Beating the Blues
Wellness Days are back in 2012!
The BIEDO/Centacare Women's Wellness Days are back in 2012 for their 5th year! Click here for information about a Wellness Day near you!
Plus... have you been to one of the BIEDO/Centacare Women's Wellness Pamper Days? Check out our Photo Gallery to see if you've been snapped being pampered!
BIEDO's 'Beating the Blues' Program
The Burnett Inland has one of the highest incidence of mature male suicide in Australia, and we have a high rate of depression among our population. Suicide and depression costs this region approximately $32M pa. The human cost is incalculable. Since 2007, BIEDO has been running the "Beating the Blues" program. During this time, BIEDO has been working with the community to tackle the impact of drought, flood and declining social health - the symptoms of which are stress, depression and suicide. Working in conjunction with Centacare, South Burnett & GP Links (North Burnett & Wide Bay), the program has assisted more than 3,900 people in the Inland Burnett.
Personal and Practical Solutions
- Support for Women's Wellness Days to re-connect rural women, provide helpful information, and promote relaxation, inspiration and laughter
- Coordination and support of the "North Burnett Action Group" and North Burnett Social Wellness Audit
- Referral to 1:1 support and counselling
- Support for "Bugger the Drought" and "Bugger the Flood" community BBQs and events to promote relaxation, laughter, stress & health management, information sharing & community-morale building.
- Support for SafeTalk, ASIST and Mental Health First Aid workshops to help colleagues, staff and family members recognise the early warning signs and offer early-intervention
- Bringing agencies together to make services more sustainable. We are helping to build a picture of health services in the region to help our agencies advocate for further resources and services.
- Regional Resilience Strategy - A whole-of-region strategy to map services and individuals who respond in some way to mental health impacts, and consult with a wide cross-section of both the South and North Burnett. The aim was to ensure a strengthened and co-ordinated network able to monitor and address mental health issues which reinforce community capacity and resilience. The strategy produced a framework across the North Burnett and South Burnett that highlighted gaps and overlap of service, identified ways in which services can overcome the limitations of insufficient funds and resources and the tyranny of time and distance and created pathways or vehicles which better address community needs, forge stronger links and integration.
Flood Support
One of our primary roles through Beating the Blues is to support our community following the floods. If you're finding it difficult to cope after this devastating event, please see our Wellbeing Support page.
Testimonials
"BIEDO is doing great work in coordinating much needed planning, support and activities in the Burnett. Your staff did an excellent job in presenting and their enthusiasm and ability certainly shone through. Please also thank them for their efforts on the day and in the project for us."
Darren Hauser, Principal Service Officer, Community Capacity and Service Quality, Central Queensland Region (Hervey Bay)
Department of Communities
