Rick and his wife Lynette recently spent two weeks volunteering on Kangaroo Island, rolling up damaged fences and listening to local residents. In this blog, he shares his thoughts on the Kangaroo Island crisis, the community and the importance of just listening.

The damage and personal losses are unimaginable

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Rick Hinge

Beyond Blue Ambassador
Former Dairy SA Wellbeing Coordinator

The fire was extinguished when we arrived on Kangaroo Island but we were really shocked by the enormity of the damage: half of the Island almost completely burnt, and a significant area of the other half burnt as well.

It must have felt like the whole island was under threat. We had heard about the size of the fire but when we saw the damage, we were without words. The personal loss was astounding with many houses, sheds woolsheds and fences destroyed. I thought of all the clothes toys, photos, computers, memories favourite spots in the bush creeks, pets… the loss is unimaginable. The native bush was almost completely gone as well, and native animals were in the line of fire.

My wife Lynette and I were on Kangaroo Island to see if we could offer practical and emotional support. We were privileged to stay with a local family who helped us link to surrounding farmers where we helped with various tasks. We noticed an attitude of caring and practical help that you rarely see other than in crisis. Observing these simple acts of caring will remain with us forever. People were dealing with their great losses differently. Mostly what we saw was a desire to get some basics fixed. The dead livestock had all been disposed of before we arrived. People who had lost homes had found accommodation and the generosity of people was amazing. Fencing was of high priority as most of the boundary fences had been damaged, and feed for the surviving stock was urgently needed.

Many people are in planning mode; they’re about fixing stuff but taking time off was difficult. They just wanted to get the next task done: fencing for surviving sheep and cattle and working out where their next dollar was coming from. What do they have to buy so they can start to earning a living again? They had to check on insurance.

We were surprised with the power and phone outages, but the locals seemed to meet the frustration with a minimum of fuss. It was heartbreaking to see property after property destroyed. We witnessed farmers and their partners working away cleaning up the mess or instructing helpers where to go and what to do.

Fatigue must have been intense although the human body has an amazing ability to endure. The Island had experienced several fires through the period from early December, not just the one. Many people had been involved with fighting fires for extended periods. I’m aware that fatigue and grief and loss can disrupt sleeping patterns. We can become less tolerant, make poorer decisions, change our mood, and noise can irritate. My advice is not to get stuck in this state – find the best people you can help you through it.

Along with the generosity of the community and individuals, organisations such as Livestock SA, the Army and Blaze aid RSPCA are taking action in a practical and supportive way.

Listening is so important when we communicate. What people need and what we think others need are often two different things, so our great intentions become just another thing to sort out.

Farmers generally spend most of their time working by themselves or at least with just a few others around. It is wise to remember this whenever you want to meet with men to convey information or hold a public gathering.

Rural men in particular feel uncomfortable revealing their vulnerability in public. They’re more comfortable in their own kitchen or shed or leaning over a gate gazing out into a paddock while talking, and hardly making eye contact. Given the right circumstance I find most men are happy to chat and the best conversations can often be one on one.

For the first week, we pretty much rolled up fences. When fences are burnt, all that’s left is cyclone wire lying on the ground. It has to be rolled up and the area levelled off ready for the new fence. The best part in this job is you can see where you have been, gives a sense of achievement.

We felt happy to do this and it’s surprisingly not as big a chore as you’d expect because you feel like you’re doing something useful in helping people endure a pretty difficult time. You gain a desire to be the most useful you can be.

For me, it’s about building rapport and trust through listening, a safe place for people to talk, a gentle place to exist and showing you can be in the presence of a person when things are uncomfortable. A fair bit is left unsaid and a lot can be conveyed in the silence: no matter what state you’re in, you’re going to be all right.

Sometimes, they may ask me to go and see a mate who’s not doing so well. There is a genuine concern for others amongst country folk. I listen and look for a question that might ease the situation

Unless you’ve been involved in trauma, life pretty much goes on as if nothing happened. It’s your cross to bear, you believe that no one feels it like you do. It’s quite an interesting thing. I can remember going through difficult times and seeing people going about their lives in the street and wondering why aren’t they affected by what has gone on, how can they sleep well with no worries?

Dealing with issues like loss, hardship and feeling like you can’t control things are difficult to negotiate but we all have our own ways to survive it.

But when we get stuck it’s valuable to find someone we trust to chat to sometimes a mate is enough but sometimes we need extra skills to help us deal with stuff.

By Rick Hinge
Beyond Blue Ambassador
Former Dairy SA Wellbeing Coordinator

What helps when you’re suffering?

• If you have a close friend talk often. i.e. phone or visit
• What can I do to make things easier in the moment?
• Walk/exercise
• Do a task with someone you trust.
• Ask for help with the things you are most worried about.
• Massage, Hugs, Acceptance
• Get sleep, it’s sometimes difficult to fall asleep or return to sleep.
• Talk to your GP
• Sit and enjoy your favourite drink
• Use multi levels of support and care through friends/family, GP, Counsellor, Health Worker, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Mindfulness
• Talking with someone you trust, who accepts you as you are, can make a difference.
• Be gentle with yourself.
• Resist making major decisions while unwell.
• Eat a balanced diet

How the carer can help:

• Accept the person without preconceived ideas.
• Resist giving answers, listen
• Know the alternate help that is available
• Deal with the need of the moment, physical/emotional need
• Be sensitive to the length of visit, not too long or short
• Maintain confidentiality
• Your being there often speaks louder than anything you might say.
• Refer them to someone you have trust in, take them if need be.

Rick Hinge is the son of a fifth-generation Mundulla farmer and former Dairy SA Wellbeing Coordinator. He has spent the best part of 10 years listening to rural people and seeing if he can make a difference. He worked with the Tactics for Tight Times program which is supported by the SA Dairy Farmers Association and PIRSA.

Rick creates spaces where people feel comfortable enough to communicate what’s going on and links them to much-needed resources. Opening up can be particularly tricky for rural men. He has worked with the Drought Assistance program, Mind Australia and is an Ambassador for Beyond Blue.

