You are invited to take part in this month's online Friday Forum on mental health and suicide.
The Land and RAMHP have partnered to get more people talking about mental health. Join us at noon today to talk about important mental health issues.
There is ongoing concern about mental health and suicide in rural and remote NSW.
Life can be tough and problems can seem overwhelming at times. It can be very difficult to know what to do and how to cope but there is help available.
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day on the 10th of September, this month's online forum will focus on mental health and suicide.
Our expert panel are ready to answer your questions about a number of important issues, including:
- Preventing suicide and providing support in tough times
- How to tell if someone is thinking about suicide and what to do about it
- How to have a difficult conversation
- How to reduce stigma associated with mental illness
- Understanding what it is like to be bereaved by suicide
Fiona Livingstone
Fiona is a Senior Project Officer with Farm-Link and has worked on the project since early 2013.
Having spent 10 years on a farm and married to a farmer, Fiona understands the unique pressures that are faced by the farming community. She has lived and worked in rural communities her entire life, Fiona is passionate about the mental well-being of people in rural and remote communities.
Justin Geange
Justin is part of the Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience Speakers Bureau.
Having his own battles with bipolar and depression, Justin is passionate about starting conversations with men in regards to mental health and suicide prevention. He now works as a Community Rehabilitation Support Worker (CRSW) with the company Neami National.
Alice Munro
Alice is a rural social worker with seven years of experience in mental health and drug and alcohol across Western NSW.
Alice works at Psychological Solutions in Orange and sees clients from across the lifespan with a range of issues including grief and loss, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, substance abuse, addiction and chronic stress.
Thoughts of suicide and self-harm is a common symptom that Alice's client's seek help for and something she is committed to working through with them, having had both personal and professional experiences of how suicide can affect a family and a rural community.
Niall Mulligan
Niall is manager of Lifeline Northern Rivers’ suicide prevention and crisis support services.
Working towards Lifeline’s vision of an Australia that is free of suicide, Lifeline Northern Rivers’ seventy five Lismore based volunteers have answered almost 16000 crisis calls to Lifeline Australia’s 13 11 14 crisis support line during the past 12 months.
Lifeline Northern Rivers also offers community training in suicide intervention and prevention.
