Positive mental health – everyone, everyday.

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY works to promote positive mental health and prevent suicide by normalising conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.

Mitch McPherson established the organisation in 2013 after losing his younger brother Ty to suicide. Mitch shares his personal story of loss to encourage others to speak up and seek help when they are experiencing mental health issues or going through difficult times.

In 2014, Mitch partnered with Relationships Australia Tasmania to help increase awareness and remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Stay ChatTY works in collaboration with RA Tas to deliver suicide prevention and mental health promotion programs across Tasmania (see below for programs offered by Stay ChatTY).

Through partnering with key community groups, businesses and sporting identities SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY has over 26,000 likes on its Facebook page, and this support continues to grow daily. The Stay ChatTY team now consists of 9 staff members who collectively engage with the Tasmanian community to increase awareness and remove the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.

For more information about SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY, to make an enquiry or a booking or to access related resources, please view the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY Website at: www.staychatty.com.au

Programs:

Stay ChatTY Sports Program

The Stay ChatTY Sports Program is a free service for sporting clubs and communities in Tasmania. The Program sessions are targeted towards persons aged 14 years and over. Sporting clubs can include communities such as any organised sport, fitness gym, dance schools or your local running group.

What can I expect from the Stay ChatTY Sports Program?

The Stay ChatTY Sports Program facilitates an evidence-informed mental health awareness workshop to club players, coaches and managers. The workshop aims to help participants understand mental health, recognise signs and symptoms, seek help, and how to help a teammate.

The program focuses on team culture and its role in team success; empowering players, coaches and managers to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental illness and provide help and support avenues for club member to use.

In addition to delivering workshops, our Stay ChatTY Sports Program Facilitators also support clubs to run mental health sporting rounds; engaging the club’s broader community – supporters, parents and friends – in the program.

The Stay ChatTY Sports Program sits alongside the Good Sports Healthy Minds Program, which helps clubs develop mental wellbeing policies and procedures to create an inclusive and supportive club environment.

Fees

This is a free program.

For more information visit the Stay ChatTY website or to make a booking, call 1300 364 277 or email staychatty@reltas.com.au

Stay ChatTY Schools Program

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY delivers a Schools Program for Students in Grades 9–12 that aims to strengthen young people’s mental health awareness and resilience. This program provides students with useful strategies to help build their confidence to seek help for themselves and their peers. Stay ChatTY’s Schools Program is delivered in both Catholic and Independent and Department of Education schools across Tasmania.

What can I expect from the Schools Program?

The Schools Program is grounded in evidence that demonstrates that raising awareness and promoting resilience and help-seeking in young people can lead to positive mental health outcomes.

The presentation includes a lived experience video of Stay ChatTY founder Mitch McPherson sharing his personal story of grief and loss. The content delivered in these interactive workshops focuses on mental health literacy, the signs, and symptoms of mental ill-health and how to seek help and access additional support.

The program also offers teacher and parent workshops to schools that aim to increase awareness of youth mental health issues and to promote the most effective ways to support young people. These workshops incorporate information regarding the warning signs of mental health issues and the associated risk and protective factors that directly impact young people’s wellbeing.

Fees

The Stay ChatTY Schools Program is free for Tasmanian Department of Education schools, funded by the Tasmanian Department of Education, Children and Young People.

For Independent and Catholic Schools, a fee-for-service applies. Please contact Stay ChatTY at staychatty@reltas.com.au to enquire.

For more information visit the Stay ChatTY website or to make a booking, call 1300 364 277 or email staychatty@reltas.com.au

Stay ChatTY Workplace and Community Presentation

The Stay ChatTY Workplace and Community Presentation is a 45-minute mental health and suicide awareness presentation for workplaces and community organisations targeted for people ages 18 +. The presentation delivers evidence-informed key messages about mental health and suicide, reducing stigma, and encouraging conversation and help-seeking.

What can I expect from the Workplace and Community Presentation?

The presentation provides an overview of mental health and the common signs and symptoms associated with mental health issues. Information regarding risk and protective factors for suicide is incorporated throughout this presentation in a safe and sensitive manner. This presentation strengthens community members knowledge of how to start a conversation with someone you are concerned about, using supportive language, and where to find support in the community.

Fees

Sessions are free, however donations to support SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY to continue their work are appreciated.

For more information call 1300 364 277 or email staychatty@reltas.com.au or visit the Stay ChatTY website www.staychatty.com.au/programs

Mitch’s Lived Experience

Mitch McPherson founded SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY after losing his younger brother Ty to suicide. In 2014 he partnered with Relationships Australia Tasmania to help increase awareness and remove the stigma surrounding mental health.

Mitch is passionate about suicide prevention and has shared his lived experience story at over 700 events, including schools, workplaces, and sporting clubs throughout Australia. Mitch is dedicated to spreading the important message that nothing is so bad that you cannot talk about it.

Mitch’s presentation covers:

Creating SPEAK UP Stay ChatTY (the stickers, Tour de Tig, partnering with Relationships Australia Tasmania)
His personal story of losing his brother to suicide
Mental health awareness and important warning signs to look out for
Mitch’s 5 ways to create change.

We acknowledge that the subject of suicide may be difficult for many people. Mitch delivers his personal story with sensitivity, and in alignment with existing best practice guidelines for safe language.

This presentation can be delivered in 45 minutes.

If you would like Mitch to visit your school, workplace, community group or sporting club across Australia, please fill out a presentation request form and send it back to staychatty@reltas.com.au , or contact him directly at admin@mitchmcpherson.com.au

Key Outcomes

Through the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY programs you will:

develop an understanding of mental health and suicide
be able to identify signs and symptoms of poor mental health and risk of suicide
learn how to engage in supportive conversations
understand where to access mental health support in the community

We are a Child Safe organisation

At Relationships Australia Tasmania (RA Tas) we consider the health, safety and wellbeing of all children and young people to be our highest priority. We strive to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. In particular, through our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy.

More information