Wellways

23/09/2025

Years of health challenges and a delayed diagnosis affecting her mental health, along with the pressures of caring for her family, made Esther realise that she needed to get help. "I was in a very dark time, really struggling as a mother, as a wife and as a woman," she said.

After reaching out to the Medicare Mental Health Centre, Esther was supported by Brooklyn, a Peer Navigator with lived experience. Together, they focused on self-care, building confidence, and reclaiming her sense of worth.

"It's been really beautiful watching Esther’s journey because I've seen such a change and almost like her glow coming back," Brookyln said.

Watch Esther’s story and learn how she was able to empower her wellbeing.

18/09/2025

A BIG thank you to the Byron Bay Rotary Club for choosing to support Men's Wellbeing Matters - a collaborative men's su***de prevention service Wellways provides in partnership with Healthy Hub Connect - through their Father’s Day raffle last month. With incredible support from the local community, more than $4,000 was raised to support men’s wellbeing in Mid-North NSW.

We’re proud of the effort our local team mates and Rotary volunteers put into selling raffle tickets and rallying the Byron community - and so grateful to Rotary for giving us the opportunity to be part of this fundraiser. 💙

10/09/2025

10/09/2025

In case of an emergency, please call 000. For immediate crisis support, call:
Lifeline 13 11 14
13 YARN 13 92 76
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
QLife 1800 184 527
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

09/09/2025

With su***de being the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 to 44 years-old and reports that 3,000 die by su***de each year, somethings got to give. This World Su***de Prevention Day, ‘Changing the Narrative on Su***de’ calls everyone to action.

It’s time to break the silence and remove stigma by talking about su***de, sharing positive stories and using the right language. When we create empathy, we help people feel safe, seen and heard. It can saves lives.

So, we asked people at Wellways how they’re ‘Changing the Narrative’ to help prevent su***de.

In case of an emergency, please call 000. For immediate crisis support, call:
Lifeline 13 11 14
13 YARN 13 92 76
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
QLife 1800 184 527
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

04/09/2025

Jasmine, Merryn, and Ryan, participants from Wellways-led services in Victoria, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local and Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC), have found their calling, to work in the sector.

Now thanks to a VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council sponsorship, they’re stepping into the national conversation by attending The MHS Learning Network conference in Brisbane on Envisioning 2050: Towards a Better Mental Health System.

Jasmine, a recent participant with Mental Health and Wellbeing Local (now a Peer Worker Cadet), who is also a working carer and mother of two young children, said “I’m excited to see where mental health will be in the future, to hear from different voices, and to be part of creating change. This is personal for me. It’s my life.”

Inspired by the compassion of a peer worker during his time at YPARC, 24-year-old Ryan, navigating his own journey with autism and OCD — is driven by one big passion: making sure young people feel seen and heard.

We’re proud to be supporting these future leaders of Victoria’s mental health sector at TheMHS by sharing their journey, building a stronger workforce, and shaping a system informed by lived experience.

29/08/2025

Denise Watmore, Western NSW Regional Manager at Wellways, is the mother of three adult children, two of whom identify as LGBTQIA+. She is their biggest cheerleader and is the reason why Wear It Purple Day (WIPD) is so close to her heart.

“It shows my children that they’re supported and accepted by others and community,” she says. Each year with her team in Dubbo, Denise celebrates important days on the rainbow calendar because she knows that it makes a world of difference and could save a life.

Denise reflects on her experiences raising two gay kids, the lack of support services for rainbow youth in regional areas, and why we should be celebrating WIPD in our latest community news piece.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/41ZsSy3