Katherine community group Mental Mates has provided free mental health first aid training to the community. 

“It must be recognised all of this has happened independently of state or federal funding, although in collaboration with Government Departments – an absolute credit to our community,” Red Cross regional manager Meg Geritz said. 

“As we know, from surveying the 100 plus community members trained last year in mental health first aid, every one person trained provides mental health support to at least five people in a 12 month period.

“This means we can confidently say 660 incidents of helping someone successfully cope with a mental health incident have happened for our community during 2016/17 through Mates Helping Mates,” she said. 

“We are passionate and determined to help make a genuine difference in our community trying to prevent suicide.”

In October 2015 Dylan Lewis sent a call to the community, to join him and the Brahmans Football Team to build skills to help a mate who might be at risk of suicide.

This was in response to the loss of team member earlier that year and the growing concern for those who end their lives through suicide.

Mr Lewis established Mental Mates to show how first and foremost it is mates that help mates. 

The organisation has using training programs like Safe Talk, ASSIST and Mental Health First Aid to understand how this training might help the

Mr Lewis built a team to bring training to the community free of charge.

Australian Red Cross and Katherine West Health Board, provided trained volunteers to deliver Aboriginal and Standard Mental Health First Aid Training.

Wesley Mission, the Camels and Katherine businesses put forward money to help promote these efforts, and YMCA paid to have staff trained to deliver Safe Talk.

Mr Lewis was the Katherine Australian Citizen of the Year for 2017. 

If you or someone you know needs help, contact NT Mental Health Crisis Line number 1800 682 288.  If it’s an emergency, call 000.