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Fleeing the Cudlee Creek fire with the kids… and bunny ears

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Ellie Hodges

Executive Director of the Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network
Therapeutic Practitioner
Educator, Consultant

When I sat down to write this post I didn’t know what perspective to write it from: a parent who was home with our children on the day of the Cudlee Creek Fire; as a therapist and someone who lives with the after effects of trauma and knows some stuff about recovery and healing; or as someone actively trying to improve how we understand and support people experiencing distress or mental health issues in our state.

The day of the fire was the last work day of the year for us before an interstate family trip that we were leaving for two days later. I was home with our eight-year old and six-year-old (known as Munch and Mister) and an initial very slow, relaxing morning shifted into a higher gear over the course of a couple of hours.

The smell of smoke while putting washing out made me check the SA Alert app and CFS page. These told me that there was a fire in the Hills. Being an over-thinking worrier who likes to have contingency plans for contingency plans, I did some checking of businesses in the Hills to get a sense of how worried others were by the fire and how it was progressing. It seemed like it was being taken very seriously but was still not anything for us to specifically be concerned about. At this stage though I called my husband and suggested he could finish earlier than his already planned early finish just in case so that we were all together.

As time went by, it became clear from information on the apps, the sight of the smoke and our checking in with each other that we needed to have a more serious talk about what our children and I would do. I was still focused on my husband coming home from the city which he thought was probably not the best idea [which I now totally agree with]. He had some intel from a mate’s mate that if the fire continued heading the way it was, the freeway linking our home in the Adelaide Hills and the city could be closed. Top of my mind was being safe together, so the decision was made that Munch, Mister and I would head down to the city.

Fortunately, we had talked to our children in the past about our plan if there ever was a fire.

I asked them to get dressed and pack a backpack each while I grabbed some things. I told them there was a fire in the Hills, and we were going to go and be with Daddy. It was scary to be packing a suitcase of our laptops, hard drives and important documents while the wind howled around the house on an over 40-degree day in catastrophic fire conditions and a fire was coming our way, even when we were not yet in the evacuate red zone of warnings which did come later.

What do you grab when you’re fleeing a bushfire?
Why, three sets of bunny ears of course!

Despite my own internal jitters and uncertainty of whether things would actually be OK, I reassured Munch and Mister that we were safe, that at that stage our house was fine and that we were just going with the plan we have always had which is very proactive, ‘get out early because life is everything and blocking roads later is unhelpful’. Among all of this we let a couple of key family members, all of whom live interstate, know that ‘Yes there is a fire in our part of the Hills, it is nearby but we are OK. We are leaving’.

We headed down the freeway to the city with no real idea what we would do once we got there. What we decided to do first was get some food for lunch. I took our children to my husband so I could attend a meeting and they continued with our Advent Activity of the day which was donating gifts under the Kmart Wishing Tree. Which all seems so random and very calm looking back now, yet this is not what I was feeling at the time.

Once we were reunited in the late afternoon, having no family to rely on but a couple of offers to hang out at friend’s and knowing that a wind change was starting to have an effect on the fire’s progress toward our town, we made the decision to head to the lobby/ground floor café of a Serviced Apartment Complex. We got more food, watched the news on TV, kept checking the apps, Munch and Mister played with an incomplete chess set and we talked about what we would do next.

After a couple of hours, we decided that it was ‘safe’ to head home. So that is what we did. We went home, assured Munch and Mister that we would not return if we did not think it was safe, told them we would be checking the fire status during the night (which we did by setting alarms) and we put them to bed.

Here’s what I learnt from evacuating because of a bushfire threat:

• There is no way to tell what children value or want to have with them when they need to leave home. This was highlighted when halfway down the freeway Mister pulled some things out of his backpack and asked me to look at him. I turned and saw that he had three sets of bunny ears on his head. What?
• That something as simple as a wind change or the ridge line of Hills decides the path of a fire like this one. That once our town was safe, others were not and that our moments of gratitude were other people’s horror
• That social media can be really helpful and equally unhelpful during times of crisis. There were so many reports from seemingly valid sources that landmarks had been damaged or ruined. For example, it was reported Melba’s Chocolate Factory had burned down but this was not true.

Since the Cudlee Creek Fire, and perhaps because our need to listen in and check on fires continued for the next two weeks as we road tripped to Melbourne and back, Mister continued to ask about the fire near home specifically and also about fires generally. After the Cudlee Creek Fire was declared safe, he asked if we could go for a drive and have a look, saying that ‘it’s part of our community so we should know about it’.

We drove around some of the area which I think was a really helpful thing, particularly for him. It gave us a chance to expand the conversation beyond fear, threat, being unsafe and what was lost. It showed how big the fire ground was and, while the devastation was obvious, it also showed everything that was spared by the CFS and the people who banded together to save property and lives (human and animal). Charred black fences and trees stood right next to homes that were still standing. New growth was starting to shoot through the ground in the smallest of ways. The local property owner installing new fence posts. 

I wonder how the communities in the line of the fire are being supported to (re)build, not just the physical environment but the social connections and psychological capacity to keep them moving forward so that the fire is not the sole defining factor of their future?

How does the broader community stay aware enough to learn what we need to learn? How do we collectively and compassionately remember that recovery takes much longer than a month and continues after the media have stopped reporting? How do our services, government, communities and families recognise that the experiences of people directly and indirectly impacted by fire will continue to ebb and flow over time and that support will need to be provided in different ways? How do we get the correct information out there, past the ‘it won’t happen to us’ defence, so that households prepare plans and all residents, including and especially children, know about it?

How do we keep all of this in mind and put things in place to minimise further harm and hurt? I know that the hardest times often begin once people are safe after trauma and when recovery or rebuilding starts to happen, when you have some time to breathe. It can be the place for unravelling and working through while still doing what needs to be done.

People’s lives have been disrupted and will be for some time. How do we look after their mental health and wellbeing without pathologising their responses; creating room for grief and despair, hypervigilance and intrusive memories, weariness at the hurdles and steps needed to get back to ‘normality’, even though it will never be the same again? How do we allow children space to continue to make sense of it without being concerned that they are not coping or are forever affected in a detrimental way?

A few weeks after the fires I was asked if we would continue to stay and live in the Hills. My first and all thoughts since have been, ‘Why wouldn’t we?’ The Hills are our home and we are more ready than ever for any future threat that comes because of the summer that has been. We are not going anywhere.

