Finding their tribe

PARTICIPANTS of Ballarat Community Health’s Voices for Change attended their graduation ceremony on Tuesday, December 11.

The pilot initiative has run for 12 months, building a peer-support network of people who have experienced and been affected by health and social issues.

As part of the trial, participants have codesigned the way VFC will run for future groups so people can best reconnect and seek help.

Tash Fraser graduated from the program last week. Having lived with depression and disordered eating, she “always wanted to reach out to other teenagers going through the same things.”

She is grateful BCH has created a safe space where anybody suffering and feeling alone feels less isolated and they can “find their tribe.

“You feel like there’s something wrong with you and just getting rid of the stigma associated with it by us sharing our stories…it takes away some of that.”

Another VFC graduate, Leanne Stork lost her “loving but abusive alcoholic father,” and her “wonderful” brother and stepfather to suicide.

Her mother suffers schizophrenia and her son has battled drug addiction following the suicide of his best mate, but Ms Stork said there is “always hope.

“Time makes it easier to then come forward and think it’s a good time now to be able to try and help others and try and fix what’s needed in the community,” she said.

Before joining VFC, Ms Stork told her story to a retired tradesman who had been silent about his own attempt to commit suicide.

“He couldn’t thank me enough. He never thought of the aftermath that his son might do it as well.”

“The reason I’m here is because I felt like I made that little tiny bit of difference by telling one person, so I thought, how do I reach out to more people?” she said.

“I want them to know the ripple effect if you do something like this it can affect your family in so many different ways.”

Project worker, Carlene Matthews said she was amazed by the transformations and courage she’s seen.

“You’re working with people that you don’t necessarily know. You’ve got to learn to know each other first before you start to disclose,” she said.

“You don’t come along to session one and tell your story. People get to know you before they find out what the background is and we incrementally develop the story.”

The learning community built along the way is “like a family and we all feel safe,” she said.

Having graduated, Ms Fraser and Ms Stork are looking forward to more opportunities, speaking to the community about mental health, self-care and the power of speaking up.

Find out more about Voices for Change at bchc.org.au/news/voiceschange.

If you need support, speak to a trained professional on the new 24-hour local line, 1300 BHS MHS.