Since ReachOut’s first day online in 1998, collaborating alongside young people has been central to our work, so we’re rapt to welcome 30 young Victorians to ReachOut as Youth Ambassadors. At a recent workshop in Melbourne, this talented bunch pulled together plans to raise awareness of youth mental health in their communities and work with us to make ReachOut even better.
Above all else, ReachOut Youth Ambassadors bring a huge amount of compassion for young people’s mental health. Meena Chockalingam, a 20-year-old student at Monash University, believes that anyone should feel comfortable to get help during tough times.
“Those experiencing difficult times of any degree should not feel isolated and must have a sense of hope and belief that they can improve their situation,” says Meena.
“ReachOut is an organisation that provides this support to all young people. I can think of nothing more inspiring than being a part of this team and impacting many lives.”
Many psychology students sign up as ReachOut Youth Ambassadors because they want to help others and gain insights into youth mental health. Jack Nguyen is one such student; having first volunteered as a moderator on the ReachOut forums, he recently stepped up his involvement and became a Youth Ambassador.
“My psychology coordinator at Monash sent out emails letting us know about volunteering positions last year. Within the months that followed, I joined the peer moderating team, created a few thread topics, and moderated two Getting Real sessions on the ReachOut Forums.”
“I want to help promote ReachOut as best I can to allow young Australians to reach out with their stories, so that in time, they can help others too.”
[caption id="attachment_8918" align="aligncenter" width="794"]
Billy, our Youth Involvement Coordinator, speaks to the new ReachOut Youth Ambassadors.[/caption]
These 30 Youth Ambassadors are total pros at helping their mates. When a friend’s facing a tough time,, 21-year-old Sam Lim says that “suggesting professional help and directing them to websites such as ReachOut will definitely help.”
“The best thing is that ReachOut is totally confidential, so the person won't need to worry about their details surfacing. They can be comfortable researching anything they want.”
When it comes to mental health, Jake McMahon, a 22-year-old guy from Melbourne’s east, says you kind of have to take it seriously enough to be silly. “I believe in the theory that laughter is the best medicine, so if one of my mates or family members is going through a rough time, I'd take them out somewhere and do what I do best – talk nonsense and try to make them laugh.”
Like many others, Jake chose to volunteer for ReachOut because mental health is close to his heart. “I have seen several of my mates suffer from various mental illnesses and I thought this would be a great way to help them.”
And help them, he will. After receiving training in raising awareness, fundraising, content production and advocacy, Jake and the rest of our new recruits will now head into their communities to plan their own mental health–focused events, and start some very important conversations.
So, hats off to this amazing group of young people. From Mildura to Sale and Parkville to Sandringham, we can’t wait to work with you.
Above all else, ReachOut Youth Ambassadors bring a huge amount of compassion for young people’s mental health. Meena Chockalingam, a 20-year-old student at Monash University, believes that anyone should feel comfortable to get help during tough times.
“Those experiencing difficult times of any degree should not feel isolated and must have a sense of hope and belief that they can improve their situation,” says Meena.
“ReachOut is an organisation that provides this support to all young people. I can think of nothing more inspiring than being a part of this team and impacting many lives.”
Many psychology students sign up as ReachOut Youth Ambassadors because they want to help others and gain insights into youth mental health. Jack Nguyen is one such student; having first volunteered as a moderator on the ReachOut forums, he recently stepped up his involvement and became a Youth Ambassador.
“My psychology coordinator at Monash sent out emails letting us know about volunteering positions last year. Within the months that followed, I joined the peer moderating team, created a few thread topics, and moderated two Getting Real sessions on the ReachOut Forums.”
“I want to help promote ReachOut as best I can to allow young Australians to reach out with their stories, so that in time, they can help others too.”
[caption id="attachment_8918" align="aligncenter" width="794"]
Billy, our Youth Involvement Coordinator, speaks to the new ReachOut Youth Ambassadors.[/caption]These 30 Youth Ambassadors are total pros at helping their mates. When a friend’s facing a tough time,, 21-year-old Sam Lim says that “suggesting professional help and directing them to websites such as ReachOut will definitely help.”
“The best thing is that ReachOut is totally confidential, so the person won't need to worry about their details surfacing. They can be comfortable researching anything they want.”
When it comes to mental health, Jake McMahon, a 22-year-old guy from Melbourne’s east, says you kind of have to take it seriously enough to be silly. “I believe in the theory that laughter is the best medicine, so if one of my mates or family members is going through a rough time, I'd take them out somewhere and do what I do best – talk nonsense and try to make them laugh.”
Like many others, Jake chose to volunteer for ReachOut because mental health is close to his heart. “I have seen several of my mates suffer from various mental illnesses and I thought this would be a great way to help them.”
And help them, he will. After receiving training in raising awareness, fundraising, content production and advocacy, Jake and the rest of our new recruits will now head into their communities to plan their own mental health–focused events, and start some very important conversations.
So, hats off to this amazing group of young people. From Mildura to Sale and Parkville to Sandringham, we can’t wait to work with you.
