Mental Health First Aid Course Hits the Spot

Participants in a Mental Health First Aid Course at Evans Head have praised the course and welcomed the knowledge they’ve gained. Evans Head is part of Healthy North Coast’s Healthy Towns initiative. Mandy Powell, who works in the role of Evans Head Healthy Towns Community Connector, said the two-day course attracted 18 participants and was

Clarence Valley Families Benefit From New Child and Family Wellbeing Hub

Mr Chris Gulaptis MP, Member for Clarence, and Mr Kevin Hogan MP, Member for Page, officially opened a new Child and Family Wellbeing Hub in Grafton on Thursday 4 November. The Hub is being delivered as part of the First 2000 Days Project in Northern NSW. First 2000 Days is a collaboration between Northern NSW

BreastScreen Mobile Van in Byron Bay

The BreastScreen NSW mobile unit will be returning to Byron Bay from 11–30 November 2020. 1 in 7 women living in NSW will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. A screening mammogram offers the best chance of early detection. The screening program is especially recommended for women aged 50 to 74. Book your free mammogram

NAIDOC Week Celebrates History, Culture and Achievement

It’s NAIDOC Week – a time in Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Postponed from its usual month of July due to COVID-19, NAIDOC Week runs from 8-15 November. This year’s theme is ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’. It recognises that First Nations people have occupied

Raising Awareness About Anxiety and Depression Before and After Baby’s Birth

Pregnancy and the first year of parenthood (called the perinatal period) can bring significant changes to a person’s life. If the challenges for expecting and new parents become an overwhelming mental struggle, they may experience perinatal depression or anxiety. Perinatal depression and anxiety affect almost 100,000 Australians each year, equating to one in five expecting and

Online Road Show Takes Indigenous Talent to the World

The creativity of young people in the South West Rocks and Kempsey Aboriginal communities on Dunghutti Country is shining bright. Coinciding with NAIDOC Week 2020 is the culmination of Desert Pea Media’s (DPM) ‘Break It Down North Coast’ Aboriginal youth mental health literacy program. DPM has partnered with the South West Rocks Fig Tree Descendants

Queensland Eases Border Restrictions

The Queensland Government has eased border restrictions related to COVID-19 this week. People from all parts of NSW are now able to enter Queensland, excluding anyone who has been in the 32 Sydney local government areas identified as hotspots in the last 14 days. Border closures to Victoria remain in place. As part of this week’s changes,

Drug Warning – Adulterated Cocaine and Ketamine Circulating

Dangerously adulterated batches of the drugs cocaine and ketamine are circulating in Sydney and regional NSW. NSW Health has issued a warning due to fentanyl and acetylfentanyl toxicity in the drugs, which has already caused multiple hospitalisations. Fentanyl is a high potency opioid – up to 100 times stronger than morphine – meaning only a

Don’t Forget Your Cancer Screening, Ladies

Women are being reminded not to forget their regular breast cancer and cervical cancer screening tests during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. If you are due for a regular check-up, you should go to your GP for a cervical screening test and book your breast mammogram. A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report

Free Online Events for Mental Health Awareness

With 20 per cent of Australians aged 16-85 expected to experience mental ill-health in any year, it is vitally important that community awareness is raised about mental health. That’s what the Mental Health Foundation Australia aims to do this month through its national mental health awareness campaign. The campaign theme is Mental Health Matters and

Men’s Surf Therapy Program is Making Waves

Gentlemen of Kingscliff and Lennox Head, if you’ve ever wanted to discover the buzz of surfing, your chance has arrived. The Waves of Wellness and Movember foundations have partnered up to offer six weeks of free learn-to-surf lessons for men aged 16 and up. The lessons will be held at Kingscliff Beach, Kingscliff from Thursday

Kempsey Libraries Hosts Mental Health Chat

Author Kim Hodges and guest Inga Jensen will discuss their lived experience of mental illness during a special live online chat next week. Kempsey Shire Libraries is hosting the event via Zoom on Wednesday 28 October from 4pm – 5:30pm. During the chat, Kim and Inga will talk about destigmatising mental ill-health, mental health during