New mental health campaign – Connect, Your Way launches

Today Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) launched its new mental health campaign, Connect, Your Way to encourage people living across the Murrumbidgee to connect to services and resources and to reduce stigma around seeking support.

WE’RE CONNECTED: Connect, Your Way campaign storytellers (front row, L-R) Bruce Rollins, Owen Dufty, Aunty Isabel Reid, and Stina Constantine (Holly Conroy, absent) celebrated the launch with supporters of the new mental health campaign.

MPHN CEO Melissa Neal said the campaign has taken nearly a year to develop and has involved many local voices.

“It was really important to us to ensure the campaign we created would resonate with the people we are trying to reach, so consulting with those groups and people who have a lived mental health challenge, and their carers was critical,” Ms Neal said.

“We conducted two rounds of consultation activities last year, including convening an Advisory Panel, conducting in-depth interviews and focus group sessions across the Murrumbidgee. We were able to connect with almost 50 people who either has a lived or living experience of mental health, or a carer, or people working in mental health or representing one of the eight population groups we know don’t always connect to mental health supports.

“These consultations directly guided the development of this campaign, which includes a new webpage with support and resource information, and a series of stories from local people. There are five people in fact who are the face of this new campaign – Stina Constantine, Bruce Rollins, Aunty Isabel Reid, Owen Dufty and Holly Conroy.

“We are very proud of these storytellers and this campaign and know this will go a long way to helping people in our communities to seek help and to continue to reduce stigma about reaching for support.”

MPHN’s Board chair, Dr Jodi Culbert said storytelling is so powerful and is an easy way to connect with people so they know they aren’t alone.

“The diversity in the five stories as part of this campaign is what I’m really excited about. Of course, all mental health journeys are unique, but the ways each of these courageous storytellers connected to help and resources are all very different and shows how there are a range of ways to seek support,” Dr Culbert said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the bravery and vulnerability of Stina, Bruce Aunty Isabel, Owen and Holly and thank them to fearlessly share just a snippet of their mental health journey in an effort to help others. It really is admirable.”

For more information, visit mphn.org.au/connect