Rethink. Mental Health

27/10/2021

These three courageous men in the UK leaned into their grief of loosing their daughters, and have just finished a 300 mile walk in 15 days, with the intention to get people talking about su***de prevention. 🤍
"Thank you to everyone who turned out to welcome us back to Shouldham. Thank you to everyone who helped us along our route and a very special thank you to the many people who came out to share with us their stories about losing children to su***de. Please help us celebrate the young lives lost and honour their families struggling with loss & grief by talking openly to your family about feelings, mental health and su***de prevention. Together we can save lives 💜"

https://www.3dadswalking.uk/

We are 3 Dads walking.Raising awareness, money and hopefully a smile wherever we pass. Donate Now Raising awareness.Suicide is the biggest killer of those under 35 in the UK. We only learned this terrifying fact because our daughters took their own lives within the last 3 years. By raising awareness...

24/06/2021

Know what to say or how to help someone in a mental health crisis! Join us for two valuable days in July with an engaging and experienced facilitator.
Recent participant 'overall response' to the Rethink. Mental Health course: 'A great course that all should do', 'Highly beneficial professionally and personally', 'Excellent, really informative', 'Relevant for anyone, to raise awareness and increase confidence in recognising, managing and supporting anyone with a mental illness or in a crisis situation', 'More people need to do this course', 'This course has concreted my knowledge in this area', 'I found a lot of value in attending the course and love the resources', 'Great, very practical', and 'Fantastic - got a lot out of it'.

BOOK TODAY 🤍

https://mhfa15and22july2021.eventbrite.com.au

Be a champion in your workplace or community - learn how to provide first aid to others experiencing a mental health crisis or challenge.

24/06/2021

Excited to be accepted for Volunteer Crisis Supporter – Text Service with Lifeline.
This is a national service and they are aiming to be available 24/7 to the community. Lifeline report that 88% of people prefer text-based communication over verbal telephone calls so they are increasing this option on top of phone support. I will be undertaking 45 hours of training over three months in the lead up to this volunteer role of 3-4 hour shifts about once a week. The course provides me with the 'skills and knowledge to provide short-term support to people in crisis when they text with these and/or other issues as well as increasing safety when thoughts of su***de are present including providing pathways to further care and support, as necessary'.
If you are referring someone to Lifeline, it's great to know there is the phone service 13 11 14 and text service - 0477 13 11 14​ available to meet the person where they are at.
https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-text/

Text 0477 13 11 14 (6pm-midnight AEST) for a confidential chat with a Lifeline crisis supporter.

04/06/2021

'Our work health and safety laws were conceived in relation to the adverse impacts of work on physical health. And those laws have gone a long way to reducing the toll of work-related injury and traumatic fatalities on the job. Why should mental health be any different? The short answer is that it shouldn’t. Indeed, an extensive review of our national model Work Health and Safety Laws, the 2018 Boland Review, recommended that regulations be amended “to deal with how to identify the psychosocial risks associated with psychological injury and the appropriate control measures to manage those risks”.'
Mental Health First Aid Training is part of the toolkit available to organisations to manage these risks. Rethink. Mental Health

We act to prevent physical injuries in the workplace, but our society tolerates a substantial preventable burden of work-related mental illness.

03/06/2021

Another BRILLIANT group last week! Brisbane now has a number of new Mental Health First Aiders in different industries.
Some great comments about the STRENGTHS of the course:
- 'The activities really opens one's eyes to the differences between physical and mental illness's and the support network around those, the stigmas associated with mental illness, the importance of prevention and early intervention'.
- 'The facilitator and diversity of the attendees. I feel blessed to have been part of a very interactive group sharing personal and professional experience, a massive strength of the course, though obviously dependent on who is attending'.
- 'The course book referring to the key mental health problems and action plan. Videos showing examples of how to handle certain discussions were very useful'.
- 'Real life examples and interaction with other participants'.
- 'Some great lived experience shared through videos stories etc and the collective experience of the group'.

Hope to see you at a Rethink. Mental Health course soon! 🤍

26/05/2021

Take a very important step to make a difference in your community and workplace!
Book now into an accredited Mental Health First Aid course supported by Mental Health First Aid Australia. This course is held over two consecutive Thursdays - 15 and 22 July in Brisbane (Chermside) which can be the perfect balance with your other commitments.

Rethink. Mental Health

Be a champion in your workplace or community - learn how to provide first aid to others experiencing a mental health crisis or challenge.

