LITHGOW City council has held its first mental health summit. The summit took the form of a panel discussion, with Dr John Dearin facilitating the event.
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In the lead up to the summit, a recurring question was why it has taken civic leaders so long to act on an issue that has been allowed to reach epic proportions.
It is a question, however, that Lithgow City Council is determined to be asked no longer.
“ We want this summit to provide an opportunity for the public and for service providers to discuss their concerns, to identify service gaps and funding opportunities and to identify ways for existing services to better co-ordinate their services,” said Lithgow Mayor Stephen Lesslie.
In opening the summit, Cr Lesslie emphasised that the issue is a priority for Lithgow City Council.
“It is my fervent hope that one of the outcomes of this summit will be the establishment of ongoing community driven networks with proper funding which will deliver good community based outcomes,” Cr Lesslie said.
A big crowd attended the event, with a wide cross section of community members, representing organisations or themselves individually, sharing their stories and expressing their frustration and what is clearly a resource shortage in the local area.
First hand recounts of travelling long journeys to get the mental health support and care needed, people falling through the cracks of a dysfunctional system, and funding shortcomings were all aired on the night.
There was also much positivity, with people sharing ideas and plans to help address the issue. Much was said about the link between the downturn of the mining industry, and thus employment numbers, and mental health.
Lithgow’s current unemployment rate is 8.4 per cent while the figures for youth unemployment are worse, sitting at 13.7 per cent.
It’s this link which was the tipping point for Councillor Wayne McAndrew, who was Council’s driving force behind the summit.
Cr McAndrew has been vocal about the need to address the employment holes created with the closure of mines and power stations in the area and has recommended Council lobby both State and Federal Governments to assist our area as they have done in the Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
Ms Toni MacDonald, Director Public Schools NSW Bathurst Network, kept the positivity going. “We’ve got to have hope in our community,” she said.