By Ellie Hodges
Executive Director of the Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network
Therapeutic Practitioner
Educator, Consultant

Ellie Hodges has worked for over 20 years in the community and mental health sectors as a community development lead, therapeutic practitioner, manager, educator, advisor, strategy/policy worker and consultant.

Ellie is the founder and Executive Director of the Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network (LELAN, www.lelan.org.au), which was established in 2017 to amplify the voice, influence and leadership of people with lived experience of distress or mental health issues to drive change. Ellie is an active lived-experience representative, leader and speaker at state and national levels.

She is committed to innovation, social justice, leading together and eating lots of stinky cheese.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

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‘The CFS arrived like avenging angels…’

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Jody Drechsler

Lobethal Resident

December 20, 2019

Walking down to the supermarket, there seemed to be more fire engines and police cars going through the town than usual. We’re used to them because there are often car accidents on the winding roads coming up to Lobethal.

But an hour later, I knew this was different.

My husband Graeme decided to stay in Lobethal given that all the bushfire information told us we should.

But later that day, when we saw fire on the hill over the road and heard a house blow up a couple of streets over from Main Street, solid black smoke pouring into the air, we decided to go to stay with friends who lived further out of Lobethal.

We hadn’t been there long before we all decided to evacuate to Mt Torrens. When we discovered the evacuation centre to be so hot and crowded, we decided not to stay.

The police advised us not to go home, so we headed to Kenton Valley where our friend, Craig, was on his own as his wife Di was in Melbourne. Craig, who has lived on the property all his life, told us that if the wind changed, the fire could come over the ridge in minutes. As he was speaking, the property looked serene and safe.

Around 5pm Graeme and I went into Birdwood to get some dinner. Travelling back to Kenton Valley, we were a little concerned about the thick white smoke. But we had no idea what we were in for.

Craig and Graeme monitored the bushfire from the edge of the property overlooking the valley which was covered in low-hanging, white smoke. I was standing inside the house looking out of the large window, still not too worried. I looked away briefly and when I looked back flames were snaking across the paddocks directly to the house. I realised what a serious situation we were in!

For 45 minutes, Craig and Graeme fought the fire which now surrounded the house on three sides. So close on one side that it was about to set the pine trees alight which would have been the end of the house. It was maybe 20 metres away. I felt like I could touch it.

I heard Graeme yelling for Craig who was fighting the fire on the other side of the house. Then saw them both tearing across to put it out.

They had the hoses pumping bore water and all I could do was wet towels to block smoke coming in, fill water bottles, find wool blankets for protection, and prepare for the worst.

Finally, the CFS arrived like avenging angels and put out most of the flames before they ran out of water. The house was safe.

We stood outside in the roaring wind and watched the fire travelling further across the valley and through the hills. The vineyard across the road was burning. What sounded like rain was simply the sound of a greedy fire devouring everything in its path.

Throughout the night, the boys kept watch as the flames, like a birthday candle that can re-light, kept popping up. I eventually slept what I now realise was the deep sleep of shock.

December 21, 2019

The next morning, with the property now blackened with a firebreak and safe, we left to go home to Lobethal. We travelled through burnt land, saw singed sheep, cattle and alpacas huddled together on the occasional bit of unburnt land.

Trees were still burning on the side of the road and, weirdly, a mighty gum tree was still standing with its base on fire inside. A huge gum tree across the road was being sawn up by volunteers, so we manoeuvred our cars onto the paddocks, and drove through ash several feet thick until we could get back onto the road.

We arrived home to find our house just as we had left it. I was fully expecting it to be gone.

Later that day, we went to Mt Barker to find internet coverage so we could contact family and friends. Each of our phones began to ping with messages. It was so touching that so many people cared for us.

The fire ground map showed Lobethal surrounded by fire. Seeing the losses for myself made it so sadly real.

I am so proud of all the firefighters who, day after day, put themselves at risk, and of my husband Graeme and our dear friend Craig who fought so valiantly. I know, without a shadow of doubt, if we had not gone to Craig’s house, he and Di would have lost their home.

I am so proud of the Hills community who show so much love and support for each other.

I am so glad to be alive.

Christmas Eve

Our family was concerned for us and frightened to come and stay for Christmas. Our daughter was desperate to find accommodation for us all to stay in. In her mind, the fires were still raging.

But for those of us who had seen the worst, there was a strange sense of calm. We didn’t want to leave our community and could think of nothing worse than staying somewhere else. We just wanted to be in our homes and our town where we belonged, spending Christmas with our families.

There were still sirens and fire engines tearing through Main Street every day but they didn’t engender fear, more a sense that we were being looked after. We were safe.

Family who arrived from Melbourne were shocked by what they saw. Trees were still burning and hanging over the roads and some stock was loose. Driving through Woodside and into Lobethal and seeing how close the fire had come to the centre of town, they couldn’t believe we had survived.

I went shopping at our local supermarket and so many of us were walking the aisles in a daze.

One lady said she couldn’t remember what she needed. I said neither could I, even though I had a list in front of me. We laughed.

All through the supermarket, people were sharing their stories. Such a sense of community.

Last report there were 82 houses lost and another just gone in Gumeracha. Hundreds of hectares of crops and land lost and countless numbers of cars and farm equipment gone.

Our daughter has asked several times if we will move back to the plains. Our answer is a definite “no”. Here, we can be seen. Here, we have community. We do not want to return to the anonymity of suburban life where we hardly spoke to our neighbours, or they to us.

This morning the air is full of the song of so many birds that have come in to town to find refuge in the trees. It’s a busy, happy sound. A sound of hope for the future. We’re blessed.

Christmas Day

All of the family arrived from different directions through fire-ravaged countryside.

We weren’t sure that the whole family would turn up on Christmas day. They were coming from interstate, Roxby Downs and the Adelaide plains so we were so happy they did.

It was a wonderful day filled with love and laughter, and happy children.

The sirens were still going and there were still fires burning – but not near us.

