18/08/2024
TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING | Our Recovery and Wellbeing College has turned 10!
Thank you to Julie Regan, a member of our Student Voice Committee for this write up of the recent forum:
“In July 2024 the Recovery and Wellbeing College celebrated 10 years of providing coproduced education that promotes wellbeing and support for people with a lived experience of mental distress, their carers and staff in the South Eastern Sydney District.
To make this milestone, the College convened the Transforming Mental Health and Wellbeing forum, where those attending heard from leading mental health advocates, people with lived experience, practitioners and peer workers.
The day was an opportunity to commend the amazing work of the College in educating people and transforming lives; in challenging the mental health system about the importance and benefits of including lived experience in policy development, educational programs and service delivery.
The forum began with a welcome to country delivered by Darryl Gardiner, Senior Aboriginal Mental Health clinician at the NSW Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network. Darryl spoke of his early mental health journey and the challenges of navigating mental health services as an Aboriginal man.
The founders of the College Arna Rathgen, then Manager of Recovery and Wellbeing College, and Jo Sommers, then District Rehabilitation Coordinator, were recognised for their vision, instrumental work, determination and persistence in establishing this much valued educational and community resource.
Peer Learning Advisors & Educators, Vicki Katsifis and Alise Blayney were recognised for their long standing commitment to delivering co-created and co-facilitated courses to students, and having overseen the development of three thousand student leaning plans over a ten year period, an amazing accomplishment.
The key note speaker was Fay Jackson, lived experience leader and inaugural Deputy NSW Mental Health Commissioner. Fay spoke of the remarkable achievement that is the Recovery and Wellbeing College. She applauded everyone on what has been realised with the creation of a safe and trusted physical and emotional space for those experiencing mental distress. She stated such an environment, such a community, must never be underestimated as it provides hope, a cornerstone of change and must be treasured and protected.
Fay spoke of her struggles with mental health and the many battles to be included in discussions around her own care, of her advocacy for lived experience to be respected and valued in all areas of the mental health sector. There was not a dry eye in the auditorium during her speech; it was truly inspirational.
In addition to Fay, speakers from peer education, peer work, and mental health service delivery perspectives spoke of the work they are undertaking in their respective fields to create safe, respectful, diverse and supportive encounters, and communities.
All speakers emphasised the important role the courses, support and services offered by the College play in people’s recovery journeys and within the mental health sector overall. Notably, Cheryl Wittingslow, now a Project Officer at SESLHD, spoke about how her time as a student at the College was instrumental in her recovery journey, helping her become a peer worker and ultimately advancing to her current role in transforming mental health facilities.
Chris Hay, General Manager SESLHD Mental Health Services concluded the Forum and acknowledged the challenges faced by mental health services He congratulated the Recovery and Wellbeing College on its remarkable achievements, highlighting its innovative approach that values both professional and lived experience expertise. He thanked all those involved with the College over that time, including the current staff.
The forum MC, was Darren Wagner, a previous peer educator and now PhD Student, who smoothly intertwined his own story as well as his comic genius to ensure the morning was engaging.
Other contributions, including a powerful spoken poem by Alise Blayney and music performed by Will Woods, made for an inspiring and entertaining event that participants thoroughly enjoyed.
In addition to the forum, there was a multimedia museum that provided a visual history, including the evidence based papers that have documented the impact and value of the College.”
Julie Reagan, Student Voice Committee
