Page 3713 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 23 November 2022
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander is so high and that they feel comfortable identifying as First Nations to the service provider.
I look forward to the work of our ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Working Group and the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing on a needs analysis for mental health services for our First Nations people. I am committed to working hard to deliver what the community tells me is needed.
The ACT government supports a range of suicide prevention programs aimed at increasing awareness and providing people with the toolkit to support a friend in need, or to recognise and seek help themselves. This starts with our year 9 students participating in the Youth Aware of Mental Health program at school, which has been delivered to more than 7,000 students aged 15 to 16 years since 2020. Young men who have participated in the program tell me that what they found most valuable about it was learning how to support their friends. This gives me so much hope for the future for these young people because this means the program is working to break down barriers for our next generation of men in talking about mental wellbeing and seeking help.
I also note the work done by people with lived experience in community mental health and wellbeing programs. As mentioned by Mr Davis earlier, Menslink deliver mentoring, counselling and group programs to boys and young men in our community, and I look forward to seeing their work continue. The Perinatal Wellbeing Centre, previously known as PANDSI, provide understanding and support for dads experiencing post-natal depression, as well as for dads supporting a partner who is experiencing this. MIEACT’s work to deliver community mental health education and awareness includes amazing support and skills development in valuing and working with lived experience in safe ways that reduce the risk of re-traumatising participants in their programs. I particularly applaud their My Mind, My Voice program, working with the multicultural community.
There are many organisations working with veterans and their families, including Open Arms, Soldier On and the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club. Whether it is counselling services or an understanding, listening ear at a drop-in coffee club, that feeling of connection and belonging makes the world of difference.
I thank Stride, who are doing the most wonderful work in our first Safe Haven in Belconnen. This is a warm, welcoming space where people can talk to someone who understands what it feels like to experience psychological distress. The fact that most of the people who accessed the service in its first six months after opening last November used the service an average of seven times demonstrates that this is a service where people do feel safe and supported.
Average results using the subjective units of distress scale for people on arrival at the service was 65, but it dropped to 44 upon exit after their initial visit; and, when followed up 72 hours later, and in the seven to 10 days following, it was still an average of 46. The Safe Haven is open from 3 pm to 10 pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and is located next to the Belconnen walk-in clinic, with easy access to buses and car parking. We are already working towards having a second Safe Haven on the Canberra Hospital campus.
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