We’re all encouraged to celebrate taking steps on our wellbeing journey during Mental Health Month in October.
Mental Health Month is held each year to encourage all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not.
It also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of good mental health in our everyday lives, encourages help-seeking behaviours and fosters a supportive environment where people feel empowered to ask for help when needed.
This year’s theme, Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey, is about identifying the steps people can take to improve their mental health and wellbeing, while recognising progress isn’t always straightforward. The journey may include side steps or steps back, and that’s okay.
5 Ways to Wellbeing
The 5 Ways to Wellbeing are five simple and effective ways to improve your psychological and emotional health. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body for your overall wellbeing.
Like physical fitness, you can strengthen your psychological health in lots of small day-to-day ways. This will help you live a happier and a longer life as well as help you to cope with stress.
Everyone can ‘try the 5’ at home, work or during study. Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Be Aware, Help Others.
Visit the 5 ways website
Our region, our services
In South Western Sydney, one in five people experience mental ill health in a 12-month period.
SWSPHN funds a range of mental health services to support those in our community impacted by mental health concerns. These services have been co-designed with our local community and service providers to meet the specific needs of South Western Sydney.
Services include:
Medicare Mental Health Centres, where adults can access free and confidential mental health information, services and supports from multidisciplinary care teams over extended hours. A new centre is opening later this month in Campbelltown and will complement the existing Liverpool centre.
headspace, free or low-cost support for young people aged 12 to 25 years for their mental health, physical and sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, and work and study. We fund centres at Bankstown, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Edmondson Park and Oran Park.
NewAccess, a confidential guided six-session mental health coaching program designed to provide the skills to manage life stresses such as work, study, relationships, health or loneliness. NewAccess is free for residents in South Western Sydney.