26/05/2021

Take a very important step to make a difference in your community and workplace!
Book now into an accredited Mental Health First Aid course supported by Mental Health First Aid Australia. This course is held over two consecutive Thursdays - 15 and 22 July in Brisbane (Chermside) which can be the perfect balance with your other commitments.

https://mhfa15and22july2021.eventbrite.com.au

Be a champion in your workplace or community - learn how to provide first aid to others experiencing a mental health crisis or challenge.

24/05/2021

An Australia wide Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study hasn't been conducted since 2007 – the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing will study up to 17,000 Australians, aged 16 to 85, with the first results expected by the end of 2021.

https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/national-study-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing-gets-underway?fbclid=IwAR2PN3l1U_HJ4VKclHQ5PegQsYCo5aLU3frj_Yhir8nZjyw_KMnhRT0fxy8

The Australian Government has launched the first phase of Australia’s $89.5 million Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study – the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

24/05/2021

Yet another benefit to Mental Health First Aid is education to reduce the stigma in the community.

Phoebe Kingston was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her late 20s. She told The Feed that dealing with the stigma attached to the condition has been even more challenging than living with it.

23/05/2021

Some terms to help us learn more about mental health that aren't immediately intuitive.

Symptoms of mental illness may be clinically categorised as:
‘positive' - things the person might start experiencing i.e. hallucinations, delusions;
‘negative’ - things the person might stop doing or be unable to do i.e. clouded thinking, poor sleep; and
‘cognitive’ - the way the person’s brain works and processes information.

16/05/2021

What is Schizophrenia? It is a complex mental illness and can cause a person to experience a range of symptoms that affect thinking and behaviours and periods of psychosis. Psychosis refers to a state where a person loses touch with reality, with significant impairments to thinking, feeling, perception and behaviour. Psychosis is quite debilitating. It can also cause a range of other symptoms that can impact cognitive function, wellbeing and general enjoyment of life.
The myths, misconceptions and stigma that surround the illness can be damaging. They negatively impact both individuals and broader understanding of the illness. This can lead to additional distress for those with schizophrenia – making it harder to deal with their illness and lead normal lives. It can also lead to challenges in diagnosis and treatment, especially if the person feels shame about seeking support. With the right supports and treatments, people with schizophrenia can be active participants in families, education, employment, social groups and the broader community.
What can you do? Keep an eye out for signs and symptoms; Demonstrate acceptance; Help reduce stigma; Avoid language or stories that promote fear, misunderstanding or which belittle people with schizophrenia; Educate yourself and others and don’t be afraid to discuss schizophrenia in a normalising way; Let the person set boundaries and Know when to act.

14/05/2021

I'm sure you have heard on the news that the Federal Budget was delivered this week. It included $2.3 billion in mental health and su***de prevention funding over 4 years from 2021-22. Funding has been allocated to a variety of community-based programs, services and initiatives. The government is stating they are "committed to working towards zero su***des and transforming the mental health system to ensure that all Australians can access the right care and essential services whenever and wherever they need."
I hope these funds get to the people that really need it. 🤍

06/05/2021

"Staying physically, mentally and socially active, maintaining close social ties, and getting involved in meaningful challenges or causes (such as charity or volunteer work) are all essential principles for improving mental wellbeing".

Our study shows that higher levels of mental wellbeing is associated with less money being spent on health and social care.

30/04/2021

Join us on two consecutive Thursdays - 20 & 27 May at Chermside: Book now! https://mhfa20and27may2021.eventbrite.com.au

Learn the vital knowledge and skills to be able to help others in your community or workplace experiencing mental health challenges.

30/04/2021

Wonderful participants this week in Taringa - a lot of engagement and valuable experience brought to the discussions which enriched all of our learning. Environment for learning not too shabby either. 🤍

28/04/2021

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25/04/2021

Pharmacists are another profession where Mental Health First Aid is so important. In this article the customer was very clear about their intentions but there will be times that a Pharmacist, who knows the signs and symptoms after doing Mental Health First Aid training, can pick up the subtleties in an exchange and know what extra questions to ask.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-22/australia-pharmacists-su***de-prevention-training/100029612?fbclid=IwAR2nkZ12AqiPdGZ9S-xrO7yVNmoNXS13v1hJSsnr05ddB39NX_mNOMfsIpY

From behind the counter, pharmacists are unwittingly on the frontline of Australia's mental health battle — and they're pushing for change.

20/04/2021

Valuable article delving into the challenges before those with a mental illness - just being able to access the services they need. As Mental Health First Aiders our role can just be assisting with the complex and confusing barriers, so they can reach appropriate care now, not later when they may be worse.

Countless inquiries have found the same problems afflicting the mental health system, but cost and access barriers still leave those seeking and providing care in despair