it has been when it comes to losing people we hold dear to us. Some we know and some we don't, but it still impacts on us as a community.
The sad news this week of Crows Captain Jordan Dawson's brother, then I hear the news that he was not the only one to end their life by su***de this week. These tragedies are becoming too often and impacting our communities at a higher rate than they should be. According to preliminary Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released in November 2025, 3,307 deaths were registered as su***de in Australia in 2024, representing a crude rate of 12.2 per 100,000 people. Males account for nearly 80% of deaths, with a rate over three times higher than females. Su***de remains the leading cause of death for young Australians. Su***de is the leading cause of premature mortality for people aged 15–24. That number of 3,307, we believe, is much higher so we need to do better.
There needs to better education, better resources, better availability to services and cheaper alternatives for people struggling with finances. I've had my own issues with suicidal thoughts because of my depression, and I've used Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI) to cope. That led to my admission to Woodley House and the help I needed to get well again. This is important for everyone struggling at the moment to remember- "YOU CAN GET WELL AGAIN".
So, if you are struggling and need help, please reach out to someone, seek out a Mental Health First Aider at work. Talk to your GP and start the journey to better health, through a Mental Health Plan and the Appropriate Professional Help. If you work in a HIGH-VIS occupation call or text TIACS on 0488 846 988, for professional help over the phone. There's the Su***de Call Back Service on 1300659467. The Mental Health Triage line is a great service and their number is 131465, these numbers I have mentioned are FREE SERVICES.
Please, if you need help don't hesitate to contact us on the link below, we have many more resources that are free and available within 24-48 hours. We are here to help, without judgement and You Are Not Alone!
https://zurl.co/NUP7K

Until next week, Remember,
Mental Health is Everyone's Business.

Here is our list of Mental Health First Aid Resources

15/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners

High Adversity roles & High adversity Solutions

HART(High Adversity resilience Training) - The HART Certification program offers
specialised resilience skills for professionals in emergency services, healthcare, law
enforcement, military, and other high adversity fields.

If you are in one of those fields let us know and we can offer a specialised program designed with you in mind!
If you want to read a bit more, then go to the link below -
https://www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au/courses/high-adversity-resilience-training

Until Next Week Remember
Mental Health Is Everyone's Business

14/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

Last week I started to talk to you about my Personal Resilience and how it enabled me to get back to work in 2 weeks after a Depression Episode.
So, what is Personal Resilience? This is taking a preventative approach to Mental Health. Rather than waiting until you need professional treatment, by supporting each other to connect and build mental wellness proactively. 9 out of 10 people can benefit from increasing resilience skills which protect against mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Throughout the pandemic, this need has only increased. I learnt what I could do for myself; to stop my depression becoming so bad, I needed professional intervention.
It begins with understanding what is happening to my body and doing something before it becomes too bad. Why? because Mental Health Illnesses, if caught early, people tend to recover at a faster rate. Therefore, for me, it doesn't last for 3 times as long or cost 3 times as much as what a normal episode of depression would.
When that feeling inside me says, "something isn't quite right here", then you can take action immediately. Or if someone close to you says," I feel concerned, because of the irritability and I'd would like to know if it's depression"? Again, you can act on that straight away and not wait until the depression is so low, medical intervention is required.
So, how does this relate to Personal Resilience? It's by understanding how Cortisol and Adrenaline work in your system and understanding our Fight and Flight (Limbic System) responses in our brains. Then understanding what strategies work for me, so I can quickly turn Fight or Flight off and go back to turning my Pre-Frontal Cortex (Smart Brain) back on.
Next week I will go into strategies, to go from Limbic activation to Smart Brain and begin to talk about the 6 Domains of Resilience and how I achieved my Personal Resilience score.
If you are interested in learning about any of the information I am discussing and want to build your Personal Resilience, go to the link below.