Traditionally, our house is covered in lights to support the Lobethal Lights events. We did wonder whether we should turn them off out of respect. The pageant had been cancelled and people were not coming up at night as they usually did, but we decided to keep them going for our grandchildren and the few people who may brave the drive. I don’t know why, but coloured lights bring so much joy to not only me but to so many people. We needed to share the joy.

A small family was standing outside our fence looking at the lights and inflatable Santa. I asked them if they would like their little boy to come in and have his photo taken. They said they would. He was maybe three-years-old and so excited. Our four-year-old granddaughter Mia very kindly offered to be in the photo with him. It was quite funny. They were pretty disappointed that the lights in Lobethal were mostly not on so this was at least a nice memory for them to have.

Daily

All throughout the hills, different parts of the bush are healing. The bright emerald green of new growth that clings to the trunks of trees is wonderful. A testament to how our country can heal.

I still haven’t seen the ponies that used to be in a paddock on the way to Cudlee Creek. I feel things will feel a little more normal if they return. I look each time as we head to Adelaide via that road. I really hope that when that area starts to heal and provide grazing land, they will be back.

3 weeks after the fire

It has amazed me how quickly the fencing is being replaced along the paddocks heading out to Woodside. Burnt stumps are now replaced with lovely fresh posts and wire stretching all the way to the Onkaparinga Valley Road.

The farmers have been watering the land and the feed is returning, so the cattle are back in their paddocks.

One of the dams has been enlarged to maybe three times its size, perhaps to ensure there is more water available should there be another fire.

I have watched the progress of the rebuilding of the dam. There is something that appeals to me about its smooth walls. It seems like one minute it looked like just a road. The next that road turned into a smooth, high slope which will contain a much larger amount of water. I look at it each time we come home, waiting for the other side to be completed.

I guess all these things give me confidence that life is moving on. I know there is a lot of healing to do for people though and that is going to take a long time.

4 weeks later

Sadly, the fire and the damage it has caused seem harder to accept.

I look up a driveway that was once lined with majestic trees and now all I see are blackened stumps of the trees that have had to be removed. I realised the two-storey house is gone and the gardens destroyed. 

Many of the houses on the outskirts of Lobethal were hidden by huge trees and shrubs and now as the dead trees are removed we can see that so many didn’t escape the fire.

The burnt houses are slowly subsiding into the ground. The metal roofs collapse a little more each day. One house that I thought was intact because the outside is still standing is in actual fact a shell. If you look through the front door you can see that the house is burnt out and empty. The people there had a strawberry farm and also a rustic pizza café. It’s all gone.

The man who owned property near the strawberry farm had created a bit of a tourist attraction with his quirky fitting of the backs of cars to his big shed – they looked like someone had driven straight into the wall. That shed and the house near it surrender a little more each day to the weight of the collapsing roof.

The paddocks are healing and what was a soft merging of colours is very quickly turning into green. The animals are grazing again. Then my eye catches a burnt-out tractor or a huge blackened stump of a tree and my breath catches in my throat.

One of my friends was quite distressed by the fact that the colours are merging. When I asked ‘but surely that is a good thing?’, she said, “No, it’s as though nothing has happened!” I think she’s upset because we don’t want people to think it’s all over and everything is fine. The new green covering the burnt out land is like a bandage covering a sore. The sore is still there, underneath.

On a more positive note, there a number of agencies working to help the Hills people.

In Lobethal at the Wool Shed, people can go and get some really good advice and practical help. Further up the road there is an unused shop full of goods for people who need them. We see army trucks and army personnel around the area who are also working with people to get their properties back into shape.

So while this has been a traumatic time for so many of us it has brought with it a stronger sense of community, caring and love. Healing is in progress and there is hope for the future. People in big and small ways are making a difference to those in need. There is a long way to go but the grit and determination of the hills people will not be beaten down. We will heal and move on.

What I want the decision makers to know

• Financial help is moving too slowly
• Too much red tape in accessing funds and paperwork is complicated and overwhelming for people who need to access it.
• People want to know where all the money is that has been raised through various groups and concerts etc.
• There needs to be a softer approach to helping people access support. Even though there is some good advice available, people have found it daunting to be pounced on by three people at once when going to the Woolshed for help only to find in many cases they may not meet the criteria.
• Most Australians will not seek help for their mental health until they break. There will be an ongoing need for counselling. Their needs may grow, rather than diminish. How is the government going to provide ongoing mental health support?

By Jody Drechsler
Lobethal Resident

Jody Drechsler is Information Coordinator at the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, a mother of four and grandmother to 11. She and her husband Graeme have lived in Lobethal for eight years, following a “Hills change”. She loves the sense of community there and says “we’ve made more friends in the past eight years than we did in the last 20.”

Jody says she and Graeme will never move back to the plains: “This is our forever place.”

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

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VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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“I don’t know how you do what you do.”

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Mary Brooksbank

Chair, GriefLink Management Committee

During the past 20 years of my medical career, I was privileged to work as a palliative care specialist at a time when palliative care was just beginning to be seen as a special part of our health system.

It was a significant detour from my previous work as a surgeon, but proved to be an immensely rewarding one.

Colleagues were puzzled that someone could work in this field. “Isn’t it depressing?” or “I don’t know how you do what you do” were common comments. But in supporting someone through a terminal illness, helping them live as fully and comfortably as possible, I met so many amazing people – patients, families and the professional team I worked with. It was truly an enriching experience. And although when death came it was sad, and the grief of family and friends was profound, that’s not the same as “depressing”.

Among the things that did cause me great sadness, however, were stories patients told of friends, even family members, who broke off contact during their illness, crossing to the other side of the street to avoid having to speak to them. That people might be so fearful or not know what to say that they abandoned their old friend now they were ill seemed almost unbearable.

Since I retired and have been working with the GriefLink committee, I realise that this ‘avoidance’ can also apply after death for the person who has lost someone. They, too, may be shunned, particularly if the cause of the death of their loved one was something uncomfortable to talk about, such as suicide perhaps.

Of course, that doesn’t apply for everyone. There are many, many amazing people in our community doing wonderful work, often unrecognised, to help support people through unimaginable losses, such as the death of a child, a sudden accidental death, or death through suicide.

There are the family and friends who rally around with practical support, such as cooking, shopping, gardening etc and most importantly taking the time to listen to the person who is grieving when what they need most is to talk and feel heard.

