October 2021
This October we welcome the beginning of Mental Health Month in NSW. Considering the challenging environment we find ourselves in, I ask that we take this month to tune in to ourselves and be kind to those around us and our loved ones. Whether it is through listening, check-in, speaking up and engaging with each other, it is important that we look after our mental health and our communities. During the month, we will be working together with our partners at MIFA to deliver a campaign around the concept of Finding Your North. The social media promotion highlights that we all have our reasons, goals and purpose – we all have our own North. The campaign focuses on promoting positive messages, the newly launched Finding North Network and championing the power of lived experience, lived experience voices and leadership.
From the week following World Mental Health Day, Sunday10 to Saturday 16 October, I am looking forward to participating in our ninth annual Wellness Walk and joining our community across Australia walking for wellness, staying active, and raising awareness about those living with severe and enduring mental illness. I invite you to log your kilometres and join our leader board of walkers participating in the event - https://onedoor.grassrootz.com/wellness-walk-2021.
That same week, we also celebrate National Carers Week. This is an opportunity to recognise, celebrate, and raise awareness among all Australians about the diversity of Australia's 2.65 million carers and their caring roles. I take this opportunity to thank all our carers across the state for their fundamental role in designing our services, our advocacy and our mission to create a world where people with mental illness are valued and treated as equal – One Door wouldn’t be here without you.
With COVID-19 restrictions now easing and the roadmap out of lockdown released, we are working closely with our Recovery 2gether teams and coaches as they advise us on their plans and the best path forward to reopening our much needed face-to-face services to our communities. Like any plan, the roadmap is going through constant changes. Therefore, we will continue to monitor the health advice to ensure our services are a safe and welcoming environment to the people we support.