The RFDS in QLD
Wellbeing Out West
Wellbeing Out West (WOW) was established by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) in 2018 using funds generously contributed by the RideWest charity ride amongst other valued donations.
RideWest is an annual event which travels 1300km between Brisbane and Longreach in an 8 day cycling event to raise money for the RFDS and raise awareness for mental health.
Wellbeing Out West provides free mental health education, one-on-one counselling and support to people living and working in remote and rural parts of Queensland, with a focus on the North West, Central West and South West.
The service targets anyone experiencing tough times because of worsening rural adversity out west. Mental Health Clinicians travel to their clients and often deliver services at community based mental health workshops, pit-stop health checks, or via training for remote station managers and staff.
As the trusted face of mental health in the bush, RFDS is well placed to reach remote parts of the State without access to other services. The WOW program expands on work already carried out in each region by the Drought Wellbeing Service, which is funded by the Queensland Government.
However, as WOW is funded purely from donated funds, the service delivery model is not restricted by contractual requirements and can be flexible and responsive to meet the needs of communities and regions at any given time.
The WOW program delivers the following services to remote and rural Australians.
- Train front line and local staff in mental health first aid, and suicide prevention
- Respond to and provide mental health education and support following traumatic events
- Run mini field day programs in rural and remote areas. These programs provide the opportunity to connect with RFDS mental health clinicians, learn more about looking after emotional health and wellbeing and brush up on first aid skills
- Manage requests for assistance from remote stations
- Provide clinicians to speak at various community events, aiming to increase understanding of mental health conditions
To find out more about the Wellbeing Out West program in your area, call 1300 010 174 or email outback@rfdsqld.com.au
