October is Mental Health Month, providing an opportunity for conversations with friends, family, and community about this important topic. It’s a great time for everyone to learn about self-care, community wellbeing and what support services are available.

This year, the theme for South Australia’s mental health awareness program is ‘Connecting with the Community’. The word ‘community’ means something different for all of us. It’s a place where we can share our experiences and values and find connection and meaning. Your community could be with a group of people who live around you, share your interests or shared experiences, or it could be your family or friends. Our communities can be in a physical space or online. Wherever you find your community, being a part of it creates a positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing. They give us a sense of belonging and connectedness which improves our quality of life.

Communities come in all shapes and sizes – I encourage you to continue to connect with a community that promotes and supports your mental health.

Mental health supports delivered in the community by not-for-profit services help people to stay well and are available to people experiencing a range of mental health issues. They are tailored to suit all kinds of individuals and all sorts of needs. Community mental health services deliver programs that can be in a group setting, one-on-one, in your home or in a community organisation.

This Mental Health Month we are encouraging all South Australians to connect with their community and to reach out to those who could be isolated. By connecting with each other we can support others wellbeing as well as our own. Look out for events happening around the state at www.mhcsa.org.au/mental-health-month