The CBH Group has joined forces with four leading mental health service organisations in a new three-year $600,000 partnership to improve the mental health of Western Australian regional communities.
Lifeline, Youth Focus, Mental Illness Fellowship WA and Black Dog Institute will become part of the CBH Regional Mental Wellness Program which was established in 2015 and seeks to increase access to mental health services across our grain growing communities.
The new partnerships were launched today following World Suicide Prevention Day (R U Okay Day) yesterday.
CBH Chair Simon Stead said mental health remained a significant issue for regional Western Australia which was the reason CBH had sought more partners to provide services and increased funding to $200,000 a year for the program.
“Over the past five years, our Community Investment Fund has funded a Mental Wellness Program with inaugural partner, Black Dog Institute, offering workshops and raising mental health awareness among health professionals, growers and high school students,” Mr Stead said.
“In continuing that contribution, CBH will provide a total of $600,000 over the next three years to extend the program so we can reach more growers and community members.
“We have partnered with four outstanding mental health organisations who will deliver new or expand current services, programs and campaigns for regional Western Australians in the areas of prevention, intervention and continuing care.
“Together, we’re aiming to make help easier to access for growers and their communities so that they can look after their mental health.”
Youth Focus Chief Executive Officer Arthur Papakotsias welcomed the partnership with CBH, saying it would help Youth Focus build on its existing mental health and web-counselling services in the Wheatbelt.
“This partnership will provide much-needed mental health services to young people in grain growing regions including web-counselling to towns where services are scarce or in some cases do not exist,” Mr Papakotsias said.
“While Youth Focus services extend across a large footprint from Albany to Geraldton, we are limited in our capacity to employ clinicians in small and remote towns.
“Corporate partners like CBH are integral in helping us reach as many young people as possible and we welcome this opportunity to extend our services in these areas to ensure people who need our support receive it.”
Lifeline Chief Executive Officer Lorna MacGregor said now, more than ever, maintaining mental health was critical.
“We are grateful to CBH for making mental health and suicide prevention a priority, especially for regional Western Australians,” Ms McGregor said.
“I encourage growers and community members who may be contemplating suicide, experiencing emotional distress, or caring for someone in crisis to call 13 11 14.”
Mental Illness Fellowship of WA (MIFWA) Chief Executive Officer Monique Williamson said MIFWA was pleased to be work alongside CBH and other community services in the grain growing regions.
“In a time where there is a lot of media around mental health, we believe it’s important to shed light on strategies to build and support mental health and wellbeing,” Ms Williamson said.
“Our regional communities hold a groundswell of hard-working community minded people and we are grateful to have the opportunity to learn from them as well as provide our insight into wellbeing.”
Black Dog Institute’s Director Helen Christensen, says the forming of this partnership marks support being placed where it is needed
“We’re really excited to be partnering with CBH Group to expand awareness around mental health issues.”
“A large part of what we do at The Black Dog Institute is the translation of our research into education programs for the community. We are pleased this partnership will allow us to further this venture.”
If you or someone you know needs urgent support please contact the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Further details
If you would like more information about the partnership and the work MIFWA will be doing throughout regional WA, contact Janine Ripper at MIFWA on 0418 786 733 or via email at janine.ripper@mifwa.org.au.
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