Balranald Shire residents; if you are looking to better understand your own mental health needs, the needs of the people you care about and to be someone in your community who knows what to do when someone asks for help, this training is for you.

A free workshop will be held on March 3 and 4 at the Theatre Royal from 9am to 4pm both days (Monday and Tuesday).

Register your interest to [email protected]

This workshop is free and local and an initiative of Balranald Shire Council’s Strengthening Community Access, Inclusion and Wellbeing Advisory Committee (SCAIWAC).

Funded by the Balranald Shire Council and NSW Office of Responsible Gambling.

One in five Australians aged over 16 years, will experience mental health issues each year, with about forty-five per cent experiencing some degree of mental ill-health at some point in their life.

Mental health and drug and alcohol issues are one of the highest contributors to overall population ill-health. Mental health issues impact not only the person with a lived experience, but also their carers, family members, friends and communities.

People living with severe and enduring mental illness have a lower-than-average life expectancy when compared to the general population, due to co-occurring physical health problems.

The incidence of mental health issues and suicide is higher in some vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people who identify as LGBTIQ+.