Vote for the 2022 Best Men’s Mental Health Project
Updated July 5, 2022: Voting has now closed for nominees shortlisted for the Best Men’s Mental Health Project in the 2022 Men’s Health Awards, presented by the Australian Men’s Health Forum.
Following a record number of nominations across Australia, these shortlisted candidates were determined by AMHF’s judging panel, who will select a national winner.
A State/Territory winner including all five categories in the 2022 Men’s Health Awards will be selected by “People’s Choice” based on public votes.
The Best Men’s Mental Health Project celebrates work being done offline and online across the men’s health sector. As 1 in 2 men will have a mental disorder in their lifetime and 3 in 4 suicides are male, it is critical to talk about the issues impacting so many men and shine a light on what is being done to improve their mental health and well-being.
Those shortlisted for this category are:
Psychs on Bikes (NSW)
Psychs on Bikes is an organisation of mental health professionals raising awareness of mental health issues in rural and remote communities. The group has a passion for their work in the mental health industry and a desire to reduce the burden of mental illness in rural Australia. They also have a passion for riding motorbikes. Focusing on mental health, Psychs on Bikes visit communities in rural and remote Australia providing support, advice, awareness seminars and free health checks. Since 2011, Psychs on Bikes has delivered more than one thousand one-on-one health checks.
Find out more: https://www.psychsonbikes.com/
Incolink - Bluehats (VIC)
Incolink’s Bluehats Suicide Prevention Program launched in 2018 and was developed in partnership with unions and employers across Victoria and Tasmania. Incolink delivers mental health education via onsite seminars and training of a peer support network. It addresses suffering in silence or, as they say in the industry, “drink a cup of cement and harden up”. They aim to increase general mental health awareness and begin potentially lifesaving conversations.
Incolink has trained over 300 Bluehats who know what signs to look for that someone might be thinking about suicide, and how to ask the right questions. These Bluehats are workers that put their hand up to support the industry, to link up their fellow workmates and help them access the resources and supports they need.
Find out more: https://incolink.org.au/wellbeing-support-services/bluehats
TIACS – This Is A Conversation Starter (QLD)
The TIACS clinical team consists of experienced counsellors and mental health professionals and is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 10pm. Some of the most common reasons men contact TIACS is relationship troubles, family issues, grief and loss, substance use, depression, anxiety and loneliness.
TIACS was established by the founders of the TradeMutt workwear brand, which makes eye-catching workwear designed to start conversations about mental health. To date, TIACS has supported around 8,000 clients with half of first-time callers saying they have never contacted a mental health provider before.
Find out more: https://www.tiacs.org/
M8D8 – Youth Focus (WA)
M8D8 ("mate date") is an initiative created by Youth Focus with support from the very people it’s designed to help: young men. The aim is to tackle isolation and loneliness by taking a mate on a date on May 8 and having a meaningful conversation. M8D8 is about helping young people change each other’s lives by creating a generation of better listeners.
M8D8 launched in 2021 and has quickly captivated an engaged audience of young guys on Instagram, where the campaign is predominately promoted (@M8D8_WA) and support resources are shared with young people to help guide their conversations. The initiative also helps young men connect with Youth Focus’s free counselling services.
Find out more: https://youthfocus.com.au/m8d8/
Save Our Mates (SA)
Save Our Mates is an ongoing series of men's nights first piloted in 2015. Developed by Gavin Schuster & Anthony Hart, the concept was born out of their shared desire to change the way rural and remote South Australian Men deal with "health issues of the mind".
Save Our Mates is currently delivering the "Chew The Fat" roadshow that moves from town-to-town in country South Australia, bringing men together and starting vital conversations. The events invite blokes to grab a feed, drink some beer and catch up with mates. At the same time, the events aim to challenge the culture of remaining silent about our "mind health challenges" with the ultimate aim of tackling the high male suicide rates in rural communities.
Each Chew The Fat night is hosted by a local family, in the male-friendly surroundings of a large shed and generally attracts over 100 local blokes.
Find out more: https://www.saveourmates.com.au/
Launceston City Council / Barbers for Life (TAS)
Launceston City Council is the lead organisation for one of the National Suicide Prevention Trial Sites funded by the Federal Government. One of the initiatives it funds is Barbers For Life, a community-led network of barbers who have gathered to help support the community and raise awareness around suicide prevention.
The barbers are given Mental Health First Aid training sponsored by the City of Launceston, to help them support male clients in finding mental health support and providing a safe space for conversation. The Barbers For Life initiative is a set of mental health support tools and resources for the community and barbers to access. To date two businesses (Kingsway Barbershop and Celtic Barber) have signed up and five barbers have been trained. The aim is to assist the barbers of Launceston and beyond to access resources and provide ongoing support to their communities.
Find out more: https://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Community/Projects-and-Initiatives/Barbers-For-Life
Ken Oath Barbershop (ACT)
The Ken Oath barbershop is a Canberra-based mobile service that provides haircuts alongside mental health support to men who wouldn't generally access mainstream services. The mobile shop is the size of a tiny home using coloured steel, salvaged wood pallets and even discarded doors from Old Parliament House. It was creating by barber Sam Dowdall - a trained crisis counsellor known as "The Barter Barber" – who previously spent five years driving around New Zealand offering crisis counselling to people all over the country as he cut their hair.
Now based in Canberra, Sam has worked with groups like This is My Brave, cutting men's hair as they shared their mental health stories. The mobile nature of Sam's services enables him to deliver outreach services at a variety of populations across the ACT and NSW ranging from trades on worksites to NDIS projects for neurodiverse young men.
Find out more: https://kenoathbarbershop.gettimely.com
Goodwood Saints Football Club (SA)
The Goodwood Saints Football Club has run a mental health program called the "Saints Healthy Minds" for the past three years. The project targets past and present players, coaches, and team managers to assist in identifying issues, helping young players to build their mental strength and empower them to speak out.
Coaches, managers and players have been trained in mental health awareness, mental health first aid and mental resilience. In 2021 the club expanded the program, through a code-first Early Assistance Program (EAP) that links players with a MindCare Coach. Players who need further assistance are referred to a psychologist or a GP who can arranged a mental health plan, with the club funding up to five sessions.
Find out more: https://goodwoodsaints.com.au/making-a-difference