Authors: Peta Dampney
Year: 2019
Event: 2019 TheMHS Conference
Subject: People and Their Places - Creating better mental wellbeing in the community by thinking creatively, collaboratively and compassionately.
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract:
Biography:
Peta is a Mental Health First Aid Australia instructor and a lived experience spokesperson for The Gidget Foundation, Suicide Prevention Australia and Roses in the Ocean. She has shared her experience of living with anxiety and depression, as well as having been bereaved by suicide and surviving her own suicide attempt via national media and at conferences. Peta has a keen interest in code of conduct and duty of care for lived experience workers as well as community based mental health and suicide prevention education programs and services. She has contributed to the rollout of national suicide prevention and mental health projects and programs.
This paper will explore the concept of creating more mentally well and connected communities by addressing the following questions: - Who are the people in our community? - What are the places in our community that can be utilised positively for enhancing mental wellbeing? - Why is creativity so critical for community wellbeing and mentally healthy placemaking? - Who are the stakeholders in mentally healthy community placemaking? - How do we do placemaking compassionately and non-condescendingly? This discussion will refer to Bristol in the United Kingdom as an example of a community that has led the way internationally with its community placemaking initiatives. A proposed set of guidelines will be presented to stimulate attendees into action to contribute to the creation of mentally healthy community placemaking initiatives in their own communities.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Participants will reflect upon their use of community spaces to positively contribute to their own and others' mental wellbeing and how they can help influence positive change and development in their own communities.
Learning Objective 2: This topic is relevant as it focuses on the significant role that community spaces can have on promoting positive mental wellbeing and healthy relationships. It is an essential factor in early intervention, prevention and community resilience and morale.
References
(Ed.) Phillips, R., & Wong, C. (2016). Handbook of Community Well-Being Research. Dordrecht: Springer Nature.
Gilchrist, A. and Taylor, M. (2011). The Short Guide to Community Development. Bristol: Policy Press.
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