Welcome to this Christmas eNewsletter Edition The Mental Health Commissioners would like to wish you a peaceful holiday season and hope for the new year. Thank you to the partners, stakeholders and community who have worked with us across the year to support the implementation of the South Australian Mental Health Strategic Plan. We look forward to working with you closely next year. John Mannion, David Kelly and Heather Nowak South Australian Mental Health Commissioners Reflecting on Key Achievements Across the year, the Mental Health Commissioners have worked together with partners and ..read more

Minister Wade today appointed Mr John Mannion as one of the Mental Health Commissioners for South Australia. Mr John Mannion replaces Professor Sharon Lawn who resigned in April 2021 due to personal commitments. Minister Wade said that in seeking a replacement Mental Health Commissioner a leader with a sound knowledge of South Australia’s mental health system, expertise in community mental health services and proven experience in community resilience strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing was sought. Mr Mannion is a registered mental health nurse and has worked in acute and commun ..read more

There is widespread acceptance that the mental health ecosystem is experiencing unsustainable stress and requires fundamental structural change. The COVID pandemic has only served to exacerbate the pressure on an over-stretched system. We know that mental health crises occur and that for some people, accessing acute services through an ED presentation is necessary. We also know that most people living with mental illness or distress report that that this type of hospital response doesn’t provide the compassionate support that they are looking for. We believe that evidence from all quarters inc ..read more

By Commissioner David Kelly Children and young people are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety and depression and the COVID pandemic has exacerbated these issues. Schools that are able to develop a whole of community approach to mental health and wellbeing are in the best position to provide a safe, connected and inclusive environment for all students. The Flexible Learning Options program which has traditionally supported many young people who are struggling with mental health challenges, is about to be decommissioned and the Department of Education is yet to reveal what will take i ..read more

The development of South Australia’s next Suicide Prevention Plan is now underway. Wellbeing SA and the Premier’s Council on Suicide Prevention have invited all South Australians to have their say on what will make a difference in preventing suicide. As commissioners, we encourage you to participate in this significant work which will form the SA Suicide Prevention Plan 2022–2025. It is vitally important that we hear the experiences and wisdom of South Australians – particularly those who have been directly or indirectly impacted by suicide and suicidal distress. This can really help us unde ..read more

22 March 2021 It is with much sadness, and after significant tossing of thoughts and feelings, that I have decided to resign from the position as Lead Mental Health Commissioner for South Australia. My decision comes in the context of the recent increase in my mental health carer responsibilities. I’m sure that many family carers can relate to this circumstance and the often hard decision involved. Please know that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Commissioner role and that this decision has been a very hard one for me to make. I am deeply grateful to have met so many de ..read more

Recent alleged assaults in Adelaide have sparked a massive debate about the challenges and issues faced by our State’s international students when they engage in part-time work. The ongoing vulnerability and exploitation experienced by many international students directly impacts their mental health and wellbeing, as they confront job loss, underpayment, financial hardship and isolation. While the State Government’s International Student Support Package of $13.8m and combined contributions of almost $30m from the three universities have delivered vital emergency relief for SA’s 30,000 i ..read more

We wish you all peace and rest over the Christmas Season 2020 has been a year of challenge for every South Australian. We have experienced bushfires, drought and COVID-19! The collective impact has been huge. Let’s farewell 2020 and hold hope for 2021! On an individual level, however, the impact is unique and varied. Some people have embraced working from home and the opportunity to spend more time with family. For some, it has had life-changing impacts of loss of employment, financial loss, isolation, and loss of hope. Although we are “all in this together”, sadly we have the potent ..read more

Psychological health and wellbeing in the age of COVID-19 On October 13, as part of the celebration of National Safe Work Month, Commissioner David Kelly participated in a webinar hosted by SafeWork SA entitled Psychological health and wellbeing in the age of COVID-19. The webinar focused on practical strategies to address mental health and wellbeing challenges during the pandemic. Commissioner Kelly discussed the need to manage uncertainty during COVID. “In difficult and uncertain times, we are all faced with uncontrollable stressors that cannot be resolved by traditional problem solving ..read more

Mental Health Week 2020: October 10–17 It’s that time of year when we celebrate, reflect upon, debate, and generally enjoy the diversity that mental health brings to our communities. Throughout South Australia, many events will be available either online or with restricted numbers and also made available live. We encourage everyone to explore the programs of events across Adelaide and regional and rural SA. We’ll be out and about and catching up with as many people as possible to hear from you and talk about the importance of mental health. Chat to us during Mental Health week! We look forward ..read more