Glove Box Guide to Mental Health (The Land)
NSW Farmers launch Glove Box Guide to Mental Health
NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson has launched a new Glove Box Guide to Mental Health at the association's head office in St Leonards.
"The Glove Box Guide is a great initiative for getting the word around on what assistance is out there for people in rural and regional areas," Ms Simson said.
"That's why NSW Farmers is a proud sponsor of the guide.
"The latest research from the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health tells us that while rural and remote Australia faces a range of barriers to mental health care, attitudinal barriers are the most significant."
The Glove Box Guide was launched at a NSW Rural Mental Health Network meeting, which brought together a range of agencies and organisations to discuss mental health initiatives and better ways of working together.
"The issue of isolation in particular was raised by the NSW Rural Mental Health Network who noted the importance of the right type of help being available in the right geographical location as well as at the right time," Ms Simson said. "This is part of the reason why NSW Farmers is calling on the government to reinstate maps highlighting drought-affected areas."
"These maps would help agencies who have been funded to provide services as a result of the drought to effectively allocate their resources to the areas most in need."
"Without simple tools such as a map of areas in and out of drought, health care providers are relying on anecdotal evidence rather than fact to allocate their resources.
"Recognition of a problem is often a difficult first step. However, the more effectively agencies can allocate their resources to those in need the more likely those in need will accept help."
To read the full story by Narromine News, 8 October 2014.
The 6th Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Symposium theme, The Practitioner’s Voice, seeks to give voice to practitioners who are faced with these challenges on a regular basis. Be a part of the discussion by registering for the symposium to be held 12-14 November 2014 at the Commercial Club Albury.