https://zurl.co/T1yt0

Until next time, Remember
Mental Health is Everyone's Business

11/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

I was reminded today by reading a post from a friend, that said "Everyone has a right to Mental Health Support when they Need It"!
So, this got me thinking, why don't people get Mental Health Support when they need it and can I help with that? Well, the answer to that question is there are many reasons and secondly, yes absolutely I can help.
Firstly, people don't get Mental Health Support because of things like, cost, availability, stigma, not believing they have a problem and not wanting to take medication. There are lots of other reasons too, which relate to culture, fear of workplace consequences, fear of being vulnerable, hopelessness and distrust of the system.
Secondly, yes, I can help by giving you some information which might assist you. Most companies have an Employee Assistance Program, which is completely free and you can have an appointment, receiving support within 24-48 hours. It is also 100% confidential, so feel confident that your employer does not receive any personal information when you use that service.
If you are a Tradesperson, then I recommend TIACS (This Is a Conversation Starter), 0488 846 988, you get Mental Health Support for Free and in a very quick time. There is also the Mental Health Triage, 131465, where can call and receive immediate MH Support over the phone. There are many services which are free and available, you don't have to 100's of dollars or wait months to see someone.
See the website below, go to our resources tab and you will find all the resources you need. If you would like to do one of our Mental Health First Aid or Resilience Courses, to build your personal resilience and help with your own Mental Illness challenges, then contact us also through the website.
www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au

Until next week, remember Mental Health is Everyone's Business.

07/04/2026

HI to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners.

Resilience First Aid!

9 out of 10 people can benefit from increasing resilience skills which protect against mental illness such as depression and anxiety.
Resilience First Aid (RFA) as a mental health certification teaches you strength-based skills, learn how to spot signs of low resilience, learn language to talk proactively, and skills that build resilience.

As an accredited su***de prevention program, Resilience First Aid’s evaluation research also found a very strong improvement in su***de prevention awareness.

If you would like to know, more go to the link below.
https://www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au/courses/resilience-first-aid

Until Next Time Remember
Mental Health is Everyone's business.

Resilience First Aid (RFA) is a 2-day mental health certification designed to teach strength-based skills that support resilience in others and foster meaningful relationships. Participants will learn to recognize signs of low resilience, develop the language to engage proactively, and acquire skill...

06/04/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners,

In my last post I talked about my history with Depression and what an episode looks like for me. I also told you how my last one was different, from a 2-year recovery to a 2-week recovery. That's a huge difference, both in time and cost, lost income, medical expenses etc.
So, what was the difference between that episode and the four before that one? Well, firstly it was the support that I received from my employer. Support in the form of each member of our team "Checking In" on my welfare regularly. A visit from the CEO, while I was in hospital with a Gift Box, checking in with my wife to see if she needed support. Then when I felt strong enough, providing a supportive, caring, return to work program with "no pressure". The kind of support that every worker is entitled too and should receive. I had not received this support in the last two employers that I had worked for, in fact, I was bullied due to my Mental Health. So, for anyone reading this, if you are not feeling supported in the workplace, due to a Mental Illness. Please go online and educate yourself in the new "Psychosocial Hazards Legislation" passed last year in all states and territories in Australia.
Secondly, since joining Mental Health Partners in 2023, I have been educated in what is called Psychoeducation. This is where you learn about what is happening to your internal systems when you are experiencing a mental illness. I learnt what chemicals my body was releasing into my system and what was happening to me physically due to those chemicals. Learning that it was nothing to be scared or worried about but how to adapt and accept it.
Thirdly, was the work that I had done on my Personal Resilience. So, what does that really mean, what is Personal Resilience? It is an individual's Personal Resilience marker, that allows them to be able to Advance Despite Adversity. When I started my Resilience Journey, I thought I was pretty resilient...WRONG....my first marker was 42. I had a bit of work to do, which I gladly accepted and got on with increasing my score. Your PR score reflects a person's ability to cope with adversity, but most importantly the higher your score, the least likely you are to become mentally unwell. I am happy to say that currently my PR score is 76, which represents 2 years of hard work.
Over the coming weeks, I will dive further into Personal Resilience, as I believe it was the major key to my 2-week return to work. I will also talk about how you too, can become a Resilience Warrior!

Until next week, remember.
Mental Health is Everyone's Business!
https://zurl.co/fXMlw

Mental Health First Aid Training in and around Adelaide delivers customized training accredited courses in Mental Health First Aid

31/03/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners

PRE (Personal resilience Essentials)

Resilience is, Advancing, Despite, Adversity!

