DOES the thought of a possible lockdown send your anxiety through the roof?

Many across the Coffs Coast spent the last week wondering just how we would manage if it happened again.

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Looking back over the last year there have been many additional stressors put on individuals and families.

Some in our community managed to work from home, school their children and run a household.

Others had to adjust to a reduction or loss of income and struggled to make ends meet and were supported by government safety nets and charities.

So the Coffs Coast is lucky to have two new services available to help support people suffering from anxiety, stress and low mood.

Healthy North Coast, in partnership with Remedy Healthcare, has announced that Remedy Healthcare will deliver two new programs to support people over sixteen to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing, especially people experiencing isolation, and those in rural and remote locations.

Julie Sturgess, Healthy North Coast CEO, said that access to free support services for people living with mild mental illness on the North Coast is a priority

“The ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in mental health concerns across the world.

“Now, more than ever, we have to encourage ourselves to seek help,” said Ms Sturgess.

“For people needing support with managing stress or worry, it’s so important that we have services available to provide help when and where needed, so that support can be accessed early.”

Remedy Healthcare is launching the MindStep^R and Healing Minds telephone and online services.

Both are free, easily accessible, and do not require a referral by a GP or healthcare professional.

Delivered by trained mental health coaches, the confidential services use evidence-based techniques that improve mental health and wellbeing.

Remedy Healthcare’s Executive General Manager, Mike Hutton Squire, said both services aim to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life by helping people self-manage their mental health and wellbeing.

“The free services offer one-on-one assessment, coaching and follow-up sessions.

“Use of the services is completely confidential and accessible to people living anywhere within the North Coast region in NSW.

“MindStepR is an evidence-based, low-intensity, guided self-help service and is designed to run alongside any existing psychological care,” he said.

To access MindStep^R, call 1800 322 278 or visit http://www.remedyhealthcare.com.au/mindstep-hnc

Healing Minds is a culturally sensitive adaptation of MindStep specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over sixteen.

To access Healing Minds, call 1800 810 255 or visit http://www.remedyhealthcare.com.au/healing-minds-hnc

Welcoming the new services, the Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, said the Federal Government had invested $2.3 billion in this year’s Budget towards better mental health and suicide prevention.

“I want to congratulate Healthy North Coast for understanding the real need for more services for mental health,” Mr Conaghan said.

“With these new services, people should not feel reluctant to talk about mental health. We need to talk more about mental health and I encourage people to do so.”

Healthy North Coast is a local not-for-profit organisation who delivers the Australian Government’s Primary Health Network program and is responsible for improving access to primary care health services.

By Sandra MOON