We've Got Your Back

Recently I was rocked by news that a number of people in Barwon had taken their lives all within a matter of weeks. I know the drought has placed an enormous amount of stress on our farmers and their families, local business owners and our entire community.

It’s important that during these times of struggle we talk to each other, we help each other out, and we seek help when we need it. We need to support each other and encourage one another to talk about how we are feeling and the challenges we are facing – it’s not weak to speak up and seek help.

Sometimes accessing health care is difficult in our area of the State, but there are a number of ways to access mental health care and support that don’t rely on you physically seeing someone (I’ve listed a few of these below).  

If you’re worried that the person you talk to won’t understand the realities of life on the land – Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have partnered to deliver the We’ve Got Your Back program.  

We’ve Got Your Back is made up of local Champions like Brendan Cullen, Richard Wilson and Rachel and Bodie Hill.

Brendan, or BC, is a Station Manager and has spent most of his life working on sheep and cattle stations. Richard lives on a Station north of White Cliffs, they’ve completely de-stocked because of the drought. Bodie and Rachel, live on a property north west of Tibooburra, they’ve been heavily destocking over the past three years.

BC, Richard, Brodie and Rachel are all trained as Champions, ready to listen to you, advocate for you, and link you with services.

To have a chat or organise a visit:

We’ve Got Your Back is not a crisis suicide prevention service, for crisis support please call 13 11 14.

Everyone look out for your mates, check in on them and support each other.

BeyondBlue

• The beyondblue online forum is a safe, anonymous space for people affected by the drought to seek support from fellow farmers and talk about how they are feeling. A dedicated discussion is available at org.au/drought-support-forum
• If you are worried about yourself or someone else and need to talk to someone, the beyondblueSupport Service is available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1300 22 4636.
• Webchat and email options are also available via beyondblue.org.au/get-support. Trained mental health professionals can provide free and confidential short-term counselling and offer referrals to local support services.

Lifeline

• If you are seeking someone to listen confidentially, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day every day of the week.
• Lifeline Chat service: lifeline.org.au (7pm – midnight, 7 days)
• If you feel more comfortable texting, you can text Lifeline on 0477 13 11 14 and a support worker will text with you.
• The Lifeline Drought Tool Kit - practical tips for getting through the drought, has been designed to provide practical tips to assist those living in drought affected areas to care for themselves and those around them.

Other helplines and resources

• Aussie Helpers: Virtual psychologist - call 1300 665 234,text 0488 807 266 or visit https://aussiehelpers.org.au/aussie-helpers-virtual-psychologist-for-drought-affected-farmers/ 
• Farmer Assistance Hotline: 132 316(operated by Commonwealth Department of Human Services for information about Farm Household Allowance, income support for farmers)
• Rural Financial Counsellor Service: 1800 686 175(for advice about locating counsellors in your area)
• NSW Rural Mental Health Support Line: 1800 201 123
• NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
• Mensline Australia: 1300 78 99 78
• Kids Help Line: 1800 55 18 00
• Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467