PRE is all about YOU personally.

We recently did a PRE course for 18 people and after the course and one month later the resilience of the participants has improved.

By an AVERAGE of 13%, this means people are seeing PERSONAL improvements in their day to day.

The TWO highest growth areas were:
Composure 19% & Tenacity 19%.
With people reporting that they are using the advantages in their professional and personal lives.

If you would like to see these results in your team, then let us know by clicking on the link - https://www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au/assets/images/courses/20th+February+2026+Ingle+Farm.pdf?updated=1764825913382
You can read all about PRE and then call or email us?

Until Next Week remember
Mental Health is Everyone's Business

https://www.mentalhealthpartners.com.au/courses/resilience-first-aid-courses

Here is a list of the currently scheduled Mental Health First Aid Training in Adelaide run by Mental Health Partners. If the dates don't suit, or you want in-house training, please contact us directly.

27/03/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners.

As I talk to people at our courses, talk to friends and family and hear comments while out in the world. There is a very common theme at the moment, and a lot of people are scared. The uncertainty of what is going to happen in the next few months is causing a lot of Anxiety. Probably at levels higher than what we saw with the Covid Virus. As an adult we have all been through this before at various stages in our lives, but what about our children.
Did you know that after Covid our Anxiety Levels in our 15 - 24 yr olds doubled?? That's right, post covid, Anxiety is the major Mental Health Issue for 15- 24 yr olds @ 42 %. We have a whole generation of young people who, during those years, were locked up. They missed out on the socializing skills that older generations take as normal. For example, if there was a child that was 13 yrs old during covid, he or she would be around 19 or 20 yrs old now. Which means during their development years where you learn to socialize, communicate and learn the art of discussion and positive conversation, they are actually 3 years behind.
So, at the moment with everything that is happening in the world, please check in on your children. If something seems a bit off, it just might be, which means they may need some help with their Thoughts and Feelings. Are they Withdrawing, Isolating, being Irritable, sleeping more or just not acting like themselves. Hey, they might be fine, but it's a good thing just to "Check-in" with them anyway. They might be absolutely scared and panicking about life and asking, will I be able to get to school? Will Mum and Dad be able to feed us? Will Dad be able to feed the animals or will they die?
"Check in" with your children and if you think they need some help then contact us on the link below. We have many resources for immediate, free help either by In -person, Phone/Text, Online, Apps and more!

https://zurl.co/tOu2j

Until next time Remember,
Mental Health is Everyone's Business

23/03/2026

Hi to all from the Team at Mental Health Partners.

I want to talk to you all about Resilience. Not the type of Resilience that Politicians use in their Media Grabs for attention. I think everyone's probably heard enough about that for a while. I am talking about Personal Resilience, or If you like "Having a Fit Mind".
I started learning about Resilience two years ago, before that I didn't really understand what real resilience was. Growing up, it was just about not letting life get you down, to tough things out and keep going. However, I have discovered, Personal Resilience is so much more than that. I am a man who lives with Depression, I have had my issues with Mental Health since 1999. My depression is episodic depression, which means most of the time I am well. However, I have episodes of depression that can be caused by one huge negative event or lots of small ones.
My first one in 1999 was caused by my marriage falling apart and subsequent issues with family, losing time with my kids, going through the Family Court system and separating financial assets. I spent the next two years of my life in recovery. You see, mental health has 3 times the recovery time of a Physical Injury and costs three times as much. I've had 5 episodes in my life from 1999-2026 and the first 4 all went the same, 3 to 7 days in hospital, then 3 months at home beating the crap out of myself in my head. Then the slow long recovery to get well again, which would be 18 months to 2 years.
However, my last one was different, it wasn't a 2-year recovery, I was back at work within 2weeks!! That's right, 2 weeks after I'd been in hospital doped up on va**um, I was back being productive again. Why? Personal Resilience. Learning to Advance Despite Adversity.
In the coming weeks I will talk about my Personal Resilience Journey. What it is? How to get results? How to become more resilient than you ever thought you could be.

Until next week, remember

Mental Health is Everyone's Business
https://zurl.co/XWeJa