Grief will touch almost all of us at some time in our lives. But because so many in our community are living longer lives, the death of someone we love may come as a shock, something we have never encountered before. And the grief that follows may be unfamiliar. And that’s where GriefLink can help.

The web site https://grieflink.org.au was set up 20 years ago to provide information about what grief can feel like, to offer pointers on coping with your loss https://grieflink.org.au/coping-with-grief, and to offer guidance to those around you as they support you in your grief https://grieflink.org.au/supporting-the-bereaved.

There is no one way and no set time for grief but most people, with the help of loving family and friends, can gradually rebuild their lives without the person who died. But if you are wondering whether other people are going through similar experiences, or if things aren’t going well, if you are alone, or if your grief is overwhelming, GriefLink offers links to support groups who may be able to help in your particular loss and provides links to emergency contacts and resources.

Grief can be difficult and complex and some people will need expert guidance and help to get their life back on track. But for most people, they will gradually find the resources to cope, within themselves and with the help of the people around them.

As a community, and as individuals, we all need to realise how powerful simple kindness can be – in our workplace, in the street, and with our families and friends.

Depending on the situation, a smile, using the R U O K approach, taking time to stop and listen to a story, offering a cup of tea perhaps, are important ways to ‘be there’ for someone, and show that a life of connection can go on.

It’s really not rocket science.

By Mary Brooksbank AM, MB BS, FRACS, FAChPM
Chair, GriefLink Management Committee
www.grieflink.org.au

Mary Brooksbank has worked in medicine for 40 years, including as a General Surgeon, specialising in burns surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Birmingham Accident Hospital. Mary was also the Director of the Palliative Care Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, and Medical Director, Mary Potter Hospice, Calvary Hospital. She retired in 2009 but continues her role as the Chair, GriefLink Management Committee.

Mary is a mother of three, an historian, computer software engineer and a sociologist, who has lived in the UK, Canada, US and Sweden. She is a keen hiker particularly in Japan.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

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Our mental health is what makes us human

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Professor Sharon Lawn

SA Mental Health Commissioner

Everywhere I look, I see people going about their day; whether it’s on the train or in the throng of traffic, at the local shops or heading to school.

And I often wonder about the many thoughts that each person I pass carries along with them, the memories, the worries, the aspirations that they hold.

After all, our experiences and thoughts about where and how we fit in the bigger scheme of things, our place in our families and communities are important; they are what make us human, and they are powerful influencers of our mental health and wellbeing.

As part of beginning my role as a Mental Health Commissioner, I’m keen to be part of the collective effort to make South Australia an even better place to live for each and all of its citizens. In particular, I’m committed to helping to build a more inclusive community; one in which we know we are getting things right because the lives of even our most marginalised community members are better, and where we respect and value the diversity.

Just last week, for example, I was walking to my new office at the Commission; it was a typical busy morning in the city, full of colour and movement. As the crowd of pedestrians moved along, a man who appeared to be homeless sat singing loudly at a bus-stop. As I watched, I saw some people look away, others pick up speed as they walked past, some laugh or talk under their breath; I said ‘Good morning’ and thanked him for his song. We are, after all, in this life together, and everyone’s wellbeing is important. We hold many reciprocal relationships and responsibilities to each other.

Growing up in a rural Riverland community, I’ve seen what people can do to build wellbeing by coming together to serve and support each other. I credit much of how I now think and act from that experience, particularly my sense of duty, responsibility to others, care, and the protection of human rights.

On the family fruit block, we all pitched in; everyone’s contribution was important and valued, literally! There was work to be done. My father put me on a tractor at the age of five and told me to drive; it gave me a sense of knowing that most things are possible, that you just give things a go and mistakes are OK (just do what you can to learn from them).

Much of the qualities evident in the community arose from the efforts of service clubs like the Lions and CWA (Country Women’s Association), the local sports clubs: ordinary people coming together to build better communities.

More recently, through the experience of my parents aging and mother passing away, I’ve witnessed how much can be achieved with sheer people power, as the community looks out for my father and supports him, and how he continues to serve with other locals on community projects.

So I would ask you to take a moment in each day to stop and take stock of your place in your community.

Look to those around you and think about what helps you find your place and how you can help others to do so too.

By Professor Sharon Lawn
SA Mental Health Commissioner

Professor Sharon Lawn comes to the Commissioner role with many experiences and expertise in mental health and wellbeing. Her own lived experience guides her involvement in local and national mental health consumer and carer advocacy. For many years, Sharon was a social worker involved in the delivery of healthcare services in the mental health system. This experience underpinned her role as a researcher over many years, as she focused on healthcare systems, how people experience them, and how they treat each other in those systems. Sharon’s priorities for 2020 and beyond are to help create a more inclusive South Australian community.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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People are the experts in their own lives

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
David Kelly

SA Mental Health Commissioner

I was thinking about what I would write in my first blog as Mental Health Commissioner as I walked across the sand towards the ocean. I swim every morning – it gets me moving and sets me up for the day.

Of course it’s different in winter. The water is freezing and the first few strokes take my breath away, but after a couple of minutes the blood begins to flow, the endorphins kick in and I feel completely alive.

Today the sun is out and I know how lucky I am to live in this beautiful part of the world. Starting a new role is always a good time to reflect upon the past and consider opportunities for the future. So I swim south – parallel to the shoreline – and I reflect upon my life and my work and what I have learnt along the way.

Over the past four decades I’ve worked with young people who have been made homeless as a result of family violence and sexual abuse. I’ve worked with families who were excluded from decent housing, education, employment and services because they happened to have the wrong postcode. I have witnessed the impact of trauma and seen its effects echo through families and communities across generations. I’ve worked alongside people who refused to be defined by their illness, disability, or frailty and who have fought against service systems that don’t want to listen and don’t seem to care.

I am not a clinician, but I have learnt about ways to support people to improve their mental health and wellbeing. It always starts with relationships and a willingness to listen and learn. All communities have their own wisdom and people are the experts in their own lives. We will always end up with better services and programs when the people who use them are involved in their design and implementation.

But it’s not always about more services. Often, it’s about a sense of purpose, positive relationships, meaningful goals, access to the right support at the right time. Time and time again, these are the things that people speak of and value.

