Jasmine, Merryn, and Ryan, participants from Wellways-led services in Victoria, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local and Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC), have found their calling, to work in the sector. Now thanks to a VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council sponsorship, they’re stepping into the national conversation by attending The MHS Learning Network conference in Brisbane on Envisioning 2050: Towards a Better Mental Health System. Jasmine, a recent participant with Mental Health and Wellbeing Local (now a Peer Worker Cadet), who is also a working carer and mother of two young children, said “I’m excited to see where mental health will be in the future, to hear from different voices, and to be part of creating change. This is personal for me. It’s my life.” Inspired by the compassion of a peer worker during his time at YPARC, 24-year-old Ryan, navigating his own journey with autism and OCD — is driven by one big passion: making sure young people feel seen and heard. We’re proud to be supporting these future leaders of Victoria’s mental health sector at TheMHS by sharing their journey, building a stronger workforce, and shaping a system informed by lived experience. (fb)

Denise Watmore, Western NSW Regional Manager at Wellways, is the mother of three adult children, two of whom identify as LGBTQIA+. She is their biggest cheerleader and is the reason why Wear It Purple Day (WIPD) is so close to her heart. “It shows my children that they’re supported and accepted by others and community,” she says. Each year with her team in Dubbo, Denise celebrates important days on the rainbow calendar because she knows that it makes a world of difference and could save a life. Denise reflects on her experiences raising two gay kids, the lack of support services for rainbow youth in regional areas, and why we should be celebrating WIPD in our latest community news piece. Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/41ZsSy3 (fb)