Orgyen marked this year’s Mental Health Week with activities aimed at bringing staff, young people and families together to support mental wellbeing.
Mental Health Week is an annual, national event that aims to improve community awareness and interest in mental health.
Orygen’s Parkville site became a hive of activity with a badge-making workshop, vocational expo, physical activity session and family gathering.
Activities were also held across Orygen’s four headspace centres at Craigieburn, Glenroy, Sunshine and Werribee.
Special education teacher at Tranvancore, Lorraine McCallig, said she was delighted by the response to the mental health week events.
“Over two sessions more than 100 people participated either by wearing a green ribbon, having a conversation about wellbeing or completing an activity, Lorraine said.
“It was so nice being in the foyer, it became an inclusive space that involved the whole Orygen community.”
To recognise the importance of the support of family and friends to young people living with mental ill-health, Orygen also hosted an informal family to family afternoon tea in the Orygen café.
“Orygen takes families and friends of our clients very seriously and the families who came to the afternoon tea reflected that,” said Susan Preece, a family peer support worker at Orygen.
“The group shared stories of their struggles and hopes in caring for young people with mental ill-health, and were grateful to meet other families who understood what they were going through,” Ms Preece said.
“We are looking forward to the family-to-family group becoming a regular part of the Orygen calendar.”
A highpoint of the week was the marking of World Mental Health Day, which is recognised each year on 10 October. The goal of the day is to help raise mental health awareness and to encourage people and communities to contribute to ensuring that people dealing with problems concerning mental health can live better lives with dignity.