Mental Health Promotion
Helping people and communities to improve and maintain good mental health at home, at work and in general. Good mental health and wellbeing is everybody’s business; the mental health of each of us affects the mental health of all of us.
Why?
Mental health is more than the absence of illness, it’s about having a degree of mental strength and stability, and knowing how to keep that going. Good mental health is a protective factor against both physical and mental illness and leads to our ability to withstand the knock-backs and struggles of life.
How?
Most of our work is at the group, community and organisation level, using information resources, training sessions, policy assistance and media and events. We also work to reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by those who struggle with psychological distress or mental ill-health.
Wherever possible, the work of Health Action Trust’s Mental Health Promotion Team is done in collaboration with other agencies including local councils, the District Health Board, employers, and NGOs like Age Concern.
Our Mental Health work is funded by the Ministry of Health, which identifies two priority areas for our focus:
Older People
We support older people and their agencies and organisations by raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues and needs, providing support and information to communities and organisations, help with policy planning and resources, and assisting with professional development of the older people’s workforce. A related and increasing focus for us are those people caring for others, often family members in the home.
Workplace Wellbeing
Workplaces and their environments can have a significant positive (or negative) impact on the health and wellbeing of staff, and through them, wider communities. When workplaces foster improved mental health and wellbeing they’re not only supporting and retaining staff, but increasing engagement, job satisfaction and productivity.
There are many workplace wellbeing programmes available regionally and nationally, plus on-line training packages.
Please contact us if you would like any further information on Mental Health Promotion.
Wendy Strawbridge
wendy@healthaction.org.nz
(03) 548 2798 ext 2
