General News
6 June, 2023
Mental health in spotlight
Advocate says FNQ people reveal lack of access to key services
MENTAL health advocate and founder of Wandering Minds Bailey Seamer is calling for better access to services in Cairns.
During her short stay, the Wandering Minds trekker met locals and organisations who confided in her about the lack of accessibility and need to prioritise face-to-face services over digital resources.
The NSW resident living with bipolar disorder started walking the east coast of Australia in May of last year to fundraise $100,000 for the Black Dog Institute and raise awareness around mental health.
She has now departed for the tip of Cape York – her last stop.
Ms Seamer arrived in Cairns last Friday and met Cairns School of Distance Education and Cairns Rotary representatives, and organised a meet and greet with locals on Sunday before departing on Tuesday.
After talking to locals, Ms Seamer said Cairns’ mental health services problem was accessibility and a lack of faceto-face resources.
“Cairns is gorgeous, I’ve met some beautiful people and locations, but there seems to be a theme of individuals being unable to reach support when they need it,” she said.
“It’s not only geographical isolation, there are fewer conversations around mental health, and there are a lot of organisations and people doing fantastic work in FNQ, but what I’ve been hearing from people is that they feel isolated, under-supported and frustrated about accessibility to support.
“Many people have expressed that the digital spaces for support aren’t enough, people are given Lifeline numbers and phone support, but it’s not the same, you can’t connect the same as with a tangible doctor or counsellor or psychologist.
“It’s not just the fact that there are no services, it’s the fact that there are not enough tangible services for people to access. Considering an older demographic and people who work in agriculture, there’s a real barrier in people knowing how to access digital services.”
As she geared up for the next six weeks on the Cape, Ms Seamer said there was “room for intervention to close the gap and persistence with the services being provided”.
“In saying that, I’ve been very impressed with the school system and how much they implement mindfulness, mental well-being and emotional literacy for kids to express what’s going on with them,” she said.
“However, there’s still a gap in accessibility.”
To support and/or donate to Ms Seamer’s Wandering Minds journey, visit www.wandering-minds.org
