Weekly CEO Update from Mental Health Australia: The Mental Health Olympics - just what we needed!
Photo: Courtesy Delly Carr
When Peter Bol finished a gallant fourth in the 800m final at the Olympics on Wednesday night I had goose bumps.
When the TV coverage crossed to his 70 plus family members watching on from a crowded lounge room in Perth I had more.
And when the 27-year-old Sudanese born Australian said ‘we are all just humans’ in his post-race interview, the power of what’s happened in Tokyo over the last two weeks hit me, and so too the focus on mental health.
From before the Games even started when Liz Cambage pulled out to look after her own mental and physical health, to American superstar gymnast Simone Biles stepping aside mid competition, the Tokyo Olympics held in the middle of a global pandemic, and a year later, have been different to previous Games.
We’ve said a number of times in this blog recently just how much more people have been prepared to talk about their mental health during the pandemic, and to see this narrative on a global stage like the Olympics, reminds us all how far we have come to reduce stigma, but also just how much more work there is to do.
To see athletes talk about their fears, their foils and their struggles goes a long way to reducing the stigma and making mental health more and more part of the general narrative, and as the Washington Post said this week, Tokyo will be remembered for ‘athletes not boasting about their medals or their mettle but crying out for help’
“I feel like society is shifting in a way, and I would actually give credit to athletes — and celebrities, too — anybody who has a platform,” said Jessica Bartley, the director of mental health services for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “This is going to be helping any 8-year-old gymnast who might be struggling, any up-and-coming track and field athlete to be able to say: ‘Something doesn’t feel right. They got help. They went to somebody. Is that okay?’
From skateboarding and BMX to swimming and sailing, the Australian team has excelled as athletes and ambassadors, and for many of us on the couch, especially those in lockdown, the chance to watch on and feel part of their story has been a welcome distraction from the pandemic. A friendly time zone has helped too.
And while on one hand it has been heartbreaking to see a city host an Olympic Games only for its citizens not be able to attend, the joy that athletes have brought to people all over the world has to outweigh the loneliness of those empty stadiums.
Just like the joy that Indonesian weight lifter Windy Cantinka Aisah showed on Day 1 in this great photo above, winning a bronze medal for her country. Or the Fijian Rugby Sevens team finishing their gold medal match in tears, knowing just what it meant to their homeland.
Two nations hit hard by the pandemic over the last 18 months, and two nations that like us have been provided a short reprieve, thanks to the Olympics Games and the Paralympic Games still to come.
Have a good weekend.
Leanne Beagley
CEO
National Homelessness Week a reminder for us all
This National Homelessness Week we’re reminded that safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing is the foundation for people to recover and maintain good mental health and wellbeing, and participate in society. Sadly, according to latest estimates over 116,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness - AIHW 2016 Census.
We also know that people with an experience of mental ill-health are also more likely to experience housing insecurity, and vice-versa, but integrated mental health and housing supports can change this trajectory.
At Mental Health Australia we are calling for action from governments to increase availability of housing options, provide tenancy support and early intervention and prevention, to ensure all Australians – including people with experience of mental ill-health – have access to safe and secure housing and all that it supports.
Find out more via our housing position statement here
Mental Health Australia Vacancy - Manager, Lived Experience Programs
The Manager Lived Experience Programs is responsible for:
facilitating the business of the National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum (NMHCCF), which includes providing secretariat, policy and project support.
managing the relationship between Mental Health Australia and the NMHCCF, through a trustworthy and trauma-informed approach.
strengthening policy and advocacy positions and capacity for mental health consumers and carers working with Mental Health Australia.
To be considered for this role you will have formal qualifications in a relevant discipline (eg. health, social science, community services) and / or substantial related experience. You will have a strong commitment to working in partnership with consumers and carers to achieve mental health reform and knowledge of working within a trauma-informed approach, promoting safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Find out more here.
Applications Close: 20 Aug 2021
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Look after your mental health during COVID-19 If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can talk to a trained counsellor any time by calling the Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Line: 1800 512 348. For a free telephone interpreter, call 131 450. Posters available in 37 languages: Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, Bangla, Burmese, Croatian, Dari, Dinka, English, Farsi, French, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Kurdish-Kurmanji, Lao, Macedonian, Mongolian, Nepali, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Traditional Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Toby from Headspace on Mental Health – Bilingual Videos International student, Toby from Headspace speaks about taking care of your mental health in these video resources, available in two languages: Cantonese and English.
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