Local mental health programs highlighted at SWSPHN symposium
13 Nov 2024
The symposium showcased innovative mental health initiatives, programs, and support services tailored to address community needs across the region.
Adam Holstein, disability and mental health advocate and founder of “How You Going Mate?”, emceed the event. His initiative encourages people to check in on friends and family, and his podcast has over 1,700 listeners.
Acknowledgement of country
The event opened with an acknowledgment of country by Gomeroi man Raymond Weatherall. They shared stories of his childhood and explained the important role of connection to land and culture in mental wellbeing.
Keynote speakers and event highlights
The symposium featured two keynote speakers, Dr Evelyne Tadros, CEO of the Mental Health Coordinating Council, and Bronwen Edwards, CEO of Roses in the Ocean.
Dr Tadros discussed the urgent need for collaborative workforce strategies in mental health, advocating for flexible outcome measures and funding reforms which allow programs time to achieve standards.
“The next steps are joint workforce strategy and flexibility of using outcomes and trying to get consistency and how outcome measures are used,” she said. “I’m advocating for a year of preparatory work in new funding arrangements to meet mental health standards effectively.”
Bronwen Edwards highlighted the essential role of people with lived/living experiences in suicide prevention. They stressed the need to integrate their insights into mental health support frameworks.
“People with a lived/living experience of suicide really couldn’t see their voice anywhere, and the type of help available simply wasn’t being informed by people who have walked in those shoes,” she said.
“When you look at the overarching reform needed in suicide prevention, we needed to hear from people who knew what it was like to get to the point where they just did not feel like there was another option to escape from their ache and pain they were experiencing.”
“It is really important we have the right voices at the table. You could fill this whole room with people who have made attempts on their lives, and you will have a whole room full of different stories.”
Networking and peer support
Following the keynote addresses, attendees networked over morning tea and visited informational stalls. Stalls included South Western Sydney headspace services, Community Links Wellbeing, Safehaven, SWSLHD, Lifeline Macarthur, One Door Mental Health, Peer Care Companion and Wellways Carer Gateway.
Chris Grumley, Team Coordinator Peer Specialist at Flourish Australia, spoke on the impact of peer support roles in mental health.
“Connection is really the keystone in which we do all of our work. It’s about meaningful, purposeful, human connections which we built with people,” he said.
“It is really important to understand peer work can appear in a lot of different places in a lot of different ways, and we are now integrated into all levels of the processes of all levels of organisations.”
Key mental health topics
The Mental Health Symposium offered six focused sessions covering a range of key topics, including:
- Supporting Recovery Program, presented by Karen Triggs, Anglicare Sydney and Hitika Bhatia, CatholicCare Sydney
- Tackling the Challenge, presented by A/Prof Neil Hall, Western Sydney University and Tessa Bayrante, South Western Sydney Local Health District
- Indigenous wellbeing practices, presented by Jeff Hardy, a wellbeing coach and mentor
- Best practice interventions for eating disorders, presented by Bronwyn Scott of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration and Rebecca White of South Western Sydney Local Health District
- Regional initiatives in suicide prevention, presented by Filipe Gama e Silva from Mentoring Men and Micheal Collins from The Men’s Table
- Gambling trends in South Western Sydney and mental health impact, presented by Dr Kate da Costa from Wesley Mission
Final thoughts on mental wellbeing
Later during lunch, organisers encouraged attendees to support men’s mental health by posing behind the Movember photo frame.
In the afternoon session, Veronique Jordaan and Jess Chadwick from Neami National presented on Head to Health. A panel discussion followed, focusing on mental health, substance misuse, and societal influences on wellbeing.
Adam Holstein closed the Mental Health Symposium with a reminder to prioritise self-care and mental wellbeing.
Learn more about SWSPHN-funded primary mental health and suicide prevention services.