In this rapidly changing world, mental health and mental illness is becoming more common to deal with as health care providers. On the other hand, due to the nature of our work, we are also at risk of experiencing mental health conditions ourselves.

In the world of mental health first aid, there are very few more experienced and passionate than our guest in this episode, Angela Driscoll.

For over two decades, Angela has coordinated the Chill Out Zone - a world-first late-night support service in the heart of Gold Coast’s nightlife precincts - Surfer’s Paradise and Broadbeach.

With a background in special education for young people with behavioral disorders and family support work with young offenders, Angela leads a team from sunset until sunrise that provides a safe respite from the nightlife including attending to exhaustion, conflict, mental health episodes, first aid emergencies, and drug intoxication and overdose.

In this episode, Angela reveals why mental health is EVERYONE’s concern, and that just like your physical health, you need to be proactive now more than ever about keeping in good mental shape, especially if you’re a health care worker.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

· What fuels Angela’s 20+ year passion for front line mental health support work

· What mental health is (and isn’t)

· What’s contributing to the growing prevalence of mental illness

· Mental health risk factors for health care workers

· The warning signs for both patient AND professional

· Best techniques to respond to mental health episodes

· The surprising best practices to maintain good mental health

· And more!

We’re sure you’ll agree, it’s courageous conversations like this one that contribute to the eroding of the long-standing stigma of mental health and illness, so that we can better support each other and our communities to acknowledge and combat mental illness.

We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.