Mental health a focus of new COVID-19 recovery package

Published on 13 May 2021

Mildura Rural City Council is partnering with key local service providers and support agencies in a comprehensive suite of measures to help the community recover from the ongoing psychological impacts of COVID-19.

Councillor for Community Development and Gender Equality Helen Healy said despite the absence of recent pandemic lockdowns, there are ongoing impacts on residents’ mental health and wellbeing brought on by stressors related to COVID-19.

“It’s encouraging to see our community returning to something close to normal life, despite the ongoing presence of COVID-19,” Cr Healy said.

“But beneath the surface the impacts of COVID-19 will take a lot longer to fade away, whether it be small business owners still recovering financially, or those whose mental health continues to suffer.

“In September last year more than 40% of those who responded to our survey about the impacts of the pandemic on our community indicated their mental health had been impacted by COVID-19, including feeling worried, fearful, anxious and uncertain.

“And more than 30% of respondents told us they wanted more mental health support.”

Cr Healy said many residents indicated changes to their mental health were sparked by the isolation attached to COVID-19 restrictions, with females and young people suffering most.

In response to this valuable feedback, Council and its partners are introducing the following program of mental health information and education to support the community.

Mental health and wellbeing fact sheet This locally developed factsheet lists some of the early signs and symptoms of mental health to be aware of and when you should reach out for help. It also lists all local mental health services and other online services available to you. The local system can be hard to navigate if this is not something you have needed to do before, so the factsheet is a good starting point.

This fact sheet will be made available at mildura.vic.gov.au/HelpForYou under the ‘mental health and wellbeing’ heading.

Free Mental Health First Aid Training Five Mental Health First Aid courses will teach participants how to help people who are developing a mental health problem, have a worsening existing mental health problem or are in a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves. The courses are based on guidelines developed through expert advice from people who have lived experience of mental health problems and professionals in this field.

These courses are free and aimed at supporting adults and young people.

Standard Mental Health First Aid Training

This training is for any interested adult who lives, works or studies in the Mildura Rural City Council region. This two-day training will be delivered at the following locations and dates in Ouyen and Mildura:

Ouyen Service Centre Tuesday 8 June and Tuesday 15 June

Mildura Golf Resort Saturday 14 August and Saturday 21 August

Mildura Golf Resort Saturday 6 November and Thursday 11 November

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training This two-day training is for adults who are working or living with adolescents (12-18 years) and will be delivered on the following dates:

Mildura Golf Resort Saturday 5 June and Saturday 19 June

Mildura Golf Resort Saturday 4 September and Saturday 11 September

To book a place in either the Standard Mental First Aid Training or the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training visit mildura.vic.gov.au/HelpForYou. For more information about this training contact Barbara Clifford on 03 5018 8100 or email [email protected]

In addition to these two-day courses Council’s website features a broad range of online training resources and information to support residents, including links to other local training from the Primary Health Network and Headspace.

For more information about Council’s broader suite of COVID-19 recovery measures contact Community Development Officer Renee Ficarra on 03 5018 8100 or [email protected]

ENDS