SANE Australia

I was recruited by national mental health charity SANE Australia for a three-month contact as a Media Advisor at the end of 2017. In this role, I managed the day-to-day activity of SANE’s StigmaWatch program, which promotes responsible reporting of mental illness and suicide in the Australian media. I worked closely with Mindframe Media and the Australian Press Council to ensure that the quality of reporting and portrayal of both suicide and mental illness was sensitive and responsible. This involved working directly with media outlets and building a collaborative relationship with the StigmaWatch community to understand how coverage that stigmatises mental illness or irresponsibly reports suicide can impact people’s lives. As well as managing StigmaWatch‘s reports and campaigns, I also prepared content for SANE’s website including marketing materials, printed materials and social media strategy.

As a result of my success in this role, I built an ongoing relationship with SANE Australia, and regularly work in-house for them as a digital content producer and social media strategist. I write, edit and proofread a wide range of communications – from detailed fact sheets and guides on mental health, mental illness and suicide-related issues to promotional content for the SANE Blog, Media Centre, community forums and social media channels.

Below is a range of content that I have written, edited or helped develop.

Media releases

Anne Deveson Research Centre launched to better understand and meet needs of Australians affected by complex mental illness (26/11/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/online-support-services-crucial-for-those-living-with-mental-illness-in-rural-and-regional-communities

Online support services crucial for those living with mental illness in rural and regional communities (8/10/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2259-online-support-services-crucial-for-those-living-with-mental-illness-in-rural-and-regional-communities

Increase in suicide rate puts us back to where we were two years ago, highlighting more work needs to be done (26/09/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2257-increase-in-suicide-rate-puts-us-back-to-where-we-were-two-years-ago-highlighting-more-work-needs-to-be-done

Australian-first research will examine how people with complex mental illness experience stigma and discrimination (02/08/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2237-australian-first-research-will-examine-how-people-with-complex-mental-illness-experience-stigma-and-discrimination

New discussion paper looks at the role of mental illness in suicide prevention (23/07/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2220-new-discussion-paper-looks-at-the-role-of-mental-illness-in-suicide-prevention

SANE Australia and The Dax Centre merge to reduce stigma (04/06/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2195-sane-australia-and-the-dax-centre-merge-to-reduce-stigma

Osher Günsberg calls for top song that’s impacted your mental health (15/2/18)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2115-osher-guensberg-calls-for-top-song-that-s-impacted-your-mental-health

Research examines impact of supporting someone who has attempted suicide (24/01/2018)

https://www.sane.org/media-centre/media-releases-2018/2111-research-examines-impact-of-supporting-someone-who-has-attempted-suicide

Fact sheets and guides

Blog posts

Five ways to reduce stigma in the workplace

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/five-ways-to-reduce-stigma-in-the-workplace

Nine great books about living with mental illness

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/nine-great-books-about-living-with-mental-illness

What is the DSM? Your questions answered

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/mental-illness/what-is-the-dsm-your-questions-answered

How to connect when you feel alone

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/how-to-connect-when-you-feel-alone

SANE’s Cameron on How ‘Mad’ Are You?

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/my-story/cameron-on-how-mad-are-you

Why diagnosing at a distance doesn’t help (and what to do instead)

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/mental-illness/why-diagnosing-at-a-distance-doesn-t-help-and-what-to-do-instead

What you need to know about relapse in bipolar disorder

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/what-you-need-to-know-about-relapse-in-bipolar-disorder

‘Giving Voice’ to mental illness and trauma

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/giving-voice-to-mental-illness-and-trauma

Feeling excluded from a loved one’s recovery journey

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/caring-for-others/feeling-excluded-from-a-loved-one-s-recovery-journey

You can’t ask that!

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/my-story/you-cant-ask-that

Can exercise help manage symptoms of bipolar disorder?

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/can-exercise-help-manage-symptoms-of-bipolar-disorder

Breaking down the stigma, the final barrier

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/mental-illness/breaking-down-the-stigma-the-final-barrier

Behind the scenes: Leonie Newton

https://www.sane.org/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/behind-the-scenes-leonie-newton

Stigma Files

To help raise awareness of SANE’s StigmaWatch program, I rebuilt the Stigma Files blog and created a new template for reporting outcomes. I conducted Q&As with the StigmaWatch community to produce content that provided a firsthand insight into why they chose to report to StigmaWatch and how they thought SANE Australia could support media professionals to make informed choices about the language and images they use and the messages they convey when reporting on mental illness and suicide.