While each person’s experience is unique, I believe that poor mental health is socially determined and that the burden of mental illness falls most heavily on those from our most disadvantaged communities. These are complex issues that don’t respond to simple solutions – they need to be addressed at both personal and structural levels. The most successful programs adopt ecological change perspectives and balance evidence-based strategies that build upon individual strengths with a focus on systemic change.

I reach the halfway mark of my swim and turn back towards my starting point.

The rhythm of my stroke, of my breathing, is measured and relaxed. This is not a race, it’s a routine that I have practised every day for almost twenty years.

I dry off on the beach, head up to my car and I feel ready to begin my working day.

By David Kelly
SA Mental Health Commissioner

David Kelly is an experienced program manager, service designer and community researcher with a 30-year commitment to working with disadvantaged and vulnerable communities to improve wellbeing and build resilience. He believes that communities change for the better when citizens of all ages are empowered as active and creative participants in community development processes rather than passive consumers of services.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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Listening to Understand

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Heather Nowak

SA Mental Health Commissioner

We all have lived experience of something, whether it’s a school experience, parenting, work or even a sporting experience. Some experiences are positive and some might highlight a mistake we’ve made or an oversight. Much of the time we are eager to share our experience with others.

People who have experienced living with mental illness are sometimes keen to share what they have learned and to advocate for services that might assist others. Sadly, though for many, the experience itself or the fear of being stigmatised and discriminated against holds them silent.

I have experienced both. The advocate in me wanted to share my experiences at a local, state and national level to ensure that people were provided with better services and assisted to be the best they can be.

On the other hand, there was the more vulnerable side of me that I was not prepared to share. As I look back, I remember attending a conference many years ago and the speaker talked about trauma as a human experience, and the recovery that comes from working alongside peers with similar experiences. This is what we are seeing now with the bushfires, the coming together in shared grief. Being with another, looking at what is helpful was a turning point for me in my recovery journey. I was inspired to become a peer worker and to ensure that peer workers were embedded across all facets of the mental health system. However, despite the rhetoric, peer work today is quite misunderstood.

I’ve noticed that, throughout history, we have seen people make decisions for others based on a judgement of what they believe is in the person’s best interest. Decisions based on values learned in childhood, knowledge gained from education, lessons learned from life, professional values along with the bias we bring from the race or class we have grown up in. As I reflect upon my own lived experience, decisions were made for me by others far too often, many of which have had long term detrimental effects.

I have learned over many years, that listening to people without judgement is indeed a difficult skill. It required putting aside my opinions along with constant reflection and growth. Being a peer worker has allowed me to connect to people with similar experiences and has enabled me to see the person, beyond the diagnosis, beyond judgement with a life that has potential to be the best it can be.

It is much like comparing sympathy and empathy. We can be sympathetic to someone’s needs. We can connect to having had a similar experience, but can still hold judgement by putting forward suggestions based on our own experience. For example, “I understand that this is hard for you, but I know that …might be helpful. Upon reflection, people were often sympathetic towards me during my illness, they would feel sorry for me, but they still made decisions based on what they thought was best for me. They judged whether I was trying hard enough, labelled and categorised me. This often did more harm than good from my perspective.

Empathy on the other hand is about putting aside all judgement. Ditching everything we know and connecting only to a feeling. The feeling of being human and being able to be with another in situations that can feel very uncomfortable.

I am guided in the work that I do in peer work, advocacy and the Commissioner role by the feeling of being human, putting aside my vulnerabilities and taking time and being willing to put the other person first. I believe that the best approach to mental health services and supports is to be with someone, connect to what it might feel like, to be free of judgement and truly listen.

I feel very privileged to be appointed as a Mental Health Commissioner.

My focus will be on listening, connecting with the experiences of others, and hearing from people affected by mental illness about what is helpful and what works for them. This will provide advice and guidance and steer us in the right direction of where we need to go to assist individuals, not only within mental health services but within whole communities.

By Heather Nowak
SA Mental Health Commissioner

Heather Nowak has been a consumer of mental health services for the past 35 years and has experienced many of the difficulties faced by people in metropolitan and particularly regional areas. She is passionate about using her lived experience to ensure better planning, design and delivery of services to improve people’s recovery.

Heather is a National Peer Champion and has been a Peer Worker in the Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) program in Adelaide and in the South-East. She helped develop the National Qualification for Peer Workers and assisted in co-designing the resources for Certificate IV Mental Health Peer Work, which she currently delivers at TAFE SA.

Heather is a member of the National Consumer and Carer Forum and is a member of the Beyond Blue Speakers Bureau and Blue Voices.

In 2011, she was awarded the Dr Margaret Tobin Award, for outstanding contribution to improvements for people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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Let’s not wait for people to reach out in tough times… let’s reach in

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Joe Williams

Professional sportsman, Boxing champion, Published author

My name is Joe Williams and I am a Wiradjuri/Wolgalu man. I was born in Cowra into a loving and caring family.

I can honestly say that during my upbringing – although not perfect and with not a great deal financially – I was always loved, looked after and put on a good path. 

My journey with mental illness and mental health struggles has been quite public, which I am now grateful for; because if it were still in the dark, I may not be here to write these very words.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an NRL (National Rugby League) player, just like my Dad before me. Showing a bit of promise as a young player, I was signed by the Sydney Roosters at the age of 13 to a scholarship contract by the great Arthur Beetson. 

Things were going fantastic. My life was on the path I always hoped for, until around the same age, I was on the end of a serious concussion that left me unconscious. On the back of that concussion, I started a conversation in my head; a dialogue that began to second guess and question every decision I made. It said I was worthless, that I didn’t deserve to be alive and it planted ideas of suicide in my head every single day.

This dialogue got worse over time and although I was using substances to quieten the inner demon, those substances of alcohol and drugs soon became a problem too. I didn’t like drinking, or drug taking, but it was the only thing that kept my mind quiet.

I realised that wasn’t the answer and I walked away from a life of alcohol and drugs. 

