Message from the CEO
Recent months have seen encouraging changes and significant steps towards mental health reform towards a strong mental health system where all Australians feel heard and supported. Earlier in the year, The Commission CEO and National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Prime Minister, Christine Morgan, released her Final Advice after 18 months researching and engaging with Australians. The voice of lived experience shaped the series of reports more than any other source of inquiry and the clarion call was for a more connected and compassionate approach which takes support to people. Lived experience is key in shaping our mental health system, that's why the Commission has partnered with the International Association of Suicide Prevention as it hosts the 31st World Congress in September. In-person and virtual lived experience participation will be a hallmark of the Congress, with the Commission providing 150 bursaries to people who have experienced suicidal ideation, suicide attempt or who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Earlier this month it was Reconciliation Week 2021. As many of you are aware, this year, the theme #MoreThanAWord encouraged us all to take impactful action towards reconciliation and recognised the role all Australians can play in amplifying the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and building communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and futures. The recent Budget included specific initiatives to improve the mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. For more information on how the 2021 Federal Budget will address the needs of specific priority populations, visit the Federal Budget page on our website.
As our friends, family and colleagues in Melbourne are faced with lockdowns, I encourage you to reach out and connect with them, and listen. For those of you impacted by these changing restrictions, remind yourself that it’s ok to not feel ok. Acknowledge any feelings of fatigue, frustration, anxiety or stress, and tell yourself its normal to have such feelings as a result of a lockdown, because it is normal. Accept these feelings and talk about them. Help is available right now, in person, online or on the phone (Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636).
Stay safe.
Christine Morgan
CEO
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