Who We Are

OUR APPROACH

In response to the above state of mental health across Australia and specifically that of Western Australia, MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. aim to make a meaningful and sustainable contribution to the prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties and an overall improvement of community understanding of mental health and wellbeing in Western Australia. MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. intend to contribute via the development and provision of evidence-based, novel, unique, and holistic community mental health and wellbeing services that are otherwise not available or are inaccessible due to cost or other barriers to service delivery. MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. aim to contribute to the development of communitywide resilience and, as a consequence, the prevention of the deterioration of the mental health of local community members. We utilise our corporate, school-based, and in reach fee-for-service offerings to fund the provision of completely free community mental health and wellbeing services to the local community. In addition to the provision of free community mental health and wellbeing services direct to consumers, MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. act as a conduit between community members and existing community mental health services, offering community members information about, and links and referrals to, existing services. MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. also empowers community members to remain mentally healthy via engaging with our online community mental health and wellbeing support and information forum. Community engagement with MyLocalMind Inc. facilitates the reduction of the stigma of mental illness and supports individuals impacted by mental health difficulties to lead rich, full, and meaningful lives.

KEY STATISTICS

The annual cost of mental illness in Australia has been estimated at $20 billion, which includes the cost of lost productivity and labour force participation in addition to the $9 billion spent on mental health-related services in 2015–16. In 2003, mental disorders were identified as the leading cause of healthy years of life lost due to disability. In 2007, 45% of Australians aged 16-85 years (7.3 million people) had at some point in their lifetime experienced a diagnosable mental disorder. Despite 2.4 million people (9.8% of the national population) receiving Medicare-subsidised mental health-specific services and 8.9 million community mental health care service contacts being provided to approximately 420,000 community members in 2016–17, the aforementioned data suggests that presently available services for the treatment of mental health difficulties in Australia are inadequate. Moreover, with population controlled, in 2016-17 Western Australia had a greater than the national average and the third most community mental health patients behind only the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory, suggesting that the Western Australian population is in particular need of high quality evidence-based and accessible community mental health and wellbeing services.

HISTORY

Prior to the formal establishment in 2018 of MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc. as nationally and statewide registered charities, the initiative was colloquially known as FreoMind. FeoMind was initially conceptualised in late 2016 in response to and identification of the existing community mental health system failing to meet the needs of many community members. Services were initially provided by one of MyLocalMind Inc. and FremantleMind Inc.’s founding members Dr Kaine Grigg MAPS acting as a Sole Trader in an effort to address some of these gaps in the existing community mental health within the Fremantle community. Initial services included the FreoMind Facebook Group (later re-named MyLocalMind) and mindfulness. Over time the FreoMind community grew and as additional needs were identified by the community, novel services including a Men’s Group, Women’s Group, and Therapeutic Art sessions began to be delivered by new members of the collective of passionate professionals, para-professionals, and individuals with lived experience. This passionate collective has since grown to over 30 team members with both clinical and non-clinical expertise and was formally established as two nationally and statewide registered charities in 2018. Our range of services continues to broaden, and will continue to do so, in response to community need.

MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries would like to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s First People and Traditional Custodians. We value their cultures, identities, and continuing connection to country, waters, kin and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and are committed to making a positive contribution to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, by providing services that are welcoming, safe, culturally appropriate and inclusive.

MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries are committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries welcome all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries remember all those we have lost to suicide and acknowledge all people who have direct experience of suicide and mental health issues more broadly. MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries acknowledge all who struggle with mental health issues and those who care for and support them. MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries also acknowledge all who have engaged in suicidal behaviour and those bereaved by suicide. MyLocalMind Inc. and subsidiaries recognise that the voice and insight of people with lived experience is essential in the development of our work to build healthy minds and resilient communities.

OUR APPROACH

KEY STATISTICS

HISTORY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS