​​A program which supports staff to create psychologically safe teams, an initiative dedicated to connecting, educating, and empowering women to live a healthier life, and a program designed to empower Aboriginal people and communities to reduce family violence are just some of the eight award winners at this year's Wayahead Mental Health Matters Awards.

​Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson attended the awards, part of Wayahead - Mental Health Association of NSW's Mental Health Month for October. The awards recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations who have worked to improve understanding, awareness, service provision and the general mental health of NSW communities.

NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson congratulated the award winners who have contributed to improving the mental health of people right across the state.

The winners are:

• Workplace Wellbeing Award – Recovery 2gether (R2G) delivered by One Door Mental Health Parramatta – a program to support people with mental illness to recover at work with frameworks to create psychologically safe teams.
• Community Initiative Award – Soul and Wellbeing Encounters delivered by House to Grow Ltd, North Strathfield/Granville – a program to connect, educate and empower women to live healthier and happier lives.
• Youth Award – Getting on Track in Time delivered by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Port Macquarie – a social and emotional support program for children aged five to eight years old at Greenhill Public School who identified as First Nations, and their parents.
• Rainbow Inclusion Award – The Muslim Peers Project delivered by Outloud Inc (Bankstown) – a program for young queer or questioning Muslims experiencing mental health distress, providing free anonymous counselling with a Muslim Peer Manager, as well as community peer connection.
• Aboriginal Social And Emotional Wellbeing Award – a healing program 'Kalypi Paaka Mirika' delivered by Maari Ma Health, Broken Hill – a program designed to empower Aboriginal families, communities and relevant agencies to work together to reduce family violence in Aboriginal communities.
• Media And The Arts Award – Admissions + MAD Poetry delivered by Red Room Poetry, Port Kembla – a program that creates a safe writing space for emerging voices with a lived/living experience of mental health issues to express how they see the world.
• Mental Health Promotion Award – My Drought Story delivered by Hunter New England Local Health District and C7EVEN Marketing and Communications, Tamworth – an awareness campaign implemented across drought-affected areas of NSW to encourage people in drought-impacted communities to share their experiences.
• Julie Leitch Leadership through Lived ExperienceAward – Mark Robertson – One Vision Productions delivered by MPOWER, Byron Bay – an online personal empowerment toolkit for those struggling with their mental health.

The awards celebrate expertise and innovation in mental healthcare with the winners being announced at an awards event.

Ambassador for Mental Health Month, Brent Draper, Masterchef 2023 winner and a lived experience advocate, spoke at the awards sharing his story and personal experience of anxiety.

The winners were chosen from a total of 24 finalists across eight categories. Refer to The 2023 Mental Health Matters Finalists for more information about each of the finalist's projects.

More information on Wayahead​

NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said:

“As part of Mental Health Month, it's great to recognise the achievements of so many who work tirelessly to improve the mental health of NSW communities.

“Wayahead does a great job driving awareness of mental health and linking people to support services.​

“We all have a part to play in helping people, even if it is just starting a conversation."

Wayahead CEO Sharon Grocott said:

“The extraordinary diversity of projects created and delivered by these organisations accurately reflects our theme this year of “we all have a role to play,

“Congratulations to all the entrants and the winners for your dedication to mental health awareness, education, and advocacy.

“Their dedication and hard work to their program is truly inspiring. A massive congratulations to all who entered and this year's winners."