Wonderful news during Mental Health Week: we have been announced as finalists for the 2022 WA Mental Health awards in three categories!
Huge congratulations to Chris Johnson, Kaya Peer Worker in our Choices team who has been announced as one of four finalists in the WA Mental Health Commission Lived Experience Impact and Inspiration Award.
Chris has been part of the Ruah Choices team since 2020 where she uses her Lived Experience to offer support, hope and encouragement to people experiencing mental health distress while attending the Emergency Department and Mental Health Emergency Service at Royal Perth Hospital.
Chris has had a remarkable journey from someone who herself was supported and encouraged by a Peer Worker, to becoming one herself, and the impact she has on people’s lives in her current role is immeasurable.
“Chris liberally sprinkles hope around”, one colleague said.
Our Inspire Peer Support program at Fiona Stanley Hospital has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Lifeline WA Promotion or Prevention Award.
Since the Inspire Peer program began in July 2021 the Peer Recovery Worker team has provided a total of over 2,500 hours of peer support to clients navigating the ED department and inpatient wards at Fiona Stanley hospital and needing mental health or alcohol and/or other drug support.
We are incredibly proud of the Inspire program which is helping so many people on their journey of recovery and linking them to community supports so that re-admission to hospital ED becomes less likely.
We are also thrilled that the Care and Protection service from Ruah Legal Services is one of four finalists in the Youth Focus Innovation for Change Award.
Launched in 2020, the Care and Protection Service is the first of its kind in WA, providing wrap-around legal and no-legal support and advocacy to vulnerable families facing child protection proceedings.
The Care and Protection Service is literally changing the lives of families in our community. Says one client: “Before Ruah Legal Services I thought my life was completely destroyed. You have given me hope that I can get through this and get my kids.”
The 2022 Mental Health Award winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Celebration on Friday 25 November.
We wish all our finalists the best of luck, but regardless of the outcome, we are grateful and proud of this acknowledgement of the fabulous work all of our teams deliver every day.