I also walked away from the NRL, walked into a boxing ring and began a journey of not only boxing, but building resilience and mental strength. To this day, I still attribute boxing to my mental resilience. As a professional boxer, I had a career of 12 wins, 3 losses and one draw. Without doubt, boxing helped me to fight outside the ring, even more than inside it.

Fast forward a few years, a rugby league career, boxing career, failed relationships and separation from children, I made an attempt to end my life. 

I am so very thankful that I survived what was the toughest day of my life.

In my recovery, I realised one thing, I was so grateful to be alive but I also I needed to do some work on myself and prioritise my wellbeing.

From that day forth, I made a promise to myself that every day I open my eyes, I’m going to make a positive impact on someone else’s life and help those who are in the silent struggle and to work hard physically and emotionally on myself.

I have dedicated my life to helping others and, through helping others, my organisation The Enemy Within was born.

In my work with The Enemy Within, I have been fortunate enough to deliver to over 150 communities in the past five years, in Australia, NZ & 55 states across USA. 

I don’t tell you this to brag; I tell you this because I am keeping that promise I made to myself, to help those in need who are struggling in silence.

First Nations people have one of the highest rates of suicide in the world but we aren’t dying from mental illness; we’re struggling to navigate our way through the generational trauma that we are born into, and in many cases acting out behaviours as a result of trauma.

I work in communities with individuals and organisations, to better identify trauma, and put in place structures and practices to help heal trauma. 

The Enemy Within is dedicated to connecting with communities to alleviate mental, emotional and spiritual distress by connecting to our core values: Learning to live with more Love, Care, Respect, Humility and Compassion in our lives

I am extremely lucky to be a man who has been involved in and had a professional sporting career for some 15 years, both NRL & Boxing, but being a Dad to five beautiful children, two of whom were born post suicide attempt, is without doubt my greatest gift and achievement all in one.

In finishing, let’s not wait for people to reach out in tough times; it’s too hard. Let’s reach in by showing more attention to each other, interacting and connecting more with every person in our circle, every single day.

By Joe Williams
Professional sportsman, Boxing champion, Published author

Joe Williams forged a successful professional sporting career, playing in the National Rugby League before switching to professional boxing in 2009. He is a two-time WBF Work Junior Welterweight champion and winner of the WBC Asia Continental Title. Joe’s personal struggle with mental illness led him to reach out to others and help them deal with adversity and addiction. In 2018, Joe was awarded Suicide Prevention Australia’s highest honour, a LiFE Award for his excellence in community within the suicide prevention sector. In 2019, he became a dual winner of the Australian Mental Health Prize. A published author, Joe’s autobiography is called Defying the Enemy Within.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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Ways to gently navigate Christmas 2019

A Festive Wellbeing Message from SA Mental Health Commissioner Chris Burns CSC & the SAMHC team

Whether you celebrate Christmas, have other festive traditions, or none at all, this time of year can feel stressful.

There may be end-of-year deadlines to meet, kids home on school holidays, the juggle of invitations, present buying or event preparations, or just being surrounded by Christmas marketing (and carols!) that can add to a sense of being overwhelmed.

The pressure to be something we might not feel like being can amplify sensations of loneliness and disconnection. Even the pressure to being joyful and celebratory can magnify feelings of anxiety, alone-ness or grief for some of us.

Please know that if this time of year is tough for you, you are not alone and there are many things we can all do to navigate the season gently.

Set compassionate expectations

Often we have a strong sense or vision of what our festive season ‘should’ be like and this can set us up for disappointment if it doesn’t turn out quite as we would like it to.

Being realistic and kind about what’s possible at this time of year can help us stay grounded, take good care of ourselves and respond to request from others kindly.

• Acknowledge the reality that sometimes things might not go to plan and/or people don’t always behave the way we want them to. This can help us to use our energy to choose how we deal with what is possible rather than waste it on getting frustrated at what isn’t.
• Write a list of what’s necessary for you to stay grounded (such as sleep, exercise, good food, time out – see more ideas in the next section) alongside other commitments such as work or family events, and then finally list the things you would like to do over the festive season.
• Check your list with someone you trust and if there’s too much on it, decide together what things can go, but the things that keep you grounded must stay on the list.

Take good care

At the end of the year, our energy levels can be low and our stress levels high, and calendars can be busy which can add a lot more to our task lists.

Being aware of – and meeting – our own needs (as best we can), helps us negotiate our way through these demands more kindly and realistically.

• Prioritise time every day to do the things that keep you well and happy and soothe your nervous system; such as time alone, cuddling a pet, going for a walk in nature, having a bath, getting to bed early, listening to favourite music, calling a friend, or having a cup of tea in the sunshine – you’ve probably already listed many in your expectation list above.
• On days we are likely to need a bit more care, like Christmas Day, it may help to build in time to do two or three extra nourishing activities. This can be as simple as pausing to take three deep breaths: inhale, exhale, repeat.
• Take a moment here and there to slow down. We can mindfully slow down our breathing, our talking, and even how fast we walk if we notice feeling rushed or stressed. With this being a frantic time of year for many people, engaging in simple steps to slow down will help give us moments of pause and rest.

Give wisely

The demands that are made of us at this time of year can often be unrealistic and may expect us to give more time, energy and money than is possible or comfortable for us.

Financial strain can play a big part in experiencing stress around Christmas time. The chaos of shopping centres, crowds and trying to find the right gift for people can be exhausting.

• Practise sitting with the discomfort of saying “no” and offer only what you can.
• Consider giving a more meaningful present that does not necessarily involve spending a lot of money. For example, baking some treats, potting a plant, printing some photos of special memories, or gifting an experience can be lovely ways to give without needing to set foot into the shops!
• Resist the temptation to be generous beyond your means.
• Offer your presence with people in our community who may be lonely or in need over the festive season. Check in with your council or other community organisations in your local area about how you might be able to help.

Have a plan for Christmas Day

Relationships within families can be messy and complicated and these tensions can sometimes be amplified during the festive season.

A day of family gatherings can sometimes be tough to negotiate! Focusing on qualities that we do enjoy and appreciate about our families can help us defuse family conflict. Planned time out can also help.

