Mental Health Month NSW

Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 July 2010 16:17)

What is Mental Health Month?

In 2010 we are launching Mental Health Month NSW (MHM) during the month of October. Formerly known as Mental Health Week NSW, the campaign is extending to the whole month to reflect the reality that many Mental Health Week NSW activities already spill over to the rest of October.

MHM is part of a national mental health promotion campaign held in October each year and is funded by NSW Health. Its main aim is to promote social and emotional wellbeing to the population in this state - encouraging people to maximise their health potential, enhancing the coping capacity of communities, families, individuals, and increasing mental health literacy.

Mental Health Month NSW - Building Resilience Campaign 2008 – 2010

Building resilience is about developing individual strengths and abilities to bounce back from challenges and setbacks. Everyone is born with the potential to develop resilience. Resilience is something we can all learn. Resilience doesn’t make problems go away, but can provide the ability to see past the challenges, enjoy life more and handle future stressors better.

Three areas that can build resilience have been chosen for the three years of the Mental Health Month campaign – 2008 - gratitude and optimism, 2009 – community participation and 2010 – connectedness.

Mental Health Month 2010: October 1st - October 31st

Mental Health Month Theme “Good friends help us bounce back”

This year, our focus is on ”Good friends help us bounce back”, promoting the importance of building and maintaining good friendships in the building of our resilience.  One of the best ways to deal with a tough time is to draw on the support of other people who can listen and validate our feelings. Tackling problems with others is a resourceful way to lessen our load. Often it takes several friends who can provide different kinds of support to help us bounce back.  Friendships that create love and trust, provide role models, and offer encouragement, reassurance and hope are all important in resilience building.

Resources

Order your free Mental Health Month resources using our online order form now. Available resources include posters, postcards, bags, balloons and fact sheets. Stock is limited and the deadline for orders is August 20, so place your order today. You can also download the campaign logo to use in your own promotional materials. More info go to our resources section

Key dates for your diary

5pm, Friday 23 July - Closing date for small grant applications - Download the Starter Kit

5pm, Friday 20 August
- Closing date for resources and merchandise orders - Order free resources online now
- Closing date for 2010 Mental Health Matters Awards nominations Download the Nomination Form

5pm, Friday 24 September – Events registration close - Download the Starter Kit

Sunday, 10 October - World Mental Health Day

Wednesday, 13 October - Stress Less Day

11am - 2.30pm, Tuesday, 12 October Church St Mall, Parramatta, NSW - Launch of Mental Health Month

Our supporters and partners

We are grateful for the support of NSW Health who fund Mental Health Month NSW each year.

MHA has made a commitment to improving its inclusion of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in MHM and is proud of an ongoing partnership with the Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC).

In 2010 this partnership involves -

- Translation of MHM factsheets into 10 languages other than English (available in September, orders open now)

- Additional grants to support culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities stage MHM events (applications open, see our Starter Kit for more info)

Mental Health Week 2009: "Sign up, Link in, Get involved"

In 2009 our focus was on "Sign up, Link in, Get involved" - promoting the importance of getting involved and interacting with other members of our community, as well as local clubs, organisations and services. Creating and strengthening these links, such as joining a men's shed or a sporting club, can be a useful resource to draw on during both the good and the tough times. Getting involved is another way we can build our resilience and create a richer, more connected and meaningful life.

Mental Health Week 2008: "Appreciate the little things in life"

In 2008, the theme for Mental Health Week was "Appreciate the little things in life" - promoting the value of developing positive thinking and an optimistic outlook through appreciation of the little things in life. Focusing on the positives and dwelling less on the negatives is one way we can build our emotional resilience, reduce stress and enhance mental wellbeing.