World Mental Health Day - 10 October - Thank you to all Mental Health Workers

It's World Mental Health Day (10 October 2022) and the message from Mental Health Australia this year is: Awareness, Belonging and Connection. 

There is no wrong door to getting support 

Did you know? 1 in 5 Australians are affected by mental illness annually, yet many do not seek help due to stigma. As we enter a new phase of living with COVID-19, prioritising mental health, wellbeing and knowing how to support yourself and others has become more important than ever.

This World Mental Health Day please know there’s no wrong door to getting mental health support. There is no shame for seeking help and no shame if you are having bad days, or are not okay.  If you, or someone you are supporting, is finding things tough, we can provide help through a range of mental health services which cater to people of all ages. This includes:

• Counselling
• Psychology
• Stepped Care Mental Health Services
• Psychosocial Support Service
• Reconnect youth service
• Head to Help
• After Hours Mental Health Nursing Service
• Groups, programs and educations services
• Find out more

For more information, you can contact our friendly team on 9430 9100 or email contact@healthability.org.au. For crisis support you can speak to someone at Lifeline 24 hours, 7 days a week by calling or texting 13 11 14. You can find tips, advice and resources at Mental Health Australia's website.

Thank you to all Mental Health Workers

We want to say a big thank you to all Mental Health workers and our Mental Health teams for all their amazing work in supporting our community's wellbeing and being there for us. Your drive, initiative, care and commitment to programs and services for clients and community is truly valued and we want to take a moment to tell you all that we appreciate you.

We would also like to share a recent interview we had with our team member Elke Colbert - Mental Health Social Worker.  She works with children, young people and their families as part of the Stepped Care Mental Health program at Box Hill. Elke always greets people with her warm smile, and her consulting room is often filled with friendly toys which creates a safe and welcoming space.  

How long have you been working at healthAbility?
I started working at healthAbility in late February of this year. I had moved from Adelaide in South Australia to be closer to my adult children. I’m a Mental Health Social Worker and trained at Flinders University in South Australia to get my Masters in Social Work. I was hired to work as a Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician at Box Hill.

Can you explain a little about what you do in your role?
Our funding is through the Eastern Metropolitan Primary Health Network Stepped Care Program. I am part of a team that provides free services to adults, youth and children with different mental health issues. We change the level of care as needed in a stepped approach. I work collaboratively with other team members who are Mental Health Nurses, Clinical Care Coordinators and Peer Support Workers. My role is to provide consumers with Psychological Strategies to help them cope with their situation and metal health concerns. This might mean, for example, doing some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness skills including deep breathing and muscle relaxation, Psycho-education, Interpersonal Therapy, skills training or Narrative Therapy. I work with adults face to face, by telephone or by telehealth and with children and youth mainly face to face. With younger children the focus begins with play and activities and often includes their parents.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love seeing the change in consumers and see them grow in confidence. I enjoy meeting new people from many different backgrounds. I learn so much from them and find everyone is so unique. Children are so wonderful to work with. I also like being part of a team and enjoy the company of my colleagues.

How do your clients benefit from our mental health services?
As we can offer a free service to people who cannot afford private services we fill a gap that would otherwise mean they would miss out. We help clients meet their goals and then they leave the service. This means we can offer care to more clients making the service quite accessible without the long waits in private practice.

How do you enjoy spending your time outside of work?
We are currently renovating our little flat which is fun. I like walking, going to the movies and spending time with my adult children and their partners. I love my cat Linus and hope to get a small dog soon.

What is something about you that would surprise others?
I have lived in Cambodia for two and a half years with my family working with street children, people with AIDS, taught English to Dentists and Doctors and supported my husband in the aviation program helping Non-Government agencies travel to their programs. I even learnt some Khmer language but wasn’t great at it. I have also spent most of my working life working with the Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and in Adelaide South Australia.