Authors: Joanne Clark, Kirsty Traeger
Year: 2016
Event: 2016 TheMHS Conference
Subject: advocacy, attitudes, stigma, discrimination, mental health service reform, west coast youth and community support
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: People, people, people
• Does mental health services ‘best practice’ involve partnering with communities and consumers and truly listening to their voices?
• Can individuals make positive life-changing choices to lead healthy, mentally fit lives with opportunities?
• Can a small NGO and consumers show leadership utilizing best practice principles in supporting communities to be empowered to embrace mental wellbeing?
• Is there a wellbeing ripple effect generated by promoting mental fitness?
YES!
In 2014, a passionate consumer shared her dream of a mentally fit community. Partnerships were formed with community, business and a service delivery organization, successfully raising $24,000 at a “Life’s a Circus” gala dinner.
Actively seeking local input generated discussions about mental fitness, possibilities and gaps. Every community is unique but local information and opportunities to learn about mental fitness were universal.
The result? Mentally fit communities are emerging using William Glasser’s Take Charge of Your Life workshops, and a Mentally Fit EP is taking shape, driven by community as authenticity starts in the heart with the people. By supporting passionate consumers to deliver the program, including social media campaigns a supportive culture in, and with our community, has emerged and can be replicated across Australia and the world.
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