Organisations

The Act-Belong-Commit campaign is keen to partner with your organisation to improve attendance, participation, membership and volunteerism in clubs and associations throughout WA and help to build a more active and stronger community.

Organisations that offer opportunities for mentally healthy participation can become an Act-Belong-Commit partner or a site. That is, they can assist to raise awareness of the mentally healthy events by promoting ‘Act-Belong-Commit’.

An Act-Belong-Commit partner is an organisation that works collaboratively with Mentally Healthy WA or one of the project officers around the state to promote positive mental health. Contact a project officer?.

For example, the Northam Over 60’s group works closely with the Act-Belong-Commit Project Officer in the Avon Valley region to promote positive mental health to seniors. Northam Over 60’s is an Act-Belong-Commit partner.

Act-Belong-Commit partners become part of a state-wide movement to create a more mentally healthy community.

Partners can receive:

• assistance in event planning and resource development
• links to other groups
• promotion of activities and services
• positive mental health resources
• access to Healthway sponsorships (where there is an Act-Belong-Commit sponsorship officer locally)
• formal recognition as a partner of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign.
• endorsement from Mentally Healthy WA as an organisation which provides activities for mentally healthy participation.

An Act-Belong-Commit site formally signs-up to participate in the campaign by becoming a local centre for the campaign. Organisations that wish to become an Act-Belong-Commit site, appoint a project officer to promote the message in their community.

Organisations can employ an Act-Belong-Commit project officer to coordinate campaign strategies, or simply incorporate the Act-Belong-Commit message into existing program activities.

For example, the City of Rockingham has supplied a project officer to work two-and-a-half days a week on the Act-Belong-Commit campaign, to improve individual resilience and build community cohesion in the city. On the other hand, Gosnells Women’s Health Service have committed to incorporating the Act-Belong-Commit message into their existing programs and events.

Please note: Mentally Healthy WA does not provide funding to employ project officers.

Sites that sign-up to participate in the campaign can receive:

• signage and merchandise to promote the mentally healthy message in their communities
• access to Act-Belong-Commit Healthway Sponsorships (subject to provision of Sponsorship Officer in the region)
• Act-Belong-Commit Orientation and Training Manual
• on-going support from the Mentally Healthy WA Hub
• training and professional development opportunities
• media support

Community and organisation benefits include:

• builds the capacity of community groups to provide opportunities for mentally healthy activities
• increases and strengthens a sense of community connectedness
• fosters partnerships between government, non-government organisations and community groups creating a more cohesive community
• increases and strengthens people’s participation in clubs and associations and attendance at community events
• assists communities to reduce the long-term outcomes of mental health problems including depression, suicide, alcohol and drug abuse and juvenile delinquency.
• builds the capacity of community groups to provide opportunities for mentally healthy activities
• shifts perceptions of mental health to encompass wellbeing
• de-stigmatises mental illness
• becoming part of a state-wide movement to keep people mentally healthy

Mentally Healthy WA can discuss how your organisation might best get involved.

If you are interested in becoming an Act-Belong-Commit site, Mentally Healthy WA host ‘Introduction to Act-Belong-Commit’ workshops each year. Please register your interest.