MARCH 2018 | Hayley Manning

THE AUSTRALIAN Rotary Health and Royal Flying Doctor Service’s ‘Muster for Mental Health’ have completed their mission to have fun while increasing awareness of mental health issues in Tasmania. The convoy of motor homes and caravans gathered fellow travelers as they embarked on their journey to community forums around the state.

Mental health remains a relevant topic in Tasmania following the Liberal Party million dollar mental health policy for 2018, and the Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT) campaign launch, Moving Toward a Healthy Tasmania, which calls for people to pledge their support for mental health issues over the next 12 months.

MHCT CEO, Connie Digolis, welcomes the promise of increased funding from the new Liberal government and said it is the best commitment to mental health issues Tasmania has ever seen.

“We need to be brave and remain driven over the yearlong campaign in order to keep informing the government more broadly in terms of recovery and outcomes, because the right supports can make a difference,” she said.

Ms Digolis also acknowledged the effectiveness of early intervention for rural and remote communities. “A lot of work is needed to ensure everyone’s mental health issues are addressed.”

Some of the key messages discussed at the Deloraine forum were hope and recovery, as well as resilience and forgiveness – which forum guest speaker Fr Richard Ross likened to a tree that increasingly ‘bends and sways’ as it grows older.

Photo | Hayley Manning