Let’s Talk Mental Health in Regional Areas
Join us 10.30am Friday 8 May for a free webinar focused on rural and regional areas. As parts of Australia are still recovering from drought, floods and bushfires, covid-19 has now added additional stress points. In some cases, water authority field staff may now be spending more time alone as they continue to complete essential service tasks under restrictions.
So what does this do to mental health and how can we support teams working in isolated and remote areas?
Our guest speaker this week is John Clark, a qualified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, a volunteer speaker for Beyond Blue and Suicide Prevention Australia. John is passionate about reducing stigma around mental illness, suicide and encouraging others to get help either for themselves, their families or their mates.
About our guest
John grew up on a family sheep and cattle farm in Victoria, before moving to Melbourne to complete a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering. He began his career in the Pulp and Paper Industry, and relocated to Tasmania for work. After the demise of the industry in the North West, John switched to the community services sector for eight years. It was in this role John experienced serious burnout, with severe depression and anxiety. After some time in recovery, John commenced a new role with Anglicare as a Family Mental Health Outreach Worker supporting families affected by mental illness.
John is a qualified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, a volunteer speaker for Beyond Blue and Suicide Prevention Australia and is passionate about reducing stigma around mental illness, suicide and encouraging others to get help either for themselves, their families or their mates. He is equally passionate about his three children and wife of 25 years.
If John isn’t out and about talking to mates, you can find him bushwalking Tasmania’s mountains; fly fishing the pristine lakes; hunting and woodworking, cycling or volunteering for the SES Search and Rescue team. Whenever he can, John gets back to Victoria on the family farm because there’s never an end to the work to be done.
If you or your staff need any support with mental health during COVID-19, Beyond Blue has created a dedicated Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service
You can also call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
