Australian Red Cross urges psychosocial support for algal bloom victims

New post https://lnkd.in/edtbYQTa on the importance of asking to help and asking for help. Based on reading research paper on Facilitating Collective Psychosocial Resilience. Organisations need to be both strong (asking to help by providing capabilities) and vulnerable (asking for help thru individual capacities).

In rural areas, a dependence on volunteer labor has strained emergency response systems. A new approach to rural community health care is now gaining steam among lawmakers. https://lnkd.in/gQ-bd5dx

AMHACI #Aricanmentalhealthawarenessandcareinitiative are currently working in yobe state, partnering with YSPHCMD in -capacity strengthen _training health workers,NGO's and government staffs on WHO recommended MHPSS intervention, -integratation of mental health and psychosocial support in primary health care and other sectors _Community base intervention promoting evidence based mental health and psychosocial intervention to crisis affected populations - Research, monitoring and advocacy on mental health inclusion -Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian and development settings.

20,000 young Australians have now been supported by MOST, Orygen Digital's free mental health service for people aged 12 to 25! We're so grateful to everyone who's made this milestone possible – from funders including federal and state governments and the Telstra Foundation, who ensure the service is free and accessible, to our clinical, service and Primary Health Network partners, and most of all, to each of these 20,000 young people and their families for their trust. More: https://bit.ly/4hdG5Kl

Blue Light Together is a free mental health and wellbeing platform for all emergency service workers, volunteers and their friends and family. The project was launched by The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in collaboration with The Blue Light Card Foundation after research by King's College London and The Open University, revealed a critical need to enhance access to mental health and wellbeing support for the blue light community. Since its launch, they’ve partnered with a number of organisations within the sector to provide a range of accessible resources tailored specifically for Blue Light workers and volunteers, recognising the unique mental health challenges faced by the emergency responder community in the UK. Use the button below to access their free resources. https://bit.ly/4mpzKNV #mentalhealth #mentalhealthsupport #policeofficers #police #emergencyservices

In the recently published study, Community-driven mental health priorities for immigrant youth in Alberta, researchers partnered with nonprofits and community organizations. Read the study here: https://bit.ly/47QDwto The collaboration from Syeda Farwa Naqvi, Mungunzul Amarbayan, Gina Dimitropoulos, Jennifer Zwicker, and Maria Jose Santana brought insights from the medical, social work, and public policy fields together. #newcomer #immigrant #mentalhealth #research #wellbeing #communitywellbeing

Bessinger calls for stronger collaboration to improve psychosocial support services: Bessinger calls for stronger collaboration to improve psychosocial support services NBC Online Mon, 10/20/2025 - 15:57 https://lnkd.in/dKR6r-5B #MentalHealth #PsychosocialSupport #Collaboration #ChildProtection #CommunitySupport

What happens when you embed housing expertise in mental health care? The infographic below highlights what can be achieved when the NHS works with specialist housing officers. Since launching, SPFT's integrated Housing Specialist Service has supported more than 800 people facing homelessness or housing crises to navigate complex housing and health systems. The evaluation (completed as a postgraduate study sponsored by the SPFT and the University of Stirling) identified several benefits that housing interventions can bring to people using mental health services and staff. The evaluation won the national Ben Pattison prize for it’s originality, rigour, and contribution to advancing housing scholarship. Thanks to Chris Harris and team for developing this best practice. We hope other Trusts will follow.

Stable housing is the single strongest predictor of improved health outcomes for people with complex mental health and addictions — more impactful and significantly more cost effective than many medical interventions. Supportive housing costs approximately $72 per day, compared to $330 for a shelter bed and $750 for a hospital bed — a clear return on investment for Ontario’s health system (Addictions and Mental Health Ontario) This week, leaders from CommunitiCare Health (CCH), and CAMH came together to tour potential housing sites and reaffirm a shared commitment — ensuring that individuals facing complex mental health challenges have access to safe housing, compassionate care, and the dignity they deserve. For nearly twenty years, CCH and CAMH have partnered to provide wrap-around supports to nearly 100 community members across West Toronto, helping them live safely and with stability. Our continued collaboration — across health, community, and the private housing sector — reminds us that meaningful impact happens when we work together with a shared vision: health and housing for all. #CommunityHealth #Partnership #MentalHealth #HousingFirst #Collaboration #HealthEquity #WestToronto

I’ve avoided discussing this publicly before, but as someone who deeply believes in and advocates for harm reduction, I think it’s important to acknowledge the conversations happening in Manitoba right now about ways to respond to acute crises among people experiencing severe drug-related psychosis, who may be a danger to themselves or others. Safe options in Winnipeg are extremely limited. Hospitals are overburdened and often cannot provide the extended, specialized support that people in crisis need. Existing facilities, like the Intensive Program for Treatment of Alcohol (IPTA), primarily focus on alcohol-related needs and are not equipped to manage severe meth-related psychosis or provide trauma-informed ongoing care. Shelters play a vital role in offering safe spaces and immediate support, but they lack the funding, resources, and specialized medical staff to meet complex co-occurring substance use and mental health needs. Even when someone is a danger to themselves or others, shelters cannot legally keep them. Supporting people in this situation is complex. There are many biological, psychological, and social factors to consider—including what happens in the brain during intoxication, the timeframes needed to safely stabilize, the risks after someone comes down, and the ways interventions affect both public safety and individual dignity. This highlights the need for approaches grounded in care, not punishment. We are fortunate to have a wealth of experience and knowledge in our community—from frontline service providers in the homeless sector who have been offering care for people in crisis for years, to professionals who understand the science of how substances affect the brain and the timeframes that matter, to people with lived experience and those who use substances themselves. All of these voices—science, lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, and frontline expertise—must be brought together at the table. Decisions need to be informed by experience, expertise, evidence, and cultural knowledge, with safety, dignity, and well-being at the forefront. Any system we create must focus on care, not punishment—support, not detention. By drawing on the collective knowledge and wisdom within our community—and approaching this work with compassion, respect, and a trauma-informed, harm-reduction lens—we can provide meaningful support for people in crisis. The core intent must always be clear: to keep our most marginalized community members—our relatives—safe, supported, and treated with dignity. Their well-being must guide every decision we make. #HarmReduction #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealth #LivedExperience #FrontlineVoices #CommunityCare #SafeSpaces