• Consider giving yourself permission to shorten your stay at events, limit contact with people who you don’t feel emotionally safe around, or avoid attending these gatherings all together if that is what is best for you.
• If you find the socialising gets too much (but you aren’t able to leave) take a break and head outside if you can to find a quiet spot to relax and breathe slowly*.
• If you’re on your own, celebrate your wonderfulness and do something special in your own fine company – perhaps filling your day with all the things you love to do.
• If you’d rather not be alone, organise a time to catch up with a friend or on the phone, or consider volunteering and find out if there is a local organisation or charity that you could help out at.
• Negotiate beforehand a time to check-in with a friend for a chat if you need. If it turns out you don’t need to chat about the day, you can still send a text of well wishes to your friend and thank them for being willing to be there for you.

*Know that it can take on average between 20–60 minutes for our bodies to calm down after challenging situations like an argument, disagreement or unpleasant experience and that this time extends the longer the situation continues. A simple way to calm and regroup is to get away from the situation: leave the room, go outside (then you get the double wellbeing benefit of being in nature) and pay close attention to your feet and sensing into how they feel on the ground. Another way is to check in with your senses by naming 5 things you can feel, see, smell or touch. Give yourself permission not to return to the function until you feel calm again.

Remembering

This time of the year can be really difficult for those of us who have lost a loved one.

If there is someone missing from our tables, we can take time to feel sad and remember the person we loved. Taking time to acknowledge both how tough it can be to miss someone and how special it can be to remember and appreciate their presence in our lives, even if they are no longer with us, we can

• share memories of them with others,
• visit their resting or another special place
• write them a letter.

If things get really tough

Even with the best planning and intentions, this time of year can get the better of us. If you find you are needing some extra support over the Festive Season and someone to talk to, the following services might be of help:

• Lifeline – you can call 13 11 64 (24 hours), text or webchat (6pm -12am) or access resources online at 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au
• Lived Experience Telephone Support Service – you can call 1800 013 755 or webcat (5pm – 11.30pm) letss.org.au

We wish you a safe, happy and restful Festive Season and a kind and self-compassionate transition into 2020.

By SA Mental Health Commissioner Chris Burns CSC and the SAMHC Team. With special thanks to SAMHC Principal Project Officer, Community Engagement, Emma Willoughby for her thoughtful words and wisdom.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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Trauma affects each one of us differently

SAMHC Featured Blogger:
Dr Cathy Kezelman AM

Medical Practitioner
President of Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma

Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Blue Knot Day on Monday 28th October.

On Blue Knot Day, Australians are encouraged to unite in support of the more than 1 in 4 Australian adults with a lived experience of complex trauma. This year our themes are empowerment, recovery and resilience.

Complex trauma refers to repeated often extreme interpersonal trauma often from childhood – abuse, neglect, violence, but also experienced as an adult, or both. It includes child sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, growing up with domestic violence and growing up with a parent or carer who has their own unresolved trauma such as with a mental illness or an addiction. In adulthood it can occur as a result of domestic and family violence and refugee and war trauma.

This year we are drawing attention to the public health crisis of complex trauma. Not only is it common but people affected often experience a range of often challenging cumulative impacts.

Over 5 million Australian adults are affected and many of these people experience mental distress and are diagnosed with mental health issues.

As two thirds of people presenting to public and private mental health services have experienced sexual and physical abuse, it is critical for the complex trauma which underlies presentations to be identified, acknowledged and appropriately addressed.

We are all individuals, and trauma affects each one of us differently. That said, all of us, under threat or when harmed, have biological responses known as the ‘fight, flight and freeze’ response.

When this happens a lot, as it does for complex trauma survivors, our nervous systems can stay on high alert, anticipating the next danger, or shutting down, or going between both states of arousal.

We can be triggered by what may seem minor events or cues which other people might not identify. We now know that for many survivors, trauma is stored in the body, with flashbacks and body memories throwing us back into the past at a moment’s notice. This can be disarming for those affected as well as for those supporting them.

Many survivors also struggle to manage often strong emotions, as well as their own sense of self-worth and identity. Feelings of deep shame and struggles to feel safe and trust are common too and make a lot of sense in the context of repeated danger, betrayal and abuse of power. It can be hard for survivors to develop healthy relationships, with themselves, others and the world, as well as with education and work opportunities.

Research establishes that unresolved complex trauma can significantly affect a person’s mental health and wellbeing.

Survivors experience high rates of anxiety and depression and other mental health issues, and often carry multiple mental health diagnoses at the same time. Survivors experience many ‘symptoms’ but these symptoms are often coping strategies they have adopted to survive such as self-harm, substance misuse and avoidance.

Recognising these strategies, as well as the impacts of complex trauma to inform our support and treatment responses can provide survivors with the best opportunities to heal.

It is important to begin to address complex trauma now, so that we will not be having this same conversation in 10 years’ time and then again in another ten years. Unresolved complex trauma is a devastating public mental health issue which comes at a significant human cost to individuals, families and communities as well as across generations.

To support a trauma-informed response to the growing crisis, Blue Knot Foundation will launch its 2019 Practice Guidelines for Clinical Treatment of Complex Trauma on 31st October, the last day of mental health month.

These guidelines build on Blue Knot’s highly acclaimed 2012 Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery www.blueknot.org.au/guidelines bringing advances in research evidence and best practice.

The research in both sets of guidelines shows that it is possible to heal from even severe early trauma and that, when parents have worked through their trauma, their children do better. But people need good support to help them find their path to recovery, empowerment and resilience.

For more information go to www.blueknot.org.au.

For short term phone counselling, information and support call 1300 657 380 between 9am–5pm, Monday–Sunday #BlueKnotDay #EmpowermentRecoveryResilience

By Dr Cathy Kezelman AM
Medical Practitioner
President of Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma

Dr Cathy Kezelman AM is a medical practitioner, President of Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma.

Cathy has a lived experience of childhood trauma. Under her stewardship, Blue Knot Foundation has grown from a peer support organisation to a national centre of excellence combining a prominent consumer voice with that of researchers, academics and clinicians advocating for socio-political trauma-informed change and informed responsiveness to complex trauma.

SAMHC Featured Bloggers

The SAMHC presents our series of guest featured bloggers who generously share their personal thoughts and experiences of mental health and wellbeing.

VIEW ALL SPECIAL GUEST